Until recently, I’ve never been empowered by my pain; I’ve been ashamed of it. For as long as I can remember, I thought that pain meant weakness. Through my childhood and adolescence, my pain has been blamed on the wrong aspect of my body. I thought I felt immense pain because I was weak not […]
It’s no secret, hospital life is isolating. Those that enter the ER with a broken bone or the common cold kindly wave farewell to this confinement as they drive back to “normal life” a few hours later. However, those with chronic illnesses don’t get to leave the isolation at the door. For me, isolation has […]
“I wish I had Crohn’s so I could be thin.” “You’re so lucky you don’t gain weight!” “I wish I had Crohn’s so I could eat whatever I want.” “You don’t need to workout, you’re already so little.” “I know Crohn’s sucks, but at least you look amazing.” While my loved one’s meant no harm […]
According to NASA, the moon’s purpose is to make the Earth a more livable planet through the dark hours of night, as the brightest and largest object in the sky. While she may not be large, Luna’s light shines endlessly and makes my world a much more livable place, especially at my darkest hours. This […]
To the doctor that looked at my 14 year old body that was starving and malnourished and deemed me anorexic, regardless of how much I, or my family, tried to argue otherwise… I have anxiety now. To the male nurse that violated my boundaries at age 15, after surgery, when I was most vulnerable by […]
Look, I’m no expert. But this illness? Yeah, f*cking bullsh*t. And no, I am not negating the validity; this illness is all too real. It just SUCKS. Those who are suffering from Hypermobile Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome experience frequent joint subluxations, dislocations, extra-bendy joints and fragile skin. hEDS causes the connective tissues (i.e collagen and fascia) […]
Ahhhh, if I had a dime for every time I have had to explain this illness to a doctor, I’d be able to pay for salty supplements for the rest of my life. POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) is a disorder that causes orthostatic intolerance, as one of the main symptoms. Basically, the blood vessels […]
Most horror stories set on Friday the 13th involve slashers named Jason, a damsel in distress and cheesy Hollywood effects. My own Friday the 13th tale involves less psychopaths, yet rivals the gore and terror categories. My first diagnosis came after years of unexplained medical anomalies. On September 13, 2013, my pediatric GI doctor found […]
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