Good Afternoon! Why Triumphant Wings you ask? First a little about Who I am. My name is D. Nicole Davis. My friends and family call me Nicole or Nikki. I was named after my grandmother, so from an early age I went by my middle name. I am 30 years old, and have been married to my husband, Claude, for almost 5 years. We have been together for 10 years. I will be the main writer on this blog, but occasionally I may share writings, pictures, and other material from my loved ones, as they are all part of this strange journey we have found ourselves on.
Life is funny that way. You start out one day and it seems like any other day, and by the end of it your life is forever changed. This is what happened to me on July 23, 2013. I’ll tell you this story later on, but it is a date that will forever stand as a day that my life changed.
I started Triumphant Wings simply because I felt the call to share my story about my life with Chronic Illnesses. It has been a scary and confusing journey at times, and there have been times I have felt like I was failing. Other times, I feel like I have been put on this journey for a reason. That reason is simply, so I can help others on a similar journey.
In November of 2013 I was diagnosed with Antiphospholipid Syndrome, an autoimmune condition that causes blood clots, chronic migraines, miscarriages. In fact the start of my APS journey was a miscarriage on May 29, 2013, but I will get to that in another post.
In March of 2014 I was diagnosed with Lupus, even with no positive lab work. This diagnosis was based on my APS diagnosis, my symptoms, and my family history.
I also have a few other chronic conditions that tag along with these conditions migraines, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
This blog will cover my journey with both illnesses, life, and everything in between. I hope by sharing my story I can help others live on their own triumphant wings.
I want to hear from my followers, so please leave me comments and connect with me!
Triumphant Wings 
TW, Great kick off to your blog. I will look forward to following you and hearing more about your journey with lupus. My own diagnosis didn’t happen until about five years after a miscarriage more than 30 years ago (yes, people do live past the “ancient” age of 55+ with lupus!) Thankfully, I was successful with two pregnancies, and have a wonderful son and daughter, and four grandchildren. Following and watching you flutter! LA
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Thank you for the compliment! It is suspected that both conditions have been at play for awhile for me, it just took the pregnancy to bring the to the surface so to speak, enough for a diagnosis. Lupus runs in my family on both sides, I watched my paternal grandmother live with it for years. I look forward to getting to know you and hearing your story as well. I followed your blog and have been reading through it! Have a fantastic day! ~Nikki
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Hi Nikki. I’m sorry you have to experience the auto-immune conditions now claiming your body. I know that people can live relatively full and productive lives with them but at price of constant pain and lurking fear. You have my prayers.
I don’t have anything like that – just Type II Diabetes which I am slowing tempering by losing weight and exercising. But what I have doesn’t compare with what you have.
I’m now following you. Please take a look at my blog which is mainly my meandering thoughts above everything from “sailing ships to sealing wax”. You’ll find commentaries, musings and fiction.
Until later – may you enjoy the sun upon your face and the gentle breeze through your hair.
http://www.frncnseal585.wordpress.com
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Thank you for sharing your story with me. Type II Diabetes has it’s own struggles. My mother has Diabetes and I have watched her with her own struggle with it for a few years. It has definitely gotten a lot better since she found the proper treatment and what works for her. I’m essentially at the beginning of my journey with my illnesses and I know in time a lot of the things I’m experiencing will seem water under the bridge and distant memories. They say the first part of a person’s journey with Lupus and APS are always the hardest. I can definitely understand why. I have faith though that sunnier days are coming. I just have to remember my sunscreen from now on. 🙂 I look forward to reading your blog and getting to know you! Have a fantastic day!
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There are so many people on here with auto-immune diseases and chronic illnesses. I, too, have Lupus and RA and suffer from a barrage of kidney stones that are “as many as stars in the night” one ultrasound technician told me.
Having said that, writing, blogging, reaching out on-line are great ways to connect to others, share your journey, provide self-therapy for your depression and to find a distraction.
Blogging has done wonders for me in these ways.
I pray that your pain eases and that your diseases go into remission.
Easter
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Easter, Thank you for sharing your story. I pray your own journey is one of peace, and you find remission as well. Along the way you have a shoulder here if you ever need one. 🙂
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Thank you so much Nicole.. as do you. I have started a blog on overcoming depression as I have been on this journey for more than ten years now. It is Christian-based (but not in an in-your-face) kind of way. If you are interested, I will send you the link as it is not my main blog.
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Please do Easter! I am spiritual but not religious if that makes sense. I recognize everyone has their own relationship with their beliefs. 🙂 I look forward to reading that blog as well.
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Thanks Nicole 🙂 Like I said, it is a gentle message about God’s love. Some of the poetry there is more pointedly Christian, but these are interjects to the devotional. http://todayicanwithgod.wordpress.com Hope you like it. It was difficult for me to start it as I felt a bit intimidated, but I am happy that I did.
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It took me about 3 weeks to get up the courage to start Triumphant Wings. Now that I have I can’t stop writing. I have several posts in Draft stages. That keep getting pushed aside as some of the urgent ‘breaking news’ posts happen. Eventually I’ll be able to tell the rest of the back story, hopefully. LOL
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Lol – I know what you mean! I had to get a program to sort through my tremendously varied writing Scrivener which provides projects which have binders that come with folders, that come with individual writing topics. It is a great way for me to stay organized. Drafts just got to jumbled up for me after a while.
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I will have to keep that idea in mind! Though hopefully my ‘urgent’ updates will slow down. Then I can get into a more systematic writing and write about the topics I want to at the time I want to write. 🙂
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You probably will. You will probably end up blocking a chunk of time each day to write. Hopefully you have a notebook so you can write in bed on your really bad days. I know it is such a distraction to me on my bad days.
xo
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I do have my handy notebook by my bed, plus I can always take my laptop or tablet to my bedroom with me. I do my best though to at least encourage myself to move to the couch and not stay in bed all day, even on my bad days. A change of scenery sometimes helps brighten the spirits, even if its just a change of one white wall to another. 😛
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Good idea 🙂 I agree that change is invigorating and can even help us feel a bit better.
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Besides helping those on a similar journey, you also remind those of us without chronic illnesses to count our blessings and to live life as best as we can. Thanks for sharing. I wish you a joy-filled journey!
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Sara, I hadn’t even thought about that viewpoint, thank you so much for pointing it out. 🙂
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