I was always a high-strung, fretting, nervous wreck of a worrier. I always found a way to see the bad that could happen in every …
Author: Inspire Contributor
The song goes on: Living with non-obstructive heart disease
I became part of a statistic seven years ago. I'm among the 20 percent of heart disease patients whose illness couldn't be prevented. I led …
Autoimmune advocate: My reason for being
Have you ever had one of those dreams where you're trying as hard as you can to run away but you can't seem to break …
The gift of life: Living with new lungs
When I mention to people that I had a double lung transplant, they usually react in one of two ways. They're likely to say, "Wow, …
Encephalitis survival story: How sharing allowed one patient to help others
When Stanford Medicine and Inspire combined efforts in February 2012 to launch this blog series, I was honored to be their first contributor. Documenting my …
“But you look so good”: Living with an invisible illness
I remember what it's like to feel healthy and live carefree. I took my health for granted for the first 24 years of my life. …
The beast in my belly: Living with a chronic liver disease
On the morning of December 23, 2010, after having my gall bladder removed, I was shown a picture of my liver and told I had a …
Yes, chronic pain and joy can coexist
In May 1998, in a moment of inattention, I torqued my knee during a modern dance class. A small mistake but one that turned out …
Surviving cancer, one milestone at a time
April 15, 2008 is a date that I'll never forget. I had been experiencing fatigue and nausea for a few months, so I scheduled to …
Marked: My scars remind me of my purpose
Imagine being in a crowd and wishing you were invisible, but you're marked, and there is nowhere you can hide. I know that feeling; I …
Fighting the pain by finding the light
I was happily working as a musician in Georgia when my life suddenly and completely changed. The back cramping that I typically experienced every autumn …
You never know someone else’s world
When other people inconvenience me, I try to remember that I have no idea what is happening in their lives. Navigating daily life when my …
Lipedema: “Maybe” a gift in disguise
There is a Zen story about a farmer whose horse ran away. Upon hearing the news his neighbors visited sympathetically, saying, "Such misfortune." "Maybe," replied …
Reflecting on lost abilities, and focusing on what cannot be taken away
Part of the joy in raising a newborn baby is to document their developmental milestones. Parents affectionately catalog the first time their child rolls over, …
Coping with the stages of a debilitating illness
It was September 19, and I was sitting on my bed in the apartment I had rented with my best friend, having just arrived back …
Finding the right doctor and learning to live with a progressive genetic disorder — as a family
We've partnered with Inspire, a company that builds and manages online support communities for patients and caregivers, to launch a patient-focused series here on Scope. …