“I was losing my vision, and could barely breathe. I spilled onto the platform packed with HUNDREDS of commuting New Yorkers.”
‘I felt incredibly optimistic, CERTAIN my old life would return. Boy, was I WRONG.’: Young woman battles Lyme Disease, turns to alternative medicine
‘He popped my hip out with a simple tap of his finger. I believed I’d always live in pain.’: Chronic illness warrior ‘thankful’ for journey
“The doctor came in. ‘How many broken bones do you think you have?’ Then he laughed and said, ‘You’re completely fine.’ I doubted my own body, thinking my pain was all in my head.”
‘I’ve been in pain every day for a year,’ I confessed. This was more than a headache.’: Woman with kidney disease ‘proud to be an advocate’
“When 3 o’clock approached, I’d start bracing myself. ‘No one gets headaches at the same time every day.’ Just because an issue is in your head doesn’t mean it’s not real.”
’My mom is away on business,’ I’d say, as I undressed her and threw her into the shower.’: Daughter loses mom to addiction, rheumatoid arthritis, ‘I want to make her proud’
“My mom endured higher and higher doses of medicine. I remember joking to the doctor, ‘If you gave her elephant tranquilizers she’d take them.’ She couldn’t stand.”
‘The doctor said he tested positive.’ I stared at my baby’s sleeping form with guilt.’: New mom raises awareness for sickle cell anemia
“After days of tests, he had lost weight and had bruised heels. I thought it was a death sentence. He didn’t deserve this.”
‘Instead of planning our wedding, my fiancé was called to the ICU at 4 a.m.’: Young woman loses father, fights Ehlers Danlos Syndrome
“I was found cowering, fetal position, in the space between the washer and dryer. My legs, once strong from years of softball, no longer supported my own weight.”
‘He confirmed I was disgusting and worthless. He instilled in my mind there was better out there.’: Woman battles Ulcerative Colitis, finds love after infidelity
“Just last week I was celebrating my birthday and now I’m in the ER with the unknown happening.”
‘I’ve never seen ANYTHING like it.’ It was akin to a freak accident.’: Crohn’s survivor undergoes serious illness, ‘I will always fight to be here’
“I told myself, ‘You are BUILT for this.’ My body was going to heal. I’d been through so much I’d be d*mned if THIS is what took me out.”
‘It’s ironic how a bag of poo attached to my stomach could change my whole perspective on life.’: Chronic illness warrior overcomes anorexia, advocates for disabilities, ‘I’m finally comfortable in my skin’
“Wanting to be normal came at a price. Now, when I look in the mirror, I don’t cry anymore.”
‘When are they going to find out?’ For years, I worried about fitting in. I just wanted to be ‘normal.’: Woman with Type 1 Diabetes says ‘being different is the only thing we all have in common’
“I noticed I was different than my friends. I asked myself, ‘What is normal?’ They could eat when they wanted and didn’t need to prick their finger three times a day.”
