I’ve always wanted to be the good girl, and in sickness, that has translated to a desire to be “the good patient,” an ideal that this book has made me realize is impossible to attain –– because it doesn’t actually exist.
All tagged chronic illness
The patriarchy is killing us –– but literally.
The insidious prevalence in which women are disbelieved by the medical symptom is deadly, and it should be of immediate concern to any female-identifying person with a pulse.
When your brain is the "shame" lady from Game of Thrones.
The harder pain to swallow was the voice in my head that just kept saying, "why can't you be normal?"
The Cost of Being Sick is Too Damn High (or, why I moved across the country)
I went from being a type-A control freak who loved lists and never missed a homework assignment to someone who couldn't even control the wild machinations of her own body.
Self-Care, On a Budget, For Everyone.
It’s possible to keep your self-care budget-friendly (if not free) and accessible to all.
The Perpetual Trauma Exerted Upon the Sick (Or, the GOP is Trying to Take Away Our Healthcare Again)
It's nearly impossible to make significant improvements to patient lives when every other week we have to use all our exhaustible energy calling congress.
Acceptance is a Small, Quiet Room.
The problem is that I'm a bit of a control freak.
An Open Letter to a Friend Struggling With a Diagnosis
Know that being diagnosed with a serious health problem is a significant type of trauma, and it's okay to treat it as such.
Back to School Special: What Educators Need to Know About IBD
Try to make sure your students know they can come to you if they’re feeling overwhelmed balancing the spinning plates that are school and a chronic illness.
Sick and Tired, But Mostly Tired.
Know your limits and don't be afraid to enforce them. People who don't understand the value of rest are missing out on a lot of great TV movies, anyway.
Independent Women, Pt. III
There's a saying that goes "Health is a crown that the healthy wear, but only the sick can see it."
I'm Not a Hypochondriac.
Because I had grown up with bad internalized feelings surrounding feeling like a hypochondriac, it took way longer than it should have for me to be diagnosed with Crohn’s.
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pajama Pants
Thanks for the constant reminder that no one is ever as alone as they might feel, and that the roller coaster has as many ups as it does downs.
I'm Bad At Keeping Secrets
After 8+ months of Saturday nights in, a monumentally bloated face, and a diet more restrictive than Beyonce-inspired veganism, wouldn’t I want to shout “I’M FEELING BETTER” from the rooftops?
The Glamorous World of Traveling With Chronic Illness
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.
Repeat After Me: Being Sick is Not a Point of Failure
When we talk about health like it’s a personal success, the problem is that we all too often then talk about illness like it’s a personal failure.
I Kind of Need You to Stop Asking if I'm "Better"
I would love to tell you that yes, in fact, I have miraculously come out of this flare and it will probably never happen again and, as it turns out, I am healthy as a horse.
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.
TBH
Your life is not a PR angle, it’s just your life.
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.