Today I am missing yet another thing. That thing is an outdoor bridal shower with swimming, food, yoga, and just hanging out in the sun. All things that I love. I RSVP'd a month ago with the expectation that, by this time, I'd be well enough to go. Just yesterday I thought, "you know, I'm feeling… Continue reading FOMO When You Have a Chronic Illness
I'm having a slump day. A "flare up" day. A feeling-crappy day. It started yesterday, really. I was in denial at first, but it's here for real now. It's not the worst flare-up I've had, but it's definitely the worst I've felt in the past week or two. I'm having symptoms I haven't had in… Continue reading Chronic illness and the endless search for “why”
Most of us have had a person or experience in our life that made us acutely aware of our own weaknesses. Maybe it was a harsh teacher in school, or job that challenged us, or a family member or friend who brought out our worst traits. For me, it has been several years dealing with chronic… Continue reading Welcoming the unsolicited life lessons of chronic illness
While on a retreat last weekend I heard a story about the renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman, and it has stuck in my mind since then. You can read the whole beautiful story here. Or, to summarize: Perlman had polio as a child, and getting on and off stage for his performances often involved a slow and painful walk and… Continue reading 3-string violin
It's been an interesting week, if you consider Sunday to be the end of the week and not the beginning. On Tuesday, I got the results of several blood tests and allergy tests, and met with my immunologist. Then I had a really whacked-out week and didn't feel like processing everything here in writing. I… Continue reading A “good enough” diagnosis
A few years ago, someone lent me a book called Comfortable with Uncertainty by Pema Chödrön. I like Pema Chödrön, but I don't like uncertainty, so I never read the book. In retrospect, it probably would have been useful. One of the many, many things that having a chronic illness has taught me (or at least… Continue reading The inescapable lesson of waiting
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