Guest Bloggers

What it is like to have an Adult Child with Fibromyalgia

When I started my website I forewarned my parents that I’d like them to write a little something about how they have felt having an adult child with fibromyalgia. I think hearing different perspectives are good for everyone. Below are some of my mom’s thoughts. Soon I will have my dad’s thoughts as well. From my mom. . . she doesn’t... [Read more of this review]

“You Look So Good!” To Wear Make Up or Not?

Michelle Williams Makeup can cover a multitude of defects; including some of the signs of our illnesses. I notice that when I wear makeup not only do I look better, but my demeanor changes as well. Makeup seems to be a little pick-me-up in the way I feel about myself, even if it is for a short time. I realize that it may be a sign of vanity; that we... [Read more of this review]

Seeing Beauty Through Our Pain

Kristina Schwende I have not blogged for a while as I’m going through a very bad flareup. I have spent most of the past two weeks on the couch or in bed with an ice pack on my face. Today the sun was shining and I forced myself to go for a walk. I brought my iPhone with me as I love listening to Joyce Meyer when I’m out and about. I did... [Read more of this review]

Am I Too Invisible For Accessible Seating?

Katina Stapleton Like many people with lupus, I don’t look sick. This becomes a challenge when I try to use services set aside for the disabled, such as the designated seats on public transportation. Every day I ride a commuter train to work in the District of Columbia. The train is often jammed with commuters and I have to stand. Usually, my legs... [Read more of this review]

5 Ways to Cope in a Crisis When Living With a Chronic Illness

Diana Lee Taking a little time to come with ideas for how to handle a crisis is a valuable exercise for anyone living with a chronic, invisible illness. After all, to live with a chronic illness is to know that a crisis will come your way at some point. This list comprises the things I’ve learned about how to cope when life throws you a curve... [Read more of this review]

The Little Things We Take for Granted

Stacey Chillemi At eighteen, I was issued a license that right of passage so important for a young person striving for independence and autonomy. Since I have epilepsy, I was even more excited to get my license since I always felt different from the other kids and that I had something to prove. Now, the gap was closing and I was just like all the other... [Read more of this review]

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Articles

Reflections on Invisible Illness Awareness Week

Invisible Illness Awareness Week is nearly over. I am sitting at the computer reading through some of the many the blogs, articles, comments and more that people have been posting on their experiences facing a world who does not understand their pain. Wow. Truly. . . wow. You have been refreshingly honest, yet hopeful. You have shared your pain, but... [Read more]

What Does Invisible Illness Look Like?

Susannah Hunt This year’s slogan for National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week is “DEEP BREATH START FRESH.” That’s kind of what you do when you have asthma. You hope every breath will be a fresh and a better one. And those of you who know me, know I suffer from a severe form of difficult-to-control chronic asthma, plus I have a diagnosed... [Read more]

How to Get Some Sleep When the Pain Won’t Go Away!

Shari Smith Since my original injury in September 2009, I’ve had ridiculous issues with sleep, or should I say the lack thereof. I’ve tried multiple prescription sleep medications to no avail. Even strong pain medications make me feel absolutely horrible overall but don’t always break through the pain cycle enough to help me to sleep. I am asked... [Read more]

Labels of Love

Linda Elmore Teeple “Nana is fragile,” my three-year-old grandson Evan declared. “She’s old, like Panda.” Yes, it’s funny, and I take no offense, but our fourteen-year-old Labrador retriever is, in my opinion, far more fragile than me. Poor girl has lost most of her sight and hearing and her spindled legs spread-eagle when she walks. During... [Read more]

Shedding Light on Invisible Chronic Illness

Jaime Sanders This week is National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week where all of us with chronic illnesses and those who do not shine a spotlight on the epidemic of having an invisible chronic illness and to be uplifting advocates for so many without a voice. It’s an unfortunate reality that so many people go unnoticed or are ignored... [Read more]

Rebuilding After Illness

Kim Arthur I recently had a catastrophic computer crash, and as a result, lost four years of my virtual life. Unfortunately, I did not back-up any of my work. I was devastated, but what could I do? No matter how much I begged and pleaded, the virtual life that existed before the crash was gone. And so it also was with my physical life. After a car... [Read more]

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