Celebrating my five-year ulcerative colitis diagnosis this year, I had an epiphany. I realized that my diagnosis isn’t about me anymore. I’d started out sharing my story to find community and emotional healing, and now I share my story to help others. If you find yourself in a similar boat, keep reading to see why […]
Accepting Your Chronic Illness Isn’t a One-Time Thing
Happy September everyone! This month is very special to me because it’s my five-year ulcerative colitis diagnosis anniversary! In honor of this, I’m doing a five-part series of the five most significant lessons this chronic illness has taught me. Today’s topic is about why accepting your chronic illness is not a one-time thing. Accepting Your […]
My 25th Birthday: 25 Things I’ve Learned in a Quarter of a Decade
April is my birthday month. And as I sat on the couch on my birthday eating a delicious microwavable cake my mom mailed me from across the country, I realized how much I’ve learned and how much I’ve grown as a person in my 25 years. So, I thought it would be fun to share […]
3 Valuable Life Lessons IBD Has Taught Me (They Might Surprise You)
I’ve been living with ulcerative colitis for four years at the time I’m writing this. These years have been a roller coaster, packed with joy, pain, hope, fear, happiness, and everything in between. So naturally, I’d like to share the top three life lessons that living with inflammatory bowel disease has taught me. 1. To […]
Chronic Illness and Loneliness: A Poem From My Journal
Coping with loneliness is not uncommon for us spoonies in the chronic illness community. Things like declining plans to stay home and rest, being home-bound due to pain or flares, and self-quarantining can sometimes make us feel alone. When I was recovering from my hospitalization in the fall of 2018, I had to drop out […]
7 Prednisone Side Effects and Ideas to Help Manage Them
If you’ve ever taken prednisone, you might agree with me that it’s kind of a love-hate relationship. Prednisone isn’t supposed to be a long-term maintenance medication, and for good reason! While it can help reduce the severity of flares, it can also present a good handful of intense side effects. In this post, I share […]