Columns

Some of the best things I’ve learned about living with ANCA vasculitis didn’t come from a journal article, a conference slide deck, or even a clinic visit. They came from you. From conversations. From comments. From private, patient-focused Facebook groups — messages that started with, “Does anyone else …”…

By the time this column is published, I’ll be a couple of weeks into recovering from a hip replacement. I am writing it in advance because I’m fairly certain I won’t have the wherewithal to write coherently after the surgery. I never imagined I’d need a hip replacement at this…

Valentine’s Day usually comes with a lot of noise. Flowers. Chocolate. Big romantic gestures. All of that is fine, but I want to offer a slightly different Valentine’s idea: one that feels especially right for those of us living with ANCA vasculitis. This year, let’s send valentines to the…

A hip replacement is not as “simple” as some people might portray it. As many of you know, I recently had a total hip replacement. Before the surgery, people kept saying things like, “Oh, those are easy!” or “My neighbor was walking in a week!” And every time, I…

Living with a chronic illness like ANCA vasculitis teaches us many things, often lessons we never asked to learn. One of the most powerful lessons I’ve discovered is the importance of holding on loosely — to the good days, the tough days, and everything in between. When I grip…

Recently, I was talking with friends about navigating life after an accident that left one of them with post-concussive syndrome. Both are, without question, among the smartest people I know — and I’m not being effusive. Yet that single event transformed their lives in ways that feel profoundly familiar to…

As I’ve been sharing, I’m preparing for a hip replacement. And, as is often the case with ANCA vasculitis, nothing about this process has been simple or straightforward. After a thoughtful and thorough conversation with the pre-surgery team, we made the decision to move my surgery back. Why should…

Winter feels different when you have ANCA vasculitis. That’s especially true for me, because I recently moved to Michigan after living in the desert for 25 years. I’m still learning how to navigate real Midwestern winters and am far from mastering it yet. The shorter days, cold weather, and…

A new year can feel complicated when living with ANCA vasculitis. For us, it’s not a clean slate, but rather a moment for reflection. We look back at what our bodies carried us through and look ahead with the quiet hope that this year might unfold a bit more…

Holidays can be wonderful — full of joy, connection, and tradition. They can also be complicated, especially for those of us living with vasculitis. This season, I was reminded of the importance of sharing openly with the people we love about what this disease means in our day-to-day lives.