Columns

The Nagging Questions of Chronic Illness

It sometimes feels silly when I receive an invitation for an event happening more than a year in the future. This is because the details of my everyday life can be so overwhelming it’s all I can do to focus on the here and now. Maybe I’ll focus on next…

What Do We Do About Stress?

The topic of stress is much too familiar to autoimmune disease patients. Even in remission, I’m not immune to the overwhelming feeling that comes when my cortisol levels spike. I’m not a physician or a researcher, and plenty of studies about the science behind stress are available to…

My Vasculitis Origin Story

I’ve been writing my column, “Peaceful Chaos,” about living with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) since June. I’ve written about my medications, doctor appointments, and the daily struggles of being chronically ill. I’ve discussed the psychological effect this disease has had on me and on others, and what…

I’m Not Afraid of Aging

The year I turned 30, I experienced a vague sense of panic. It seemed like the age at which the fundamental aspects of life — career, family, hobbies — coalesce into permanence. I had recently moved across the country to resettle in a new city that I enjoyed. My work…

Being Sick Has Taught Me Empathy

It’s an experience every pet owner fears: Our 8-month-old German shepherd needed to be rushed to the emergency vet. Luckily, four hours and several hundred dollars later, he was sent home with some meds and pronounced just fine. While my husband and I were overjoyed that our beloved pup was…

Acknowledging the Changing Seasons of Health

This summer was a lovely one. My days were filled with friendship, travel, gardening, and delicious cuisine. I had enough work to keep busy, but wasn’t overloaded. We even brought home a new puppy — a gorgeous, white German shepherd that is smart and loyal. I had so many good…

Brave Is Not in My Vocabulary

I’ve learned countless new words since my diagnosis — phlebotomy, stenosis, biomarker, etiology, hemoptysis, to name a few. There are long strings of syllables for medications and treatment options. And various types of doctors with “-ologist” at the end of their title. Even the name of my disease is a…

Listening to My Body Is Key to Wellness

Today, I woke up hurting. While it wasn’t the pain that someone with fibromyalgia or rheumatoid arthritis might suffer, it caused enough discomfort that I couldn’t ignore it. A dull ache had settled in, from my neck to my knees, making it difficult to get out of bed. The previous…