Prickly Cactus: Finding Meaning in Chronic Illness

A portrait of disability due to lupus (SLE), and the eventual healing of body, mind, and spirit through medical treatment, physical therapy, and spiritual practice. It offers inspirational and informative insight into both Western and Eastern healing modalities, and into the vital role of family and friends in recovering from a chronic autoimmune disease that afflicts millions of Americans, especially women. At the height of her thriving career as a university professor, researcher, prolific writer, and influential advocate for education, Concha Delgado Gaitan was suddenly stricken with unbearable pain and partial paralysis. Diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), she began the long and arduous process of taking control of her own healing.

Concha Delgado Gaitan is an award-winning professor and researcher in Anthropology and Education. She has also worked in the field of public health in culturally diverse communities, combining that interest with her dedication to issues of social justice in education. Dr. Delgado Gaitan lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, Dudley Thompson, and their cat Sofia.