It’s been an incredibly trying year, and my body’s problems show no signs of relenting. However, I’ve made great progress in managing my disease(s). I’m writing this post to celebrate these accomplishments, and also to share some tips with others who are ill, scared, and feeling helpless. I hope that some of you will share…
Wishing All My Readers A Wonderful Holiday Please be compassionate with yourselves and each other. Read this link if you’re sick and want to learn how to explain what you’re up against. Read this link if you want to understand what a sick loved one is up against. It’s a very helpful piece by Toni…
Doctors are under extraordinary amounts of pressure, and are constantly expected to balance competing demands with grace and ease. They work to provide diagnoses as quickly as possible, while not prematurely ruling out alternate explanations for symptoms. They work to hear patients out, while making sure that they’re getting only the most relevant information, and…
Insight Into Doctors’ Approach to Treating Chronic Disease Going into doctors’ visits armed with the “behind-the-scenes” view could be helpful for many of my fellow chronic disease sufferers. I’m grateful that the author, Dr. Rob Lamperts, took the time to share his insights and tips, so we can avoid situations that make us feel like…
“Few things a doctor does are more important than relieving pain… pain is soul destroying. No patient should have to endure intense pain unnecessarily. The quality of mercy is essential to the practice of medicine; here, of all places, it should not be strained.” – Marcia Angell As a person in constant chronic pain, discussing…
Article About the Difficulties of Trying to Get a Diagnosis “According to the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine, diagnostic errors occur in 10 to 15 percent of cases, leading to an estimated 40,000-80,000 deaths annually in the United States.” A good, concise summary of what patients with confusing medical conditions are up against. I…
So now I’ve devoted a full post each to my fatigue symptoms and my pain symptoms. With that out of the way, I’m writing to tap the collective smarts of the internet, to see if anyone might have some tips about getting the right diagnoses and treatments. Here’s what I know about my body’s quirks:…
I spend most of my time trying not to think about my pain, so writing a whole post about it is daunting. When pain is all-consuming and constant, and nearly everything you’ve tried to manage it has been a flop, distracting yourself or trying to ignore it are about your only options. These tricks can…
Happy International Day of Persons with Disabilities! I felt encouraged to read this article, as I dream of finding a job that could accommodate my needs. I also dream of recovering to the point where I have less special needs, but that dream feels less realistic for now. At this point, if I worked, it…
This post is hard to write. It’s more personal than the other posts I’ve put up. However, I think it’s important to share the backstory of what I’m up against, especially because it’s an invisible illness. It’s easy for people to misunderstand what I and others like me are up against, and so I’m sharing…
The Professional Patient 