Most people who know Marianne see her as a loving wife, dedicated mom and gifted writer. “Lupus is a condition I deal with, but it doesn’t define me,” she says.

After living with the condition for 20 years, Marianne has made great strides in managing this disease — trying her best not to let it manage her. Her medications help, as do yoga and meditation.

“A couple of years ago, I participated in a mindfulness meditation class at Park Nicollet, which helped me to develop amazing life skills — utilizing yoga and meditation,” she says. Although they can take 45 minutes from her busy days, these activities leave her feeling better focused, less stressed and more in control. “Yoga and meditation allow me to manage my condition — and my life.”

Marianne developed lupus just six months into her first year of marriage. “I first noticed pain and stiffness in my hands and knees, but within three weeks I was so sick I could barely walk,” she says. Doctors diagnosed her condition after a couple of months and prescribed steroids. A year later, she developed pleurisy, an inflammation of the membrane surrounding her lungs.

“My husband has really helped me to carry this load. I couldn’t think of a better person to support me,” she says. In the decades since her diagnosis, Marianne has given birth to two daughters, now 14 and 8, and remains dedicated to writing fiction. “Looking back, I can’t believe what I went through to have children, but I’m so grateful I did,” she says.

Earlier this year, Marianne traveled throughout Minnesota and to Washington D.C. to promote her new short story collection, Signaling for Rescue (New Rivers Press, 2007). Her book was nominated for the prestigious Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award; it also received the 2006 New Rivers Press Many Voices Project Award. Marianne also has earned fellowships and various literary awards.

Sometimes following life’s biggest milestones — her pregnancies, her book — her symptoms will flare. “The flares after my pregnancies I attribute to hormones; my latest flare was probably due to traveling and not prioritizing my health,” she says.

For the most part, her condition remains stable. “Every now and then, I fall off the wagon, but then my symptoms remind me to get back on,” Marianne says. She is back in her disciplined routine, aware of the fact that things don’t always work out perfectly. “We have to do the best we can and move on,” she says.

Marianne currently is writing a novel and doing her best to balance her family, health and work.

To learn more about Marianne’s work, visit marianneherrmann.com. To learn more about lupus and its treatments, call 952-993-5500, or visit parknicollet.com/rheumatology.