Category: headache

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Farewell Mishinda

The Lupie Chick


Yesterday morning I was contacted by the aunt of one of my blog followers. I was taken aback by the call, as I’m super busy finalizing details for my upcoming event (Cupcakes & Cocktails). The caller sounded unsure as to whom she wanted to speak with.  As I waited to try and catch the voice she asked if she could speak with “The LupieChick”. I paused as I knew this was a Lupus related question as no one refers to me as the Lupie Chick in conversation. I acknowledged that I was the person she was looking for and she began to tell me about her niece, Mishinda. 
Mishinda was 26 years old, mother of 2, and had passed away from complications of Lupus on Sunday, February 24, 2013. I instantly felt my heart break (literally, I had a pain in my chest) as she began to speak about Mishinda. It pains me to hear stories of anyone lost their fight with  Lupus. Funny thing, she didn’t sound sad. She was laughing and telling me how Mishinda loved my blog and my willingness to just say whatever I wanted. Her favorite post was Am I Being A Bitch Or a BabyWe laughed as I was slightly embarrassed by the title of that post. Mishinda referred to me as a pistol whipper (lol…lol…). She commented that she looked forward to my daily pictures of me smiling (I haven’t posted any pictures of my face in a while, as I’m going through a flare up and have the butterfly rash across my face) and my reference to Lupus as Mister. 
Then, she suddenly  her tone of voice became serious. She stated that Mishinda asked her family to find me and get in contact with me because she wanted to speak to me. “ME????? “  Was my reply, as I never had any interaction with Mishinda? The family tried feverishly to find me, finally coming across my Facebook page, in which has my phone number listed. She asked me if I would attend the candle light virgil on Friday night to honor Mishinda. — INSERT A PAUSE AND A LUMP IN MY THROAT—ME????  Ya’ll know I have a fear of public speaking. She replied- YES, we would like you to come and speak. I told her that I’m not a medical professional, I refrain from giving medical advice, and I can only speak about my experiences and my desire to bring awareness. Her reply: “BE YOU – BE THE FUNNY LUPIE CHICK THAT MISHINDA SO LOVED AND ADMIRED” [insert uncontrollable crying]. 
After I stop crying, and contacted a few friends, as I was unsure if I should attend. I questioned my ability to speak publicly (I have a MAJOR fear…. stomach is in knots RIGHT now as I think about it), I questioned what would my presence bring, can I meet Mishinda’s expectations or the families expectations, what would I stand up there and say??, sweating, stiff and straight like a statue with nothing coming outta my mouth?? [Oh my!]. All my friends encouraged me to do it and to let God guide my words. I realize the honor and blessing. I pray that I can deliver and fight through this fear.  I will attend the candle light service, and honor my lupie sister Mishinda the best way I know how. I can hear my siStar now “Sixx, You better werk hunty” (lol…lol…lol…) DO THAT!!!!!
Fam, I write this blog with no hidden agenda. My ONLY agenda is to share my life, and my experience with Lupus. I have no idea the number of people with whom my blog had inspired, made laugh, cry, or angry but I’m grateful to each and every one of you. Mishinda has encouraged me to continue to push, fight, and advocate for all Lupie Chicks. I NOW realize that Lupus is my ministry. It’s my duty to be a voice and a face for the invisible disease. Please keep me prayed up as I enter this new chapter of my life. #LupieChicksUnite!!!!!!!

Twitter: @lupieeChick
Instagram: @naturally_lupie
Email: lupiechick@gmail.com

aunaturale, autoimmune, depression, detox, diet, headache, insomnia, meditate, migraines, miss sixx, mz sixx, natural hair, peace, reflect, relax, skin care, skin disorder, womens health

Day 9: Younger Looking Skin plan

The Lupie Chick

Reflect and Relax
By Amy Wechsler, MD

Reflect on Your Journey This is the final day of the Younger Looking Skin plan! Think about how the last 9 days have been for you. What’s gone well? Do you feel physically and emotionally different than you did last weekend? What helped you most? Was it getting more sleep, connecting with friends, having more sex, or learning to meditate?

Take Two Just for You Pick the stress buster that you’ve liked doing best — meditating, breathing, making love, having a worry session, whatever — and do it twice today.
And don’t forget to get your beauty sleep, be positive, foster friendships, move your body, eat clean, go green, relax, and simplify.

You’ve completed the 9-Day Mind-Beauty Makeover and tapped the power of The Mind-Beauty Connection to start reversing the effects of tension and time. You should be looking and feeling not only younger but also happier, healthier, and more whole; less stressed, more you.

By continuing even some of the new habits you’ve picked up in the last 9 days, you’ll keep looking and feeling terrific, not just for now, but for life. Use these tips to nurture the beauty in you:
Stick to your newly formed habits as best you can over the next several weeks as your body continues to adjust and respond.

Feel free to add and subtract things that worked especially well for you, or didn’t. The point is to discover what helps you, and that’s going to be as individual as you and your life are. Use Dr. Amy’s 7 Habits for Healthy Skin to stay on track.

Focus on making your daily activity something you look forward to. Get inspired with these videos.

Keep a handle on stress, don’t skimp on sleep or healthy eats, and don’t get lured in by the latest beauty products.

