‘Find your tribe,’ they say. But how do you find your illness tribe—especially when your illness is rare? My particular brand of illness, known as lupus, apparently affects approximately 0.06% of the population and five million people worldwide.[i] So it’s not like I’m going to find many fellow ‘lupies’ at my workplace or local church. […]
doctors
Survival Skills: Laugh
‘I don’t know how you cope with your chronic illness,’ remarked my doctor. ‘You seem to bear it so well.’ I laughed. ‘Maybe I should come in and show you what I’m like on a bad day!’ As good as my doctors are, laughter can be even better medicine. I have a pretty impressive repertoire […]
The Pressure to Marry (and Become an Instant Baby-Making Machine)
‘So, when are you guys gonna have kids?’ My friend’s question hit me square between the eyes. To say I was surprised would have been an understatement. I was freshly engaged, not yet married. Was it normal to be pestered by baby-related questions the minute one got engaged? Unfortunately, I am not alone in my […]
Stuck in the Middle
If you want a story with a happy ending—or indeed, any kind of ending—you’d better stop reading now. This story, like an unfinished symphony, is incomplete. I am still living this story; I do not know how it ends. All I know is I am currently stuck in the middle of a seemingly endless stretch […]
How I’m Dealing with Health Setbacks (or Not)
I recently broke my shoulder. And it was a clever break too, in a part of the shoulder that apparently gets broken only one percent of the time. I slipped on a wet floor and landed with all my weight on my shoulder. Simple as that. And you can bet your arm it was elegant. […]
Pacing my Illness
‘OK, I need you to do these five tests, and I’m referring you to another specialist,’ declared my GP. I winced. I already had a full week planned. Where was I going to find the time for all these tests? ‘I need a PA!’ I replied half-jokingly. But in my mind, I was overwhelmed. How […]