“When my mom asked me to take a step back from school and work to take care of her during her cancer treatments, I didn’t hesitate to choose my mama. By being a caregiver, I learned how to be a patient.”
‘You’re YOUNG, what do you have to be stressed about?’ I was living the life of a 50-year-old. I was a caregiver AND a patient.’: Migraine warrior takes care of mom during cancer battle
‘I want to be a part of the race.’ I’d go full throttle on the joystick. I felt free from the burdens of my disease.’: Man details journey with Duchene Muscular Dystrophy, ‘I’ll always be strong’
“It was an adrenaline rush. In those brief seconds, the freedom was priceless. The thin line of scar down most of my back is a reminder of how I’ll always stay strong.”
‘I was the ‘teen mama with no prospects.’ But being a mom doesn’t mean your life has ended. Not even a little bit.’: Mom graduates nursing school with her children as inspiration, ‘I wouldn’t change a d*mn thing’
“The mama who had ‘given up the chance at a good life to raise two young children.’ The one who had chosen ‘mama’ over ‘life.’ Full stop. I had to show them both how everyone else was wrong.”
‘If you don’t leave him, I’ll end up burying you.’ I was like an addict. Then I saw a red positive sign on the doctor’s sheet.’: HIV+ woman escapes abuse, ‘Live out loud and free’
“’Where do you think you’re going looking like THAT?’ I didn’t listen to my instincts. He made me think no one loved me. I had to set myself free.”
‘I found myself sniffing men’s deodorant in aisle 11, holding back tears. I’m trying not to forget his smell, but it’s fading.’: Widow candidly shares ‘gut-wrenching’ grief journey
“She said, ‘It’s good to see you’re moving on.’ It’s been two years since my husband died. No matter how much time keeps adding onto that calendar day when I last saw him, I’ll never get over it.”
‘There was a long post shared. It was from the niece — her aunt is in hospice. I truly wish all those prayers would work.’: Woman hurts for those struggling with cancer journey, ‘It feels SO unfair’
“I scrolled her page. My tears kept falling.”
‘In the middle of the night, the doctor said, ‘Ma’am, your husband needs emergency surgery right away.’ I was shaking uncontrollably.’: Couple embrace child-free life after near-death infertility surgery
“I was afraid to touch my husband. Nothing could prepare me for seeing my life partner, my love, on a ventilator because of how desperately I wanted to have a baby. This surgery was supposed to ‘help’ us.”
‘Honey, can you come pick me up? I think something is really wrong with me.’ I felt strong vibrations all throughout my body.’: Woman shares tips for managing anxiety, ‘I used to think self-care was mani-pedis and face masks’
“I pulled over. I was sitting on the side of the road, shaking as I held my son’s little hand – completely unaware of what was happening. Cars sounded louder, the sunlight brighter. The back of my neck felt like a claw squeezing me. I could no longer take a deep breath. I was holding on for dear life.”
‘I was sleeping 16 hours a day. I felt someone squeezing my lungs every time I took a breath. ‘You’re fine, just go home and rest.’: Woman battling Lupus urges ‘you’re capable of crushing every obstacle in your path’
“A group of doctors huddled at the end of my bed. I overheard them say, ‘She’s so incredibly sick, we just can’t figure out what’s wrong. She isn’t going to make it.’ I spiked a 104 fever. I was writhing in pain, grunting, moaning, begging for it to stop.”
‘When I walk into a room, I feel like people were talking about me. I’m constantly wondering if so-and-so likes me, or if I’m annoying them.’: Woman urges ‘anxiety doesn’t make you broken’
“You wake up with your own issues, and still get sh*t done. Anxiety doesn’t make you broken. If anything, it makes you resilient.”
