Living with a rare disease means that each day can bring a strange new adventure. Many doctors are either surprised or perplexed when they meet…
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One disease becomes two, then two become three — each with its own comorbidities and complications. When I was diagnosed with yet another autoimmune disease,…
My favorite time of year is nearly upon us: the winter holiday season! In my household, in addition to the regular holidays, we celebrate everyone’s…
I currently have bruises on my left foot, ankle, calf muscle, and shin; right foot, ankle, shin, elbow, and shoulder blade; lower back; top left…
I watched in horror as the muscle distortion from an intense charley horse moved down my lower leg, bruising my skin as it went. It…
Life with chronic and rare illnesses is interesting, to say the least. I have to manage new and existing symptoms, visit medical providers, and stay…
“Interview with the Vampire,” “Dracula,” “Twilight,” “The Lost Boys,” and even “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” have romanticized vampires and the idea of drinking blood. But…
The back of my left hand, the top of my right knee, my left shin, left calf muscle, right thumb, the top of my left…
Advance directives, trusts, payable-on-death accounts, last wills, living wills, medical powers of attorney — just thinking about all of this provokes a feeling of existential…
“Social Security Administration.” These three words on an envelope can make my heart drop. They’ve held me financially hostage for two and a half years,…
