14th Annual Flight of the Butterflies- Butterflies of Hope Lupus Warrior Stories is a powerful celebration of strength, survival, and spirit. Through the eyes and hearts of lupus warriors, we share stories that often go unseen. Stories of pain, resilience, and triumph! These butterflies may have been battered by the storm, but they continue to rise, wings open, ready to soar.
At Lupus In Color, we honor each journey as a flight of courage and beauty, reminding the world that even in the midst of lupus, warriors still fly.
Flight of the Butterflies
Lupus Warrior Cristine Cordeiro Sloss
Before lupus, I lived my life without thinking twice about my health, even though I had already faced challenges — including a blood disorder that eventually led to having my spleen removed. I pushed through those obstacles and kept going, never imagining that something even more complex was waiting beneath the surface.
When the unexplained pain, fatigue, and symptoms began, everything changed. Suddenly my body felt unpredictable, and I knew something deeper was wrong.
When I was finally diagnosed with lupus after many years, I felt both relief and fear. Relief because I finally had an answer, and fear because I understood the reality of what lupus could bring. Since then, every day has been a mix of strength and struggle — waking up not knowing how my body will feel, pushing myself through pain, and learning to adapt to a life that can shift without warning.
Lupus has reshaped my world, but it has also revealed a resilience I didn’t know I had. My journey has been exhausting, complicated, and unpredictable, yet it has also been filled with determination, courage, and hope.
One of my biggest challenges with lupus is the constant, full‑body pain — from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. Some days even my organs hurt. Even breathing can feel heavy and exhausting. It’s a kind of pain that never fully steps aside, and I wake up each morning not knowing what my body will allow me to do.
But even with all of that, I keep going. I push through because I have to, because life doesn’t pause for lupus, and because I remind myself that someone out there is fighting an even harder battle.
That perspective gives me strength. My journey isn’t easy, but every day I choose to stand back up, to move forward, and to keep fighting. If my strength can inspire even one person to keep going on their hardest days, then this struggle has meaning beyond the pain.
On my hardest days, when the pain feels like it’s wrapped around my whole body, music is what saves me. The moment a song starts, something inside me lifts. My feet tap, my body moves, and for a little while the pain fades into the background.
I dance anywhere — even in the grocery store — because music fills my soul in a way nothing else can. It reminds me that even on the days lupus feels heavy, there is still joy, still light, still something that makes me feel alive.
If you’ve just been diagnosed with lupus, I want you to know this: you are not alone, and you are stronger than you realize. The beginning is scary — the symptoms, the uncertainty, the fear of what might come next. I’ve been there. But with time, you learn your own strength in ways you never expected.
There will be hard days, but there will also be days filled with light, laughter, and moments where you feel like yourself again. You’ll learn to listen to your body, to rest without guilt, and to celebrate every small victory. And even on the days when lupus feels heavy, you will still find joy — sometimes in the smallest, most unexpected places.
Hold on to hope. You are still you. Lupus may change your path, but it does not take away your courage, your spirit, or your ability to keep moving forward. You’ve got this, even on the days you don’t feel like you do.
Lupus In Color Salutes you!
YOU ARE BRAVE, COURAGEOUS, AMAZING and STRONG TO SHARE YOUR STORY.
YOUR BUTTERFLY WINGS ARE FLUTTERING, YOUR CHIN IS UP, YOUR ARMS ARE EXTENDED AND YOUR CHEST IS OUT! FLY ON BUTTERFLY!
FLY ON!
PLEASE SHARE THIS FLIGHT ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA AND START THE BUTTERFLY JOURNEY SPREADING LUPUS AWARENESS!
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