If you think that it’s only the adult work world in which a chronically ill person struggles to around being “successful”, read this article (When Schools Punish Sick Children Who Miss School). Kids face the same crap (sorry but it made my blood boil).
Here’s an example: A parent wrote that her […]

Occasionally, I interview people about their “story” because I think it would be valuable for you to hear a different take on these issues - other than mine.

Today’s guest is Leslie Rott. She is 22 years old and was diagnosed with and is being treated for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in […]

There is nothing sexy or headline-making about chronic illness. It rarely kills a person — but it sure can curtail a life. Ted Kennedy was presented with what seemed liked larger than life issues that forced him to make quick decisions and take risks. All the more inspiring. And Kennedy, as […]

This past weekend, my husband’s family gathered at our house for his youngest brother’s (there are 4 “boys”) graduation (at 44!) from U Mass Medical School (Worcester, MA).
A big deal, no? But it’s late Spring and as is typical for me, multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms are flaring, with some pain and some fatigue.  […]

I hate these words: “he lost the fight with cancer” or “she’s so brave in the face of her illness - what a heroine.” Hate is a pretty strong word — but then I’ve been living with chronic illness for 30 years and some feelings have been building inside.
I’m thinking of the recent press […]

Thank you to Amy Tenderich over at DiabetesMine.com for writing an eloquent review of the new book that I co authored with Joan Friedlander, Women, Work and Autoimmune Disease: Keep Working, Girlfriend!
Her first line sums up SO much. She writes: “If ever two things were once considered mutually exclusive, they […]

Joan Friedlander and I were interviewed on Disability News Radio (you have to scroll down under the May schedule to find the link to the interview) about our book, Women Work and Autoimmune Disease: Keep Working, Girlfriend!
You can click here to read more about our experience being interviewed …
I’ve been affiliated with an amazing […]

How do you know when it’s time to tell your boss about your chronic illness?
I got this question in my email today (I added the bold):
“At what point, if ever, do I need to tell my employer I have a chronic illness? In the past, I’ve always gone with the philosophy of not mentioning […]

If I had a dime for every time someone said to me,”I’d like to be self employed”, I’d be rich (well maybe my pockets would jingle). You don’t have to have a chronic illness to dream about self employment. But I can tell you from personal experience, it […]

How hard is it for you to regulate your own environment? How well do manage your resources? Forget it - you can’t look to the United States government or most of the developing countries of the world for a role model - they stink at it. Why?
My theory is because it’s just […]