Meghan Bea

In my life before lupus, I was goal-oriented and hard-working. Dreams of academic success, a college scholarship, or scoring a high rank in musical competitions motivated me to study hard...

Every night, I count out a handful of pills. Six of these pills, which are prescribed by my rheumatologist to keep my lupus under control, are immunosuppressants. As their name...

The winter holidays conjure images of snowmen and candy canes, presents wrapped under a tree or beside a Menorah, and plates piled high with frosted sugar cookies. Unfortunately for us...

One of my most painful days with lupus wasn’t a day when my joints were swollen or when my fatigue was overwhelming. It wasn’t even when I was bedridden with...

In my life with lupus, my brain is keeping a constant tally of energy and how to "budget" my energy throughout the day. When the miniseries Maid began streaming on...

Anyone who has ever taken steroids knows about their side effects all too well. Irritability, weird food cravings, and heartburn are just a few. However, the side effect that many...

Most lupus patients talk about the fatigue, joint pain, and social isolation that comes with a chronic illness. But a topic you hear about less from chronically ill people is...

As a teacher, the beginning of the school year is usually the most hectic time of the year for me, even though I teach privately (one-on-one violin lessons) rather than...

That first doctor’s appointment with a new rheumatologist can be stressful, no matter how long you’ve lived with lupus. You might be a veteran lupus warrior who is switching doctors...

One of the hardest parts of being diagnosed with an invisible chronic illness like lupus, is that your friends and family might not understand your illness. Often, they might say...

Since becoming sick with lupus, I travel far less than I used to because the act of traveling is difficult due to the fatigue I live with everyday. Thirteen years...

As soon as I graduated from college and moved into my own place, I knew I wanted a furry friend to share it with. I’d grown up with dogs and...

Like most lupus patients, I always wonder if I’d be treated differently by my family, friends, and doctors if my illness was visible. If I used a wheelchair, would people...

In my work as a violin teacher, I come into contact with dozens of students each day. Unfortunately, this also means that I’m exposed to dozens of students’ germs each...

Ask most lupus patients and they’ll tell you that their symptoms are worse at a particular time of day. Many patients feel increased fatigue or joint pain at the end...

Life with lupus can be unpredictable, inconvenient, and exhausting. Because I live with daily chronic fatigue, everyday tasks that are easy for other people are not so easy for me...

I hadn’t experienced sensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) rays until this year, despite living with lupus for the past thirteen years. I’ve learned that lupus symptoms can change and evolve over...

Many new patients with autoimmune diseases, particularly young women, are dismissed, not taken seriously, or even gaslit by doctors. During the year I spent searching for a lupus diagnosis, I...

I'm not alone in struggling with lupus insomnia. Insomnia can majorly impact patients’ quality of life, especially since so many of us already live with chronic fatigue. In the months...

Since becoming sick with lupus, I've needed to sleep 2 to 3 hours more than my able-bodied peers in order to function. In addition to fatigue and skin rashes, lupus...