I remember the exact day freedom was taken from me, perhaps never to return. I will never forget the sense of loss in that moment, when I came face to face with the reality of my illness. I have a seizure disorder, but until this particular moment in August 2012, I mistakenly believed life could …
Hope Never Comes From a Leprechaun
Hope is not something we naturally think about building. We can find or lose hope. Hope can be destroyed or recovered. But hope is usually built. And that is precisely the problem. We believe hope is akin to treasure at the end of a rainbow, as if some mythical munchkin will say, “Fresh out of …
3 Myths About Chronic Illness Pastors Should Know
There are unfortunately pastors who believe it is not a high priority for them to understand the challenges of an individual with a chronic illness. But the truth is that how well you understand a chronic illness be the difference between isolation and community. Note that for this discussion, we …
We Did More Than Survive
Seventeen years. Seventeen. Years. I repeated the words slowly to myself today in Starbucks as I considered our anniversary (insert pithy comment about a typical male not being home on his anniversary here). Three thoughts come to mind when I ponder the last seventeen years with my wife: Boy have we …
Brittany Maynard Isn’t Brave, But These People Are
She is being heralded as brave for making this choice, and for publicizing it weeks in advance. But she isn’t brave. Don’t misunderstand me. I am not jumping into the fray with my opinion on whether physician-assisted suicide for terminal cases should be legal, or whether it’s ethical, or even if …
A Day in the Life of a British Epileptic
While epilepsy has many causes and can appear in a variety of ways across different individuals, here are some details about James’ history: James was diagnosed with epilepsy at 9 years old and he was told he would be epileptic for the rest of his life. Since then, his seizures have ranged from …
A Day in the Life of Anxiety Arthritis and Writing
Meet Stephanie Fishman. A fellow writer, I actually met her through an unusual conversation where we talked (as strangers) about blog themes and preferences. From there, with the help of a few otters [long story], we have become friends. Stephanie is able to straddle the fiction and nonfiction world …
A Day in the Life of Breast Cancer and a Heart Attack
Today I have the privilege of sharing some of Brenda McGraw’s story through a video interview. Please watch so you can hear Brenda’s heart. Here are some of my favorite moments from the interview, to whet your appetite: I was 24 years old, which is very young to be diagnosed with breast cancer. …
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A Day (Or 14 Years) in the Life of Chronic Mouth Pain
Today’s interview in the Day in the Life series is with Robert D. Smith. I met Robert via an email conversation about my upcoming book Perfectly Abnormal eight months ago. Since then, he’s been a near-constant source of encouragement to me, challenging me to push the envelope with my branding and …
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Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Sjogren’s Syndrome Didn’t Stop Jeana From Starting a Soup Kitchen
This week’s interview is a little different than the last three. I met Jeana Weiss in the process of starting this series, so we don’t know each other very well. But, I am honored to interview her today nonetheless, and inspired by her resilience. She is amazing, and does not let her chronic …
A Day in the Life of an Adrenal Fatigued High Energy Actress
I will never forget the day I met Sandy Kim, today’s interview in my A Day in the Life of… series. My wife and I drove over an hour with two boys and Nerf guns in tow, so our youngest could be an extra in the pilot for a TV show that combined the best elements of Saving Private Ryan, Codename: Kids …
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A Day in the Life of Rett Syndrome: A Parental Perspective
Today I continue my A Day in the Life series, which started so wonderfully by a conversation with Christa Sterken about fibromyalgia. I am talking today with Colleen English about her daughter Claire, who has Rett Syndrome, or RTT. Here is Colleen's description of Rett Syndrome Rett Syndrome …
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