“I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity.” ~ Gilda Radner

February 2, 2016

Self Diagnosis: Sometimes Your Google Search is Better Than Their Medical Degree

If you’re a person like me who spends an inordinate amount of time on the internet, then you’ve seen some variation of this mug floating around social media:

I have a lot of friends and family in the medical field, so I see this a lot. I understand where it comes from; there is a lot of false information out there that will mislead people into believing things that are categorically false (cough-anti-vaxxers-cough), and that can be frustrating for the people who spent a lot of time, money, and migraines learning the facts.

But, unfortunately, this kind of meme is also reductive to a resource that genuinely helps a lot of people with illness, chronic or otherwise. Because a google search can truly be a sick person’s best resource.

Because, quite often, our google searches find the answers faster than the people with medical degrees. [Read more…]

December 14, 2014

Working With Doctors

Working with and finding good doctors will probably be the greatest challenge you face as a spoonie, mainly because the skill of your doctor will impact every part of your life, including your physical health, mental health, relationships, insurance claims, and any accommodations you may receive. A lot of folks are raised believing that doctors are somewhat of a magical breed: you go to them and they fix you, full stop. However, where chronic illnesses are concerned, the lack of research and understanding of the symptoms you’re experiencing will likely reveal how incorrect this belief is.

Doctors, like us, are fallible; they only have so much knowledge, and they can often be swayed by their own personal opinions. Because of this, choosing a good doctor—even if it means “dumping” a bad one—is absolutely vital. You may feel like or be told that you’re being too high-maintenance, but remember that you deserve to have a doctor who helps you and with whom you feel absolutely comfortable. [Read more…]

December 14, 2014

Getting Answers

Getting a diagnosis is a very important step in your journey of chronic illness. Along with giving you a better understanding of what’s going on inside you, it can help with the process of getting accommodations and processing insurance claims. Although a diagnosis isn’t likely to be the end of your story, it’s certainly something you’ll want to pursue if you’re able. [Read more…]

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