Living with Lupus

I had ample motivation for writing this book. The possibility of some new income certainly has to enter a writers mind before undertaking such a venture, though I do not have any illusions of a big payday. I also wanted to see how difficult it is to get published for the first time and if it was even possible for someone like me, whose experience included almost exclusively newspaper work. But there were other, more important considerations. The experience was therapeutic, and I honestly wanted the world to see more clearly how tough living with a terminal illness can be. Maybe those who read the book will have a newfound compassion and understanding for those who suffer daily, and maybe they will find ways, if only small gestures, to make the patients life more fulfilling. For someone with bad lungs, there is ample time to write and watch television. I can only tolerate so many reruns of insulting sitcoms, so I chose to give the book a shot. Regardless of how well it sells, I am glad I did it. I hope the family and friends of those who suffer from lupus and related diseases come to better understand what their loved ones endure and, as a result, show them the love they deserve. The book is meant to allow people to experience, if only through words, what the lupus patient suffers regularly: pain, frustration, hopelessness, and depressionall wrapped in one destructive package.