Instead of getting blackout like every bachelorette party in Nashville, I focused my attention on other fun stuff, like eating biscuits and taking pictures in front of basically every Instagram-worthy wall in Tennessee.
All in Life
Why Am I Not An Olympian (Or, Ramblings of a Crazy Person)
And then I put voice to the thought that goes through my head whenever I see someone who's chronically ill achieving some crazy feat–– if they can do it, why can't I? What am I doing wrong?
Love, Butterflies, and Ginger Ale.
I know if my Gramma were around, we could sit around and watch TV, and I wouldn’t feel bad at all bitching to her about how my steroid taper is making my hips hurt so bad that I can’t sleep.
I Do Not Have As Many Hours in a Day as Beyonce.
What if we stopped glorifying the hustle? What if we instead started glorifying things like taking care of yourself, writing your sister a letter to make her smile, re-reading your favorite Harry Potter book in the sunshine, or just making it through the day?
Friends With (Medical) Benefits
My friends and family prove to me every day that even if not everybody “gets it,” I am at the very least blessed with people who care enough to try.
2016 is Halfway Over?
We only feel like we’re missing out because we subscribe to some random belief that there’s a certain set of experiences we should be having and that if we aren’t having them, we’re somehow doing life wrong.
I'm The Sick Girl, But I'm Everything Else, Too.
I am a writer. I am a cat mom. I am a political junkie. I am a friend.
Books Are Uniquely Portable Magic
Reading not only gives me an escape and a way to spend my sick time–– it makes me better able to express myself.
How I Learned To Embrace My Inner Introvert
It was far too hard with my rising anxiety to pretend to be the most outgoing one in the room all the time.
"I'm totally fine, guys!" Or, On Being Chronically Ill But Also a People Pleaser.
But how do you redefine normal? Normal for me has been a steady homeostasis of stomach aches and discomfort.
I've Accepted My Illness–– Now I Need Everyone Else To.
Yoga won’t cure me, and neither will a juice cleanse.
Home Is Where The Heating Pad Is
Do what you can to make yourself feel happy and healthy in the places you spend the most time, and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it
"It's The Little Things" And Other True Cliches
Six-year-old me was a tiny capitalist dictator. While normal little girls wanted to be Cinderella or a doctor or something, I wanted to be Oprah Winfrey.
Make 'Em Laugh
If you can take something that hurts you and use it to make other people laugh, you’re turning it into something kind of beautiful.
Chronically Single: Dating While Sick
I’ve always been bad at dating. The peak of my allure was in the eighth grade, where I think I had a total of two “boyfriends” with whom I slow danced to Ashanti in a gym.
I Like Getting Tattoos (Or, Having Control Over Your Body When You Don't Have Control Over Your Body)
I like getting tattoos. Other things I enjoy include piercings, dying my hair colors not found in nature, and spending far too much of my disposable income on whatever makeup a Kardashian is currently peddling on Instagram.
Living My (Grandma's) Best Life
Well, in an interesting karmic twist, I have officially become my grandmother–– the perpetually sick person in the room. And it’s turned out to be good thing, because it’s allowed me to understand her better.