Articles

What was I thinking? I was supposed to post to The Fight Like A Girl Club over a week ago. As a power team writer, I write on topics related to the disease I fight, Ankylosing Spondylitis, and post once a month. Unfortunately I’m fighting AS which means that I …

During my journey with cancer, visitors who appeared at my bedside delivered an array of reactions–no two were the same.  It taught me a lot about what to tell someone going through cancer and how to treat them.  What I really didn’t want was to be treated differently because of …

A previvor by definition is a word used describe those who have a higher risk for cancer due to close family history or due to certain genetic mutations (like the BRCA1 or BRCA2), but do not have a cancer diagnosis. According the non-profit organization FORCE (Facing Our Risk of Cancer) …

Perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of leukemia treatment is the long hospitalizations most patients must endure.  This is because the chemotherapy given to most people with leukemia is very strong and wipes out much of their bone marrow, leaving just the stem cells behind.  It takes several weeks …

When someone you care about uses drugs—and this includes excessive alcohol use—it can wreak havoc in your relationship and in your life. After all, if you care about this person, you are enmeshed with him or her mentally and emotionally. You may be physically bonded through blood, marriage or living …

Many of us take medication to treat Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS, whether it be Lyrica, Cymbalta, Gabapentin, etc…in addition to our routines of light exercise and good diet. Some of us cannot tolerate these medications, due to MCS (multiple chemical sensitivities).  Fibromyalgia almost instantly equals getting all of the strange and …

It has been a while but I am back. I apologize for the lack of posts but the truth is I was in a yucky place and just could not dig deep enough to find the inspiration to show up and post. I apologize for that because this blog is …

Munchausen by Internet is a term coined by psychiatry professor Dr. Marc Feldman to describe the online manifestation of the mental disorder called Munchausen Syndrome, i.e., people who fake their own illness. People with Munchausen by Internet join online social groups and pretend to be ill because they crave the …

When a person lives with Ankylosing Spondylitis or other chronic illnesses, we find ourselves holding on to hope, facing despair, and constant challenges. We embrace the hurdles. First, because we have no choice knowing we can never give up. Second, and no less important, because we are willing to carry …

Life is not predictable. Some days I wish I knew exactly what to expect and where my life was headed, because then I would be prepared. I would brace myself for the impact or be ready with champagne for the celebrations. I was not prepared for living with chronic pain …