“When a Doctor causes someone to question their own sanity or perception of reality. Making you feel like you have imagined your symptoms or that you are making them up!” Definition Sadly this has happened to 99% of women who suffer with a chronic illness like Lupus. Through my instagram account #lupus.lady I have spoken to thousands of women who live with chronic illness. Unfortunately they all tell me that the worst part of the disease is the medical trauma they have endured at the hands of their doctors. I too know exactly how this feels and the best part of finally obtaining my diagnosis ..read more

It took 16 years to finally get diagnosed, sadly this is not uncommon. I was always unwell as a child. My mum recalls that I would catch every bug going and I was constantly exhausted. One Christmas I caught chicken pox and then in January I developed shingles. My immune system seemed to fail me at this point and from then on my health spiralled downwards. I was covered head to toe in swollen/sore red rashes. My face would swell so badly that at times I couldn’t open my eyes. Things continued to go downhill and soon after I had my first experience with anaphylactic shock. After my fifth time i ..read more

Lupus Lady – Mental HealthThe Storm Will Pass Nine years ago I had a full blown mental breakdown… and as strange as it sounds I’m grateful that it happened! Today I am a completely different person thanks to what I went through. I used to be a ‘yes person’ and took on too much. Now I manage my time better, priorities myself and have boundaries in place to stop this happening again. Dark Times If you were a fly on the wall in my house 9 years ago, you would have seen a very different me. I was literally a shaking wreck, I wouldn’t go outside, was scared of my own thoughts and had lost myself to ..read more

Sometimes Life Can Be Really Challenging! Chronic illness can be stressful and challenging on its own. If you add work and parenting, it can really take its toll on your mental health. It’s 2022 and the pressures of life are bigger than ever before. We now see what is happening all over the world and can connect with people through social media/internet. This is amazing and brings so many opportunities our way. However, it also shines a light on negative news that we would have not been aware of before. We now find ourselves worrying about people whom we have never met and feeling scared for v ..read more

May Is Lupus Awareness Month (USA) Lupus Lady – Awareness Month May is Lupus Awareness Month and the 10th May is World Lupus Day. Sadly most Lupus patients take 6 years or more to get diagnosed and I was no different. It took 15 years for me to get a positive Lupus diagnosis. There are lots of incredible women spreading the word during this month on social media. If you have Lupus keep an eye out for ‘Live’ streams, podcasts and interviews. I have been interviewed on the podcast ‘F**k You Autoimmune’ on Spotify. Lupus Lady PodcastThis Month Always Inspire’s Me Watching so many amazing women s ..read more

Can you enjoy Center Parcs if you are disabled?Woburn Village Going on holiday can be tricky if you have a chronic illness.  It can take a lot of planning and if you are anything like me you end up having to cancel 80% of the time. With my Dads 70th birthday coming up my family decided to book a trip to Center Parcs.  My husband and I have been many times before with our children however, this was my parents first time. It is important to note that my dad has advanced Rheumatoid Arthritis and therefore limited movement in a lot of his joints. That being said he is a very determined a ..read more

I still ask myself ‘what’s wrong with me’ even though I know! I received my Lupus diagnosis over 10 years ago. However, I still ask myself ‘what’s wrong with me?’. Its strange, I don’t know if it’s because it took so long to get diagnosed with years of traumatic hospital and doctor appointments. Or is it a disbelief in the diagnosis? Either way, I spend a lot of time worrying about what could be wrong with me and searching for answers! After connecting with hundreds of women on instagram who suffer with chronic illness, a common problem seems to be some type of PTSD. Understandably so! It take ..read more

Being friends with a chronically ill person is difficult. They WILL let you down, change plans and cancel at the last minute! Lupus lady Living with multiple chronic illnesses is an ever changing dynamic and can be disappointing at times. You have to live day to day as your body/health is so unpredictable. Work, social life, holidays, activities and commitments have to be flexible in order to cope. I have lost jobs, friends and many non-refundable deposits to my condition. However, after all these years I have learnt to adapt my mindset and live very much ‘in the moment’. My husband and I hav ..read more

Heres my top 10 Makeup Products that will help cover your Lupus rash. If you suffer with Lupus unfortunately it is more than likely that you will have the ‘lupus rash’ on your face at time’s. They call this the ‘butterfly rash’, as it is in the shape of a butterfly. It normally spreads across the bridge of your nose and cheeks. My skin has always been extremely temperamental and sensitive. I have had extreme allergic reaction’s with lupus, which have led to swelling and anaphylaxis. Over the years I have tried so many products and treatments to help ease the discomfort and disguise the rash. H ..read more

If you have been suffering with strange varied symptoms for years and can’t get a straight answer from your doctor… You’re not alone! On average its takes over 6 years to get Lupus diagnosed! There are many different reason’s for this, but mainly because the symptom’s differ from person to person. Also you have to remember that a general practitioner (GP) does not specialise in rare chronic illness, but more common colds, flu, measles etc. Lupus is fairly unheard of still and there is little awareness in the media, accept for the odd mention of Lady Gaga or Selena Gomez! I was referred too man ..read more