Tell someone else how the mind-beauty connection can reverse stress aging and bring out the best in her looks.

The information included on this blog is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult his or her healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan.

aunaturale, autoimmune, blog, depression, guilt, headache, lupie chick, lupus, miss sixx, motherhood, natural hair, roller coaster, triggers, womens health

Depression and Guilt

The Lupie Chick

I was contacted on Twitter by a follower that told me she was thinking about me. Initially I thought- she had run across one of my tweets on her timeline about these migraines. She then went on to tell me about a young lady that lives in her county, 19 years old, has a 4 month old baby, recently diagnosed with Lupus and defective heart. As you know with Twitter you can only type 140 characters, so her message came over to me in 3 tweets. I told her to please give the young lady a hug for me (sometimes all I want is a hug- no words.. just a tight hug) and let her know that she isn’t alone- then 5 seconds later the 3rd part of her tweet came-the young lady-19 years old, lost her battle with Lupus- she died over the weekend. I literally burst into tears right then and there. Although I consistently tell myself that Lupus isn’t a death sentence- for some – it is. From the time of her diagnosis she was extremely sick, and the disease just took over.

According to my Twitter friend, her entire community is heartbroken over this- and I am also heartbroken. In one tweet I realize that I could have been the women she speaks of. I could be the women whose community is heartbroken over my death, instead of my children not remembering me- it would be my 6 month old grandson that wouldn’t remember me. I cried for 2 hours. I didn’t know the young lady however I was sad and I was feeling guilty. I didn’t understand the guilt part- WHY WOULD I FEEL GUILTY??? Is this a whole nother set of emotions I have to work through?

I realize that dealing with Lupus and the symptoms affect my emotional health and my family. I’ve begun to notice that my mini me ( daughter) is always checking on me ( more than usual), she is always saying “ mom are you ok”. She text me a lot and when we are home alone she lays beside me in the bed, as if she is watching over me. She even said to me the other day “why are you doing that- you know you’re going to make your head hurt”. All I could think about was the young lady’s child who is only 4 months old most likely won’t remember her, why did the disease have to attack her and take her away from her child, her family, and her friends? Why was she chosen as oppose to me or someone else? WHY? WHY? WHY?

I started surfing the web for help- I was an emotional wreck, and I needed some clarity. I ran across this statement: You may feel agitated or angry, and find it difficult to concentrate, relax or sleep. You may also feel guilty, as you realize your family is now going to have to take up the chores you normally do. This stage of emotional distress then gives way to bouts of depression, sadness, silence and withdrawal from family and friends. During this time, you may be prone to sudden outbursts of tears, set off by reminders of your inability to perform simple tasks, and memories of your old lifestyle. Over time, the pain, sadness and depression start to lessen. You begin to see your life in a more positive light again. The final phase of grieving is to let go of the thoughts of being able to return completely to your old lifestyle and move on with your new life. This helps any lingering depression to clear, and your sleeping patterns and energy levels improve.

Reading that made me understands that what I’m feeling is normal and it’s a process. I have to take one day at a time, work through the grief, pain, and the guilt. I will honor her (the lady that lost her battle) by NOT giving into depression, and not giving up on life.

“You never lose peace once you find it. Peace sometimes lies hidden beneath a veil of unkind thoughts, confusion, or pain. Shake loose the discontent from the veil and peace is readily accessible.” ~ Rion ~ *my new favorite quote*

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aunaturale, diet, emotional, headache, headache diary, lupie chick, lupus, migraines, miss sixx, mobile apps, mz sixx, natural hair, skin disorder, supplements, triggers, womens health, you tube

Coping with Lupus Headaches

The Lupie Chick



I have begun to suffer from Lupus headaches. These are not like the average headache, pop a Tylenol and it go away. These are more on the end of migraines. My head feel like its splitting, pounding, piercing, throbbing and aching all at the same time. Followed by a spinning sensation like a tornado and a feeling of nauseous and sometimes vomiting. Typically these headaches start mid day and lasting hours into the evening. Thus far, I’ve been taking Ibuprofen to treat these headaches, but most of the time the only relief I get is from rest. I turn off the lights (make the room as dark as possible), turn off the TV, and go to sleep.

I’ve been told that one of the ways to help prevent headaches or migraines is to understand your possible triggers. In order to do this, health care providers often recommend using a migraine diary (also known as a headache diary). This is a tool that allows you to clearly capture, in a standardized way, how often you get migraines, how severe they are, and the possible relationship to physical, emotional, or environmental factors. There are several down able diaries, electronic diaries, and headache diary apps(s) for (Iphone, Ipad, and Droid Mobile cell phones). * They make apps for everything* lol…lol

I’m trying to avoid harsher treatments and drugs such as Plaquenil and prednisone to treat these headache episodes. This seems to be the first drug of choice upon complaint of the headaches. I prefer natural alternatives therapies such as exercise, diet supplements, meditation, special diets and maintaining a strong support system. I’ve also been told that conserving energy by setting limits on how I spend my time is helpful. Fatigue is a common complaint for lupies. Listening to your body’s signals by resting or taking short naps during the day can help reduce the occurrence of lupus headaches.

I’m starting my headache diary today, a gluten free diet, and hopefully I can figure out what or who (lol..lol..)are my triggers . If you have any advice- please share ….