I already told you about the Spoonie Essentials Box, and lo and behold, my first box arrived yesterday! Check out the color combo and the fonts! Uplifting and dynamic, looking like handwriting, yet professional! (that was the geek in me speaking!) I got the Small box, and here’s what was in it: A super sweet note on the importance of self- care a heart shaped bath bomb a spoonie necklace a pair of xo socks bag of candy aRead more
Posts tagged: #Colitis
This week in treat yo’self: The Spoonie Essentials Box
DISCLAIMER: I am NOT being paid by anyone to review this. I love getting packages. Whether it is books, farm to table, Sunbasket meals, or even wines (I stopped that one since it was a bit too decadent to me), I am excited by it. It makes my life easier. Apparently others thought about this too, and connected the dots for chronic pain patients. It’s called “The Spoonie Essentials Box”. Here’s what their media kit says: I am intrigued byRead more
Word warrior Wednesday
Today’s wisdom comes from my barre studio, where I started to workout again. I will be honest- I hated the first few times I went. Because aside from being put of shape, there is all the IBD baggage. First- on some days getting up feels like Hannibal crossing the alps. More like one of his elephants to be honest. Then, the whole damn body consciousness- am I too small, too big, not strong enough? Then, they posted the pic onRead more
Hey, FDA
Hey, FDA: I am tired of being infantilized as a patient. I am really tired. With the increasing number of people being addicted to painkillers and other drugs, you have decided, that it’s best to crack down, to make it harder to obtain these products, and to monitor emergency rooms. You’re overlooking that most opioid people addicted to opioids actually did not get them prescribed, but had them illegally- they stole from a friend etc. As Maia Szalavitz ofRead more
The ABC of IBD: “A” is for Anemia
Many people with IBD have a hard time conveying that their disease is more than just “a bathroom disease” (whatever that may mean). While digestion and its products certainly do play a big part, they are a fraction of everything that happens to you in the grand scheme of things. So, my newest project is to go through the alphabet and explain symptoms, medications, procedures- things that have to do with IBD. I’ll give you a brief definition and tellRead more
The “Big Pharma” Conspiracy
I love living in Portland. I love its alternative culture that brings forth great art, culture, and just a lot of fun quirkiness. And yet, this lovable city with its lovely inhabitants at times frustrates me to no end, especially when I am being told that I let myself be lulled by “Big Pharma.” The narrative is, in variations, the same: Nature knows best, the pharmaceutical industry is in cahoots with the government (and probably the Vatican too) soRead more
Microaggressions and IBD
“Crohn’s? Oh, that’s ok to have, it’s treatable.” “So and so has had kidney problems, you just have a dicky tummy” “You can’t feel that bad, if you are still wearing make-up” “But, you are so young! Isn’t RA only for grannies?” “You got a PhD and you have Crohn’s?” “But you look so good” If you suffer from IBD, these utterances probably sound familiar in one way or another. I will go ahead and call them microaggressions. The termRead more
Resilience and Determination- a guest post, part two
This is James Gunter’s story, part II. You can find Part One here. When I awoke I did not find what I expected. They had told me that an appendicitis is a quick and easy operation these days which can be done through keyhole surgery. This would involve making 3 small cuts in my lower abdomen to remove my appendix. When I awoke in the recovery ward and managed to stay awake for more than 30 seconds, I decidedRead more
Resilience and Determination- a guest post, part one
Today’s guest post is from James Gunter. He lives in Sheffield, UK, and he loves fitness. He was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease in December 2014. This is his story. Fitness has always played a big role in my life. I was very active, I did parkour, climbing, squash, was about to get into the national squad for the aikido martial art and had never even drank alcohol or ever tasted it. I was the healthiest person I knew and mostRead more
Review: NYT in-depth report on Crohn’s Disease
I love the New York times. Not only does it have a LOT of their information for free online, it also covers most aspects of modern life. Their health section is truly to be recommended, the writers manage to break down complex matter for interested lay audiences, just as myself. I prefer them over wikipedia most of the time, because of quality control. Anyone can edit a wikipedia article, and I simply trust the NYT more. I just found outRead more
