Three Year Purple Anniversary [Belated Post]

I am one nearly year behind in writing this post. Time just flies by! Sometimes I feel as though I cannot keep up with life. If you haven't read about my previous posts (Year One and Year Two) on my Purple Anniversaries, I'll give you a quick summary what a Purple Anniversary is:

I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (S.L.E.) or just simply Lupus for short. I was hospitalized from July 12 - 17 in 2010. Every year, I like to celebrate life in July as way of saying, "I conquered you, Lupus! I am alive and I am healthy as can be." It is merely a celebration of life. My case of Lupus is, thankfully, a mild one, but it can progress over the years without warning or cause. That's just what Lupus does. So whatever the case may be year after year, I would like to celebrate life and still being here.

Lupus patients are sensitive to the harmful sun's rays so we avoid the sun at its peak if possible. I love the ocean, I love the beach. I grew up going to the beach with my family. And I must admit, it makes me sad knowing I can't go to the beach midday and just stay there all day. 

Each year on my Purple Anniversary, which I usually hold in July if possible, I gather my friends together, make them all wear purple (Purple is one of the colors to commemorate Lupus), and enjoy some good food!

Since I cannot go to the beach the way I used to because of the sun, I do try to make it out to the beach during late afternoon just to be able to go to the beach. It's my way of saying, "Ha Lupus! You can't stop me from enjoying the beach."

For my three year Purple Anniversary, I had a bonfire with my closest friends who know that I have Lupus. We all wore purple. We cooked hot dogs over the fire pit, we had all kinds of beverages, and we made s'mores over the fire. 

It was a really great time. I was surrounded by an abundance of love, support, and positive energy. 

I am very grateful that I have the health that I have given the circumstances I am in. That is what my Purple Anniversaries are about.

<3<3<3