When Robin was told she was lucky her lupus had been diagnosed so early, she felt blessed, but the news was also delivered with an unexpected twist. Her prognosis included a drastically reduced life-expectancy. She was in for the fight of her life. Her body was waging war against itself. But that internal warfare gave her an unexpected gift. A hyper-awareness of, and ability to advocate for, her own health.
After years of learning to manage her disease, and beating the odds, she noticed something felt off with her body. When the medical system gave her a standard wait time for testing, she trusted her gut, and asked for the wheels to turn faster. What seemed like a mere complication due to lupus, ended up being an unrelated but serious condition, and early diagnosis likely saved her life.
Although Robin doesn’t know what the future brings, one thing she knows for sure is, she will never be labelled with an expiry date.

In this episode:
Eighteen and on my way — sleep, study, and systemic lupus (1:00 ).
Onward and upward — love, work, and babies (4:30 ).
Is this what tired feels like? (8:53 ).
Sponge Bob Square Pants, Oompa Loompas, and a trip to the ICU (14:15 ).
My thoughts from a hospital bed (18:05 ).
Adjusting to a new normal (23:27 ).
Timing is everything — new meds and renewed hope (26:55 ).
The gift of being in tune with my body and advocating for my health (29:20 ).
The diagnosis that left me breathless (37:43 ).
Why am I thankful for Lupus? (39:47 ).
Why me? What is the importance of my story? (48:13 ).
Walking into my own (50:50 ).
The struggle with body image (58:49 ).
The magic of scaffolding (1:01:00 ).
Final thoughts on life, death, and toilet paper (1:05:26 ).

Connect with Robin
Check out Robin’s Insta, moa.artist, to see her inspirational paintings and prints. And if you are looking for an amazing motivational speaker for your next event, please contact Robin on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-matrai-48b60745/.

Connect with Helen
If you would like to connect with Helen to find out how she can assist in your writing journey, please visit www.helenrose.ca.