Lisa Weber,  —

Lisa Weber lives in the suburbs of Tampa, Florida, where she works hard at being a wife and mother of two beautiful girls. She’s passionate about overcoming challenges while living with a rare autoimmune disease called scleroderma. This systemic disease attacks her entire body inside and out. Her diagnosis came in 2014, but she continues doing the things she loves: working as a client success manager, cooking (poorly), building furniture, and jogging (slowly). She will tell you everything she does is perfectly imperfect! One of her life goals is to help raise awareness for rare diseases and continue her personal fight to survive and thrive until a cure is found.

Articles by Lisa Weber

Changing My Perspective Was the Toughest Pill to Swallow

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…

How I (Barely) Survive the Annoying Scleroderma Itch

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.

How My Scleroderma Diagnosis Taught Me Empathy and Compassion

She was fumbling through her coupon book, desperately trying to ignore the stares and loud sighs. As the line to the cash register grew, the moaning and groaning intensified. I gently said, “Take your time. You’re doing great.” The young woman locked eyes with me, and I could instantly feel…

The Remedies That Help Soothe My Aching Feet

Did you know that gymnastic balance beams are made of aluminum and wrapped with a thin layer of polyethylene foam and leatherlike material? If a stunt is landed incorrectly, it’s like landing on concrete. When I was a gymnast, I once missed the landing of a front flip and my…

How Survivor’s Guilt Is Yet Another Symptom of Scleroderma

Each time I read about another scleroderma warrior losing their battle, a tremendous weight crushes my soul — a combination of sadness, anger, and guilt. I’ll always remember the fear I could hear in my mother’s voice when I first discussed my scleroderma diagnosis with her. And in…

I Can’t Control Life, but I Can Control My Mind

My first time trying to meditate was a complete failure. I couldn’t contort my legs to look like a pretzel, to mimic the “meditation pose” I’d always seen in movies. After several fruitless attempts, I decided to just do my best to sit up straight, relax my mind, and focus…