New Year’s Resolutions for People with Chronic Illnesses

If you’re anything like us, you probably spent a good chunk of 2018 dealing with your chronic illness, adjusting to new developments and learning from the hard knocks along the way. We’re not big believers in New Year’s resolutions, but we like to make lists and bring visibility to chronic illness, especially of the invisible variety. These New Year’s resolutions are an accumulation of some insights and hopes for the new year. We know that different conditions require different handling and that not all of these resolutions will work for everyone. We all have different experiences and life situations and that’s cool! But we want to share these resolutions to show solidarity, help allies support friends and family and let others with chronic illness know: you’re not alone.Read more

Advertisements
2 Comments

Update: Same procedure as every year

Friday, I had my annual colonoscopy. This year, I tweaked my prep a little bit. I splurged, and got lobster broth, as well as clear protein drinks. The broth I would get again, the drinks just made me queasy. But, it was worth a try. As usual, I over prepared, so by the time I arrived, I had a raging dehydration headache. I also asked for three warm blankets as I was waiting on my gurney- it was sooo cold.Read more

Minimalism and my Discontents

Does item x bring me joy? Does its energy weigh me down, or is the chi trapped in the room? If so, get rid of it. Box it for a while some say, then get rid of it.

Simplicity. Clarity. Think of what you need, not what you want. What could be wrong with it?Read more

Dear Public Restrooms….

I wish… …you were clean, all the time. I would happily pay a quarter every time just to have that assurance. I am not even asking for a self-cleaning toilet.  Alas, I am taking clorox wipes with me wherever I go. … stalls were sound and smell proof. Seriously, what is this metal wall in between business? It’s bad enough for me to know that I can make these sounds, does the world need to know? …if you don’t haveRead more

Dentists…

I hate going to the dentist. Not because of the pain (not a fan of it, but it’s not awful), but because of the air of moral superiority I encounter every damn time. Through a miracle, I have had fairly good teeth throughout my life. No root canals, a few fillings, two wisdom teeth pulled. So I have been lucky. IBD can manifest orally as well: Mouth ulcers and swelling of the lips, often due to malabsorption of nutrients andRead more
2 Comments

Things I am tired of hearing about not having kids….

why don’t you want kids?  (none of your beeswax) oh, one day, you’ll change your mind (one day I may just kick you) if you don’t want kids, why are you teaching kids? (I am their teacher, not their mom!) is it because of your health? (no, there are plenty of women with IBD who have kids) I guess you don’t want to burden a child with that kind of genetics (err, who are you? the head of the eugenicsRead more

Spoonie Essentials Box 1: My Review

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

My 17 in 17 challenge

I have been going back to exercise classes after Thanksgiving. During my childhood and youth and well into my twenties, I hated any form of exercise with passion. One, I was shit at it, and very often just too sick to do anything. Second, German PE teachers are assholes. #notallgermanpeteachers you want to say? No, all of them. One of my favorite writers, Arnold Stadler once wrote that there were two types of PE teachers at his High school. ThoseRead more

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

Traveling with IBD III: The AirBnB

Over the Holidays, I traveled to Germany again, this time with Lee. We visited my family for a week, and then met up with friends from London in Munich for five days. The four of us rented an apartment using AirBnB. I was hesitant at first- aside from the fact that I feel uneasy about the “sharing economy”, I was also worried as an IBD patient. Would we find a place where I didn’t have to share the bathroom withRead more