Takeover Tuesday : Marla

We all know the reason why I started this blog, to reach out to other POTS patients and share my experiences of living with a chronic illness.I have met some incredible women that are so willing to learn about chronic illness and support me via my blog. The one thing I was lacking were followers that were in the same boat as me. Until .....I came across Marla, a blogger that suffers from  lives with Lupus and shares a lot of my same beliefs and interests. Check her out I promise you will be inspired and you will have a laugh or two as well!

What's your name? 

MarlaJan. Marla. MJ. Mar. Marla Hooch.  Marley Mar. 

Where are you from? 

Technically I live in NJ, but I live 20 minutes outside of Philadelphia. Whenever I tell someone I'm from NJ, they say "Oh, like Snookie and Jersey Shore?!?!" Absolutely not. Jersey Shore took place in North Jersey. I live in South Jersey. North Jersey and South Jersey should each be their own state (gets off soapbox).

What's your favorite quote? 

Yikes, this was a tough one. I am the queen of quotes. Most notably, song quotes. All of my blog post titles are song quotes (fun fact!).

"It's the heart that really matters, in the end."

Little Wonders by Rob Thomas 

What's your blog name?

Luck Fupus 

 How'd you pick your blog name?

Well, I have lupus. I have a potty mouth. I figured Luck Fupus was the most PC way to put a funny spin on this crazy lupus life I lead.

Why did you start blogging?  

Lupus has taken away many of the things I've worked so hard for, most notably, my ability to have children and my beloved career at a pediatric cardiac ICU nurse. I handle it all pretty well, but I was very bitter and angry when I first went out of work, and needed a way to channel those emotions without feeling like I was burdening friends/family. My sister has written a blog for years, and convinced me to start one. I have the attention span of a gnat, so I never thought I'd stick with it. But, almost 2 years later, I'm still here blogging away!

What's your favorite part of blogging?

I have made some REAL connections with people all over the world, and not just those within the lupus community, either. I never thought I'd be able to reach out to so many, to have my voice heard, and make friends along the way.

Where do you find inspiration for your blog posts? 

As cliche as it sounds, I write about my experiences. This lupus life I lead is far from "normal," and I write so anyone who is going through these types of struggles knows they aren't alone. I try to be as raw, real, relatable and funny as possible. Whether it be BeDazzling my cane, taking pictures and singing songs during my chemo treatments, or causing a ruckus in the wig shop, I do what I can to stay positive! When I have nothing health related to report, I will ramble on about the most random stuff... makeup, celebrity gossip, music, The Golden Girls...always trying to keep it entertaining!

Do you have any special weekly posts? 

There are linkups that I like to participate in, but I don't specifically write a weekly post on a certain subject. I try to be consistent with my postings, but, chronic illnesses are oh so unpredictable. I never know when I'm going to end up spending a few days in bed. Usually, if more than 5 days lags between blog posts, you can assume I am feeling like hell.

    

What is currently your fav post? 

Sheesh, this is another one that is difficult for me to choose. LOL, and it's not because my writing is so amazing or anything, I just have a few that are near and dear to my heart.

I'm too sexy for my hair...

I guess I'd have to go with this one. SOOO many people don't realize this, but hair loss is an effect of lupus. I started losing A LOT of hair in October of 2012, so instead of lupus taking control of me, I grabbed my husband and some clippers, and took control of the situation LIKE A BOSS! 

Three fav blogs to read and why ? 

A Breezy Life This is my older sister Brie's blog, gotta represent! All jokes aside, my sister is pretty flipping awesome and such a beautiful writer. She's my best friend!

Life According To Steph- SMD is a blogger turned real life friend. She is awesome sauce, and her blog is a treasure chest of goodies!

Vodka and Soda-  Kathy is pretty much the Canadian version of me... but in much better shape! She is raw, real and hilarious. 

Why do you read fabulously faint? 

I've just recently started reading Brittany's blog! Aside from being fabulous, we both have a lot in common. We were both kicking ass and taking names as nurses when illnesses decide to take over and show us who's boss. We also both have heart conditions. I write about lupus, but I was born with a congenital heart defect (shitty genes!) called tetralogy of Fallot. Like me, I love how Brittany is able to make the most of everything, staying positive, and using the interwebs to reach out to those who understand.

5 Random Facts about you:

1. I've had four open-heart surgeries.

2. I don't put milk in my cereal.

3. I was the ONLY person in my family not born in Philadelphia. I was born in New Haven, CT, but we moved back to Philly when I was 6 weeks old.

4. I once performed on the same stage as Bruce Springsteen and Sara Bareilles (ok, not at the same time!)

5. I don't have a pulse or blood pressure in my right arm.

Thank you SOOOO much to Brittany for allowing me to take over your lovely blog! I would love for all of you to stop on over to my little space on the interwebs, and take a gander into my crazy life. You can follow me on BlogLovin, Twitter, and Pinterest. And don't forget to read Brittany's answers on Luck Fupus, on Wednesday!