Chronic Illness, Writing

Lesson 5: Experiment

I've looked for answers to my mystery illness in doctor's offices, in books, and—big surprise here—on the internet. Sometimes I discover something helpful, but most of the time I'm left with more questions than answers. The most helpful approach has been trial and error, or a much looser and less rigorous version of the scientific… Continue reading Lesson 5: Experiment

Chronic Illness, Writing

Lesson 4: Everything Changes

Today I woke up with a headache, feeling slightly groggy. By mid-morning, I felt a little better. In the afternoon, I was tired and foggy in the head, but I couldn't seem to nap. My limbs started tingling, which happens from time to time. That went away before dinner. Now I'm feeling decent. Everything changes.… Continue reading Lesson 4: Everything Changes

Chronic Illness, Writing

Lesson 3: Pain Happens

I find it difficult to write about pain because: a) I'm not a Buddhist teacher with decades of experience and accumulated wisdom b) it feels like such an intangible thing to me that I almost don't know how to put it into words and, c) pain sucks. I'll give it a shot, though. Life is… Continue reading Lesson 3: Pain Happens

Chronic Illness, Writing

Lesson 1: The Best Day to Start is Today

This is the first of thirty lessons I've learned from my chronic illness. Thirty is an arbitrary number—I've probably learned more than thirty things over the past few years as a result of having an unrelenting mystery illness. Or maybe I've learned far fewer than that, and by day 14 I'll have to start making… Continue reading Lesson 1: The Best Day to Start is Today

Chronic Illness, Writing

30 Days of Life Lessons from Chronic Illness

You've heard the story before: someone goes through a serious illness or accident, returns to health, and their entire outlook on the world has changed for the better. They consider it a blessing in disguise and they no longer take their life for granted. They may even consider themselves better off than they were before… Continue reading 30 Days of Life Lessons from Chronic Illness