Choosing To Live My Life Transparently

Choosing To Live My Life Transparently

I have been working at living my life transparently. To live my life transparently means that I live my life openly, that I share what I’m going through, my ups and downs, my successes and failures, my struggles and disappointments as well as my successes and happy moments. To live my life transpa

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I Forgot

I Forgot

Oops, I forgot. For a few moments or what stretched out to a few hours, I thought I was living the life of a normal person. Who was I kidding though, forgetting that living with an auto-immune disease could ever really be normal? Thinking that I had some unlimited source of energy enough to tackle a

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The High Price of Understanding

The High Price of Understanding

Remember when I was thankful my brother didn’t get my illnesses? He’s beginning to get it. After Justin graduated college in May, he moved back in with my parents until he could tie up loose ends and leave the area. My parents live on a lake, so Justin was enjoying a great summer. Until

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Letting The World Turn Without You...

Letting The World Turn Without You…

The hardest lesson I've had to learn in living with chronic illnesss is that I can't do it all. I'm a overachiever by nature. I want to do it all, have it all, see it all, be the girl who never says no. Letting people down, and of course, myself down, was the horror that I feared more than anything.

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The University of BYDLS

The University of BYDLS

I recently started dating a new guy--we'll call him "T". He’s going to a local university for his Master's in Industrial Engineering. He's from India, where he did his undergrad work. Our first date was spent talking of current events, religions, cultural differences, and politics. I always hold m

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Walking The Line

Walking The Line

Lines are funny things. You either cross a line or not. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. They can be sharp or fuzzy and can keep you going on the right path. The wrong line can appear to be the right way but lead you to a dead end or detour. What does all this line talk h

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It's No Big Deal?

It’s No Big Deal?

Lately I’ve been getting the impression from some of my friends that maybe my growing list of chronic illnesses is no big deal. No one is actually coming out and saying these words, but that is definitely the feeling I’m getting. This point could be debatable. Maybe they think that. Maybe I’m

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Profile of An Overachieving Spoonie

Profile of An Overachieving Spoonie

My schedule is jam packed with work, assignments, writing, and homework. Occasionally, there's a hair appointment or an actual meal - you know, one where I'm not working or studying, but just eating and maybe conversing. But most of the time, it's all work and no play making this Jane a dull girl. I

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Playing The Cards We're Dealt

Playing The Cards We’re Dealt

I have been accused of being many things in my life, but I can assure you that one of them has never been being “too positive”. I have never been the type of person to intently stare at that glass of water and size it up as being anything but half-empty. It’s the way I’m hardwired. I am, by

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Life's Punching Bag

Life’s Punching Bag

I feel like life's a punching bag. I'm forever knocked down by pain or knocked out by opiates. At least it's consistent in its beatings. Each day brings the knowledge that something will be off...something will be wrong. I don't know what it will be, nor do I know the level at which it will disable

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