A comprehensive guide on chronic pain, its causes, symptoms, and effective management strategies to improve your quality of life.
The day of a Social Security disability evaluation is often filled with anxiety. It’s a moment where years of symptoms, personal hardship, and complex medical history are distilled into a brief appointment with a stranger. For many, that evaluation becomes a defining point in whether they receive crucial support—or walk away feeling unseen. Reflecting on my own experience, I’ve come to understand what the doctor who evaluated me for Social Security should have done differently.…
There was a time when I found myself quietly wishing that my pain had a face the world could see. I wanted a cast, a bandage, a visible marker—anything that could communicate to others what I was enduring. Living with an invisible illness often means your suffering is questioned, minimized, or outright ignored. So it seemed logical that if my pain were visible, I’d be believed. I’d be supported. I’d be understood. But as I’ve…
Living with chronic illness means carrying a truth that is often invisible to the world. It means waking up in pain, navigating unpredictable symptoms, and silently adjusting to limitations that others may never see. And yet, when we try to express that truth—whether through conversation, writing, or simply answering “how are you?” honestly—we’re often met with discomfort, dismissal, or even accusations of being negative. So the question arises: Am I being ‘negative’ by admitting my…
7 Oddly Specific Metaphors for Fibromyalgia Pain Living with fibromyalgia means navigating a world of pain that is often difficult to describe. It’s not one single kind of discomfort—it shifts, evolves, and sometimes strikes without warning. While medical terms might capture the clinical side, they often fall short of conveying the daily reality. That’s where metaphors come in. Sometimes, the only way to truly communicate what fibromyalgia feels like is through strangely specific, imaginative comparisons…
For decades, the healthcare system has been failing women in ways that are often invisible until it’s too late. Among the most serious and overlooked issues is the alarming misdiagnosis rate women continue to face. From delayed treatments to outright dismissal of symptoms, this problem is more than a clinical error—it’s a systemic issue that affects the lives, health, and dignity of countless women. The Uncomfortable Truth Behind Misdiagnoses When a woman walks into a…
Some wounds don’t bleed. They don’t show up on skin or in scans. They live beneath the surface, in silence and shame. For many survivors of trauma, one of the hardest, most unspoken struggles is the fractured relationship with their own body. This is mine. Because of trauma, I often hate my body. And that’s not a metaphor. It’s a fact I’ve had to face, over and over again. The Body Becomes a Battlefield Trauma…
Waiting is something most people dislike. Waiting in traffic, Waiting in line, Waiting for life to pick up speed. But for those living with chronic illness—especially fibromyalgia—waiting becomes a central part of existence. It’s not a pause before the action. It is the action. What living with fibromyalgia taught me about waiting has shaped the way I see time, purpose, and even myself. The Wait for a Diagnosis Before I could even begin to live…
Living with fibromyalgia already feels like a full-time battle—one that requires constant adjustments, relentless strength, and a deep understanding of your own body. But when perimenopause enters the picture, it brings a second wave of physical and emotional changes that can leave even the most resilient individuals overwhelmed. For many, going through perimenopause with fibromyalgia is not just a health challenge—it’s an identity-shaking experience. Understanding what it’s like to manage both conditions at once means…
When My Long-Term Disability Was Revoked Because I ‘Don’t Look Sick’ I never imagined that having an invisible illness would mean I’d have to fight to prove my suffering to strangers. I never thought I’d hear someone in a position of power imply that looking well equates to being well. Yet that’s exactly what happened. My long-term disability was revoked because I “don’t look sick.” That sentence changed everything. The decision was more than just…
Why I’m Retiring From Advocacy as a Queer, Disabled Survivor of Abuse There comes a time in every journey when continuing forward no longer feels brave — it feels like survival without self. For years, I poured my energy, heart, and lived experience into advocacy. I fought to be seen, to make space for others, to speak truths that were too often buried under the weight of silence. I showed up in rooms that weren’t…