The New York Times has done it again. First, they invited a racist senator to write an op-ed, didn’t read it before printing it, and were surprised that a) it was racist, bellicose, and badly written; and that b) people were actually upset. Then, on June 9th, The New York Times magazine’s column “The Ethicist” ran a story with the title: “is it ok to dump him because of his medical condition?” The questioner had met an amazing man, whoRead more
Posts tagged: #IBD
A Pandemic Diary: Stay home and keep your distance. Please.
It’s been roughly two months since we started social distancing, working from home, wearing a mask, staying home. And everywhere, the calls for opening back up the economy become louder. Because not as many people are getting sick after all, right? It’s as German virologist Christian Drosten says, “there is no glory in prevention.” For now, in my workplace, things are staying the same. The school decided early on to close until the end of the school year, and IRead more
Interview: Nigel Horwood, Author of “Wrestling with the Octopus”
Tell us a bit about yourself: When and how were you diagnosed? In October 1977 I was at college and started having to make frequent dashes to the bathroom. When I eventually plucked up the courage to see my GP he put it all down to “nerves”. It wasn’t until he went on holiday, in July 1978, that I saw a locum. He took one look and sent me to a gastro consultant. Within 3 days I was in hospitalRead more
Earthquake Supplies for People with IBD
Throughout the years, I have lived in several places that were prone to natural disasters. New Zealand is earthquake territory, so was California (even though to a lesser extent), and Indiana has tornadoes (thank god, I never had to experience one). The earthquakes I did experience were really small, a little rumble. Now however, I live in the Pacific Northwest, where within the next 50 years, a major quake (around 9 on the scale) is about to hit, another great Cascadia Earthquake.Read more
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
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
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
