Say Goodbye to the Version of Me You Knew: A Letter to Friends & Family of Chronically Ill People

For years I’ve heard stories from my chronically ill friends of loved ones who abandoned them or who refused to believe that their illness was real. So, I wanted to write a letter to the friends & family of chronically ill people. 

Why Chronic Illness Makes It So Hard to Leave Home

My chronically ill friends and I joke about the medicine cabinet worth of supplies we take with us on any trip that’s longer than an hour because we never know what we’re going to need. But why is such intensive preparation required for a simple outing? Why does chronic illness make it so hard to leave home, even for a few hours?

I Can’t Fix Myself But I’m Supposed To

Sunflower Punk’s guest article covers her life-long struggle with chronic pain, living 6 years with an untreated broken ankle, doctors blaming her health problems on her weight, inaccessible housing, and juggling all of those while also raising a kid as a single mom. It’s worth a read as is her follow up post today.

What’s Living with Celiac Disease Like?

Though I’ve never been formally diagnosed, my symptoms match the condition of celiac disease so well that it’s the easiest way to communicate my level of gluten-sensitivity to a stranger. But of course, my experiences living with celiac disease didn’t start when I cut out gluten. They started when I was a child with no idea what was making me sick.