I have a diagnosis of an adjustment mood disorder: better known as depression. It started when I first got sick. It made sense that living in chronic pain would cause some serious mood issues. For the past 20 years, I've struggled to balance the negativity in my head with the life that I want to... Continue Reading →
March is both Autoimmune Disease Awareness and Women's History month. To honor both, I'm highlighting female advocates who have inspired me, motivated me, and befriended me. In this third issues, I've decided to feature three women that make me want to be a better advocate. First up is Kerry Wong from Float like a Butterfly.... Continue Reading →
I hate the month of March. Why? As an educator, it's the longest month of the school year that typically has no holidays (other than Easter from time to time) and lots of lousy weather. In the Northeast of the United States, the skies are gray, the weather is cold and damp, and my disease... Continue Reading →
I was scrolling through facebook today and saw a post for "walk 50 miles with your dog this month" for XYZ charity. I looked at my dog and said, "When this new medication makes me feel better, we can do this." A friend asked me to go to a large mall in the area, and... Continue Reading →
A few weeks ago, I wrote about taking time to focus on getting healthier. My pain levels have been excruciating. So much so, that I requested an x-ray to make sure nothing is wrong inside (other than what I know is already wrong). I'm hoping to get that done next week. Until then, I thought... Continue Reading →
I used to joke that if I ever woke up without pain, I'd think I was dead. I should clarify that I often wake up without pain, but as soon as I attempt to move... YOWZA This past summer, my diagnosis changed from rheumatoid arthritis to non-radiographic ankylosing spondylitis. My back has been killing me... Continue Reading →
I've lived with Chronic illness for over 20 years. During that time, I admit, I haven't always been good at communicating what I needed from friends and family. Over the years, I've learned how to set boundaries and ask for what I need. The issue is, I've become more discerning of whom I choose to... Continue Reading →
In 2019, I finished out my school year, and traveled to visit my dad for father's day. I was very run down and felt horrible, but attributed it to an autoimmune arthritis flare. I became deathly ill with vomiting/diarrhea and a high fever. I had pneumonia. Fast forward to my first day of school (with... Continue Reading →
I started my new biosimilar infusions to treat my autoimmune arthritis in May 2022. Everyone asked me, "Is it working?" Honestly, it's hard to tell. I was cautiously optimistic. Slowly, I noticed I could walk my dog for longer periods, walk upstairs to use the bathroom at the end of the day (instead of crawling... Continue Reading →
I've been riding a low wave lately. I'm coming up on the year anniversary of losing my dad to COVID19. I continue to have feelings of anger, heartache, disbelief, and utter grief. Honestly, most days, I struggle to get out of bed. I took a huge chunk of 2021 off to work on myself. To... Continue Reading →
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