Finding Strength — Lisa Weber

“Mama! Come quick!” my daughter called through sobbing tears. She’d been unwell for a few days and had developed a high fever that morning. I was already on high alert, and her cries for me were like sirens. As I was crouched down beside her as she lay on the…

I often see a butterfly symbol associated with various autoimmune diseases, including scleroderma. While some conditions, such as lupus, can cause a butterfly-shaped malar rash, my research hasn’t yielded any other explanations for this connection. However, I do have my own theory. Tucked safely away from the…

I sat on the shower floor in complete exhaustion, a scrubbing brush in one hand and a natural disinfectant in the other. Physically, I was at my breaking point. But the shower was only half-done. It’s tough throwing in the towel, but my body sometimes just doesn’t cooperate long enough…

All I wanted was to grab a plate of leftovers. Instead, I got an emotional beat-down from a bowl of freshly cut pineapples. The sight of pineapples always zaps me right back to intensive care, where I was recovering after having six strokes. I couldn’t have visitors due to the…

Scleroderma knows how to be a Debbie Downer. I can be enjoying a moment and BAM! Some debilitating pain or body malfunction pops up to ruin it. I can’t control when I’ll need to hit the pause button on our fun, but I can control how I approach the…

One of my favorite smells is that of homemade soup simmering on the stove. It’s like a warm blanket for all of the senses. I used to make it when someone was sick, but after my scleroderma diagnosis, I found it helpful to make a huge batch and freeze…

There’s always a dark cloud following me around. It’s the reminder that scleroderma has my life clock ticking a little faster. Most of the healthy people I know don’t quite understand this internal struggle. I can’t even count how many times I’ve heard, “Nobody knows how long they have…

All the bedroom doors were closed and everyone was tucked in under their warm comforters. Except for me. I had taken on the 2013 holiday season like it was another full-time job. Without enough daylight hours to squeeze it all in, I was working the graveyard shift and bleeding myself…

The sweet little boy approached his desk. As I looked up to greet him, a wall of cologne slammed into me like a wave from a tsunami. Immediately, I began coughing and gasping for air. That may sound like an overreaction, but it’s exactly what was happening. My lungs seem…

The gentle sound of wind chimes filled the house. Then the short melody repeated itself. And again. Every time the tune played, I heard my daughter mumble, “Alexa, stop.” She was never an easy child to wake up. Lying in bed, I listened to her become increasingly angry at her…

When I moved to Florida in 2002, I knew nothing about tropical climates, other than they’re great for beach vacations. While unpacking the moving truck, I sat down in the grass for a quick rest. That was my first mistake. Within seconds, my upper legs were covered in fire ants.