My post from Sept. 13, Talking About it Does Help, got a lively discussion going. What should you, can you, “rightfully” and thoughtfully, expect from others when you bring up the big CI (chronic illness).

Nope, no answers … you knew I’d say that … but I do have another suggestion. […]

I coach, I write and think about this topic: how can a person live as full a life as possible when living with invisible chronic illness?   Yup, people do tell me me that I can get to be a bore, always referring to this.  It’s become a reference point for me for […]

Lots of stuff going on in the next month for those of us living with invisible chronic illness, thanks to the work of rest ministries.org.

What makes this great? Well, in today’s world of rapid fire information and the power of the internet, this information sharing can only help those of us who […]

Do you get annoyed when someone tells you how good you look (and you feel like “crap”?) According to one survey (and I’m always skeptic regarding surveys and who/how they’re done), 50% of people with chronic illness say they don’t like to be told they look good.
I’ve never felt that way — even when […]

This week, I had an epiphany. I don’t talk about living with an ileostomy.
What made me realize this? My friend and colleague, Jenny Prokopy (Chronicbabe.com), is a freelance writer and was looking for people to interview for a piece that she’s working on for The Phoenix, the magazine of the United Ostomy Association […]

Have you ever noticed that when people talk about chronic illness, the conversation seems to get more hushed, more low key, less energetic.  Multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, FIBROMYALGIA?  When was the last time someone told you they have this and said it loudly and clearly?
This weekend I met a neighbor and she was telling […]

My friend, Janie, is on prednisone to counteract a horrible skin rash from poison ivy. The poison is slowly getting better but she’s finding the prednisone is horrible. At first she couldn’t sleep and now, slowly tapering it, she feels like she’s in a fog, is tired all the time and can’t make […]

I feel lucky.  I always struggled with that moment when I felt that I had to say to someone I’d just met that I have disabilities from chronic illnesses.  I mean, what’s the right time?  When a new friend asks me if I can attend an event outside on a 100 degree […]

My husband and I are moving from the house in which our girls, now ages 19 and 22 years, were born and raised.  Recently a friend videotaped their memories of living here.   I was struck that neither mentioned anything  about their mother when she was unable to lift herself from bed, pick them up […]

A client, I’ll call her Jane, was describing her feelings of isolation ever since she developed chronic fatigue syndrome (almost 3 years ago). She finds that as time goes on, she doesn’t want to talk about the illness or how she feels to anyone. Whether it’s a casual acquaintance a friend or family, […]