I was standing outside my mom’s office when I noticed a young boy coming toward me. His eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of my right hand. Before I could even attempt to cover up my hands, the boy started screaming and running away from me. As I listened to his screams and held... Continue Reading →
When you’re born with a debilitating disease, you’re born with health complications. Your body doesn’t wait until you’ve had a long, “good” life to start failing you. I’m young, but I’ve endured almost 24 years of problems and pain. Ethan and I have married for a year and a half, but we’re veterans at upholding... Continue Reading →
“Hey, let me do it,” my sister whispered while reaching for my french fries. As she offered to feed me, I tried to count how many people were watching me fail to feed myself with my dysfunctional right hand. For just a moment, I want you to step into my shoes. You’re 23 years old.... Continue Reading →
“How long will this take?” I asked the MRI technician. As my body glided into the MRI machine, he replied, “About forty minutes.” Two hours later, I began to cringe in pain. “Stay still! Stay still!” I reminded myself. But I couldn’t. My hand felt like it was on fire. My back ached because of... Continue Reading →
“It’s going to get progressively worse,” the doctor informed me. I smiled and nodded my head as I responded, “I know.” But I didn’t actually know. The past few years have been relatively “easy” in comparison to my adolescent years. As the major health complications decreased, I became increasingly convinced that life would progressively “normalize.”... Continue Reading →
May 2019: As my mom and I left Children’s the other day, we overheard two women discussing their travel plans. One woman was preparing to go to Monte Carlo, and the other woman was planning to go to another PGA tournament site. As they innocently conversed with one another, I wanted to scream. I, too,... Continue Reading →
May 2019: The last few weeks have been difficult to endure. I planned to post about my health a week ago, but as I attempted to type a few words, throbbing pain radiated throughout the arm. I began to cry as I realized I wouldn’t be able to manage the pain much longer. When I... Continue Reading →
I was getting ready to go to the library yesterday when I noticed coffee on the floor. I quietly grumbled as I grabbed a Swiffer pad and proceeded to clean. I didn’t really have time to clean, but I knew I needed to take just a few minutes to clean up the mess. Ironically, those... Continue Reading →
We like to refer to the cold as a “common” illness. It spreads easily, and we assume everyone feels similar symptoms: Runny nose. Congestion. Coughing. Sore throat. We know these symptoms are common, but most of us aren’t aware of the uncommon symptoms a person with a disease/disability may endure when afflicted with an illness... Continue Reading →
"I have no magic." My childhood hematologist would always grimace as she recited those four words. She really meant, “I can’t fix this, but I wish I could.” After 23 years of battling recurring health complications, I still don’t know how to “fix this.” I still face the same complications over and over again. I’ve... Continue Reading →
Growing in the Groaning 