Well, I’ve certainly learned a few things having fallen down the rabbit hole…and I’d like to share how to pop up on the other side with fewest brain cell defections as possible.

The "damn good" labor story that thankfully ended happily but ended with a diagnosis of lupus and sjogren's on top of hashimoto's, and the attitude and mindset shift that brought strength on top of a great sense of humor.

Ultimately, lupus opened doors I never thought possible, and gave me chances I never saw coming. It has been quite an evolution. Once a scared twenty-something, I am now a soon-to-be forty-something with a growing wisdom and appreciation for the things that count.

From an early age, soccer was my game and there was no denying it. I lived and dreamed of soccer. It was my lifeline. Happy, sad, or angry— soccer was how I expressed myself. I became very ill when I was nine years old (strep-induced vasculitis). We were told that I may never be able to walk again.