How To Accomplish Goals Despite LupusOne of the most painful parts of getting sick with lupus was having to let go of my goals and plans. I mourned the loss of the life I had...reactions4comments
What To Expect When You Take ImmunosuppressantsLupus is an autoimmune disease. This means that instead of attacking invading germs, the body's immune system attacks its own skin and organs. Often, this assault by the immune system...reactions6comments
How Lupus Indirectly Caused My Divorce"In sickness and in more sickness," my then-fiance and I joked in the months leading up to our wedding ceremony. We had dated 7 years before getting engaged. Three of...reactions6comments
How To Tell if You're With a Supportive Partner, Part 2A lupus diagnosis can feel like being suddenly abandoned in a foreign land. You thought you understood how your body interacted with the world around you, only for all the...reactions4comments
How I Use Mini-Habits to Accomplish GoalsAs a lupus patient, I don’t have as much time or energy as most people my age. Even after getting the over 10 hours of sleep a night that I...reactions3comments
How To Stay Positive When You Feel Like CrapA question I often get asked as a lupus patient, along with "Why is your hair so messy?" and "How much coffee can one person drink?" is "How do you...reactions7comments
How To Tell if You are With a Supportive Partner"A good marriage is one which allows for change and growth in the individuals and in the way they express their love.” – Pearl S. Buck Marriage isn't easy, as...reactions6comments
5 More Tips to Manage InsomniaAs a lupus patient, I often struggle with insomnia. I previously wrote an article on ways to manage it. Here are some more tricks I’ve learned to help me fall...reactions1comment
How To Win at Black Friday When You Are Chronically IllBlack Friday. When we hear these words, most of us think of frenzied crowds charging through Walmart doors, exhausted sales associates and harangued store managers, and people filling their carts...reactions1comment
All About HydroxychloroquineTwelve years ago, I sat in a rheumatologist's office for the first time. "You have lupus," she said. "I'm going to start you on a dose of Plaquenil or hydroxychloroquine."...reactions5comments
3 Strategies to Get a Good Night's SleepLupus patients are often fatigued and need more rest than the general population – which is why it’s so frustrating that many people with lupus experience insomnia as a symptom...reactions5comments
My Diagnosis Story, Part 2During my second semester of grad school, I continued to search for a diagnosis. I was growing sicker and sicker. The brain fog intensified and the fatigue became unbearable. I...reactions2comments
Why You Need a Lupus Role ModelWhen I first became sick with lupus, I was a twenty-year-old college student majoring in music performance. My life was filled with books and exams, orchestra rehearsals, and practicing the...reactionscomments
My Diagnosis Story, Part 1I was first diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune disease when I was 22. But like many people with invisible illnesses, it took a long time to finally figure out why...reactionscomments
That Time Steroids Made Me Crave Cheese-Flavored Ice CreamIt was 11 pm on a Friday night, and I was stalking the frozen food section of my local grocery store. Like King Arthur searching for the Holy Grail, I...reactionscomments
Lupus and My Struggle with Revenge Bedtime ProcrastinationThe year of the pandemic has brought us few experiences outside of our homes, but certainly many new words and phrases. "Zooming," "lockdown," and "work from home" have all become...reactionscomments
8 Health Insurance Terms You Should KnowAside from paying your monthly premium, health insurance is something you rarely think about when you’re healthy. But when you’re diagnosed with lupus, you will frequently need to call your...reactionscomments
Tips for Managing Lupus Brain FogBrain fog: It’s the bane of many people's existence. Also referred to as cognitive dysfunction, brain fog feels like having a head full of cotton through which your thoughts just...reactions2comments
Surviving Hurricanes When You Have LupusOutside my window, an angry brown river raged down what was once a road. The flood stormed over the 3-foot-high concrete barrier separating the street from the sidewalk. Tree branches...reactionscomments
When Family and Friends Do Not Accept Your Illness"Chronic illness will show you two things very clearly: the amazing compassion of some people you hardly know at all, and the disgusting selfishness of some people you thought you...reactionscomments
