When I tell people I’m sick, they usually think I mean something short-term and contagious like the flu or a stomach bug. If I say I have a chronic illness, they picture conditions like IBS, a bad back, or chronic migraines. The actual reality is all this and more. Yes, and. “I’m sick” I have IBS-like…
This week was the start of Disability Pride Month. We’ve loved seeing posts from our Friends in the Fight sharing their own stories of disability, both the challenges and the pride! One theme that comes up a lot in lived experiences of disability is the nuances of visibility. What makes some disabilities visible? Whether from physical markers,…
June is Myasthenia Gravis Awareness Month. If you have never heard of MG, you are not alone! We reached out to Friend in the Fight Katie McCurdy to shed some light on this autoimmune condition that affects tens of thousands of Americans. Katie McCurdy is an autoimmune patient, designer, and founder of Pictal Health, a…
Diversity inclusion in the workplace can have benefits for all involved. Not only does it make our society more equitable, but having diverse perspectives – and listening to those voices – is good for business. We all bring different experiences and strengths and are mightier together. Wanting to be more inclusive is wonderful, but hiring…
Singer-songwriter Halsey is all about realness. They have been open about struggles with endometriosis for years. When they had their first baby last July, they publicly spoke about prioritizing time with their son over time spent trying to get back into shape, and posted a gloriously honest video about what postpartum bodies can look and…
When I was 24, horribly ill and desperate for a diagnosis, I went to my doctor seeking answers. She was very kind and listened politely but said, “You’re actually quite healthy.” Dumbstruck, I asked how she had come to that conclusion after hearing my symptoms. She replied, “Well, you’re not on any medications.” I can…
This will be my first Mother’s Day as a mom, and I am bursting with thoughts and feelings. So much work, energy, healing, and luck went into making this possible. I have been open about my journey of motherhood with chronic illness – my fears of not being able to conceive, but also of getting pregnant and…
I taught for years in alternative schools and found that too often the students found themselves in my programs because their needs were simply not being met in school. For many, it was because they didn’t quite know what their needs even were. Some were on the cusp of a medical diagnosis, were working through…
Being sick is hard. There are many times when I look at my life, at all the joys I’ve had to forgo and the thankless work I put in to simply make it through the day, and I wish I could change it all. I wish I could have energy, that I could eat whatever…
One of the best perks of working with other chronic patients is the authenticity of conversations that come up around the products we create. Nothing makes me feel so seen and valued like hearing my lived experience from someone else’s mouth! This struck me recently at a brainstorming session about Mighty Well’s newest product, the…