Reflections

So here’s the rest of my story. Or at least the rest of the beginning of my story. The Monday following Thanksgiving in 2008 I called my doctor for the referral to a rheumatologist. When they called me back they said they had made me an appointment. In January. I …

Hi. I’m Roz, 29 from England. On February 9th this year, I was diagnosed with Nodular Sclerosis Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. People have asked me if I was surprised when I got my diagnosis, and my answer is no. I’d been going to the doctor’s with a Hodgkin’s symptom since July 2009, it just …

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Aubrey and I’ve been living (quite begrudgingly) with Rheumatoid Arthritis for more than two years now. That’s not a lot of time to become an “expert” about any subject (with the possible exception of “types of celery”) and I hope I never …

Can you tell someone is a serial killer just by looking at them? Can you pick a millionaire out of a group of people all wearing the same exact thing? The answer to both these questions is a resounding NO! So why is it that people think that to be …

It was a beautiful spring day when our battle over whether to pursue adoption or IVF (in vitro fertilization) was decided. It was not a decision that was made lightly as it weighed heavy on our thoughts for weeks.  My husband and I had been trying to get pregnant for …

I always wonder who will win this fight. ME VS. INVISIBLE ILLNESSES. I’m not going to lie – invisible illnesses seem to have the upper hand right now. But, this fight has been long and is hopefully nowhere near over! I know I need to start a different treatment regimen. …

National Invisible Chronic Awareness week was created by Lisa Copen in 2002. She chose THIS year, 2010 for her "Each One Can Reach One" campaign which demonstrates how one person can help another, its completely anonymous unless the "do-er" chooses not to be. The beauty of it is that complete strangers are making a difference in the lives of those living with chronic pain! Of course I have to do my part and blogging for Invisible Illness is just one of them! I want to share some things about my own invisible illness that many of you may not have known. Knowledge is power lovies, and thats just one reason why we should all help to spread it! Each ONE can reach ONE!

September was the month I was diagnosed with cancer. I had awakened with terrible abdominal pain in my stomach and took myself into emergency.  As soon as I arrived I was admitted.  They ran many tests and came in to tell me that I had a large abdominal mass and it …

For some women, dealing with endometriosis feels like being in a state of perpetual PMS. For others, it becomes a game of Jekyll and Hyde during that time of the month. Or during ovulation. Or all the time. It is different for each woman but I would think that all …

For so many of us, getting out of bed is a struggle. Fighting thru pain, physical complications and emotional stress round the clock takes its toll on us for sure but what about the toll it takes on our spouses? One of the biggest lessons I have learned in recent …