Veni, Vidi, Vascie
— Suzanne DePaolis

Rare is steak cooked to an internal temperature of 120 to 130 F. Rare are opals found in the Nevada desert. Rare is finding out who left the toilet paper roll empty. Rare is not me. I…

Last summer, my husband and I bought an RV to drive across the U.S. to see my dad. My mom died last spring, and we hadn’t yet traveled to visit my father in Florida, because of COVID-19. I…

I have a rare illness called eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, or EGPA. It causes an increased number of white blood cells known as eosinophils, which can cause significant inflammation in my organs and my small and medium blood…

A positive attitude has helped me get up each day and face the world. I know I feel stronger and ready to take on the planet this way. I can advocate for other patients and model that life is…

I never expected that wearing masks while I traveled would be my trendsetting mark on the world. I never expected the world to join me in wearing masks during cold and flu season. In 2020, COVID-19 changed all that,…

This week, my eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) decided to remind me that it had not gone away and was ever-present. I could feel my symptoms becoming more problematic. I tried to ignore them. The peripheral neuropathy in…

“You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” These words are on a plaque that hangs from my medicine shelf. I see them every day as I take my morning and evening…

When someone we know is sick, we tend to tell them to “get well soon.” These words seem polite and social. We say them to anyone who is sick. It has always seemed like the correct phrase to use.

I have been dealing with vasculitis symptoms and fatigue for the past 14 holiday seasons. In the early years, I was so worried about disappointing my family and friends that I tried to be my old self and…

“Veni, vidi, vici” is translated from Latin as “I came, I saw, I conquered.” Julius Caesar first said this after a victorious battle. Having a rare illness is a battle every day. I battle to stay alive. I battle…