2020 was a pivotal year for me. For so many years I was told “well you have a thyroid condition” to explain any symptom thrown at me but nothing was working to make it better. I was constantly exhausted, constantly in pain, Chronic migraines and inflammation with...
In 2004 I was a school bus driver (and mother of 2 active kids). I had a 12 yr old beat me and change my life FOREVER!! After the accident I had brain damage, jaw wired shut, and lost the ability to walk on my own. I can’t use my left leg anymore (which is where the...
I was diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) at the age of 7 when I got severely ill and was taken to hospital as I was loosing consciousness. The doctor told my parents that if 10 was dead I was a 9 when they brought me in! I am now at the end of the line in...
I have had chronic pain since my early teen years, but my symptoms did not get debilitating until my first year of college. At the time, my specialists dismissed my symptoms, which started my journey towards a diagnosis. During college, my symptoms continued to...
Hi, I am Yvonne and I have Crohns Disease in the small bowel. I was diagnosed in the 1982, sadly my illness was not heard of, they thought I had cancer and then an eating disorder. Finally a Gastro specialist looked at me and the diagnosis was confirmed. Personally...
Senior year of high school is supposed to be a wonderful time in every teenager's life. You are focused on graduating, selecting a college, thinking about adulthood and what you're wearing to prom. However, my senior year took a detour. Warning! This is where I...
A person is not defined by their illness. Rather, a person defines their illness. Hi! My name is Lily and I am a Pre-Pharmacy student at UW Madison. I am very passionate about global health, which is rooted from my experience with chronic illness. I learned how to be...
After some needed gum graft surgery, I was shearing our rescue llamas. Usually I can do our small herd of 5 with no problem. Not that day. I woke the next day crying with pain, thus beginning my long journey to where I am today. Originally, testing showed wonky IgG...
I'm a soon-to-be graduate from Bellevue University while working two jobs to pay the bills (Disney and Lyft). I deal with two chronic illnesses where if one isn't acting up, the other one is! I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease in 2015, but I had symptoms of the...
My health journey started in the 1990’s when I was first dx’d with Fibromyalgia with a trigger point test. After that I was a by the book Fibro patient going through the levels. I had aches, pain and fatigue for about 10 years before it got worse. When I was in my...
My name is Dianne originally from Boston, MA, living in Texas. Growing up I had seizures, hives, sun sensitivity and lots of headaches. I don’t have a lot of memories of my childhood except for being in the hospital long term. It wasn’t until I was pregnant at 20 did...
You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice. December 14, 2010 at age 15, my life was changed forever. I was diagnosed with Type One Diabetes. I grew up with no significant health issues and always considered myself a pretty healthy...