tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55323888252987130352024-03-22T13:46:31.232-04:00Getting Closer To MyselfLearning to live, love, and adapt to life with chronic illness...Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.comBlogger671125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-90485117400455359442021-10-29T20:08:00.003-04:002021-10-29T20:08:55.606-04:00The Second TrimesterIt’s hard to
believe that at 35 weeks of pregnancy, I’m just getting around to writing about
the second trimester. But such is life. Although the first trimester seemed to
drag on, the second trimester seemed to fly by.
While the
nausea of the first trimester thankfully retreated around week 14, the fatigue
remained. I did get a few weeks of reprieve, but I didn’t take nearly enough
advantage ofLesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-16199715767723070222021-10-13T10:04:00.000-04:002021-10-13T10:04:00.993-04:00My EULAR 2021 Experience* This post is
long overdue. Blame it on pregnancy, I guess. Way back in June, I virtually attended
the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) Congress.
This was the
first big conference I attended virtually and it was a lot to take in.
Normally, when you attend in-person, you have to really pick and choose because
you can only attend one session at a time. But because of time Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-27025308745623085732021-06-07T09:58:00.001-04:002021-06-07T09:58:00.259-04:00The First TrimesterThe first trimester is tough. No one tells you how hard it's going to be. While I’m lucky that lupus and RA have been quiet, the nausea and fatigue have been a lot. RA fatigue has nothing on pregnancy fatigue, in my opinion. And I
keep telling my husband that while this whole pregnancy thing is harder than I
expected it would be, I’m grateful, endlessly grateful. There were Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-16925798455827999632021-06-04T09:24:00.004-04:002021-06-04T09:24:50.828-04:00I’m Pregnant. We’re Pregnant. We’re Having a Baby.Well, that’s the big announcement. My husband and I are expecting. We’re so, so grateful. There was a large part of my 20s where I couldn’t even get a doctor to entertain what it would look like for me to get pregnant. And now, at 35, here I am and here we are. I’ll have more to say in a post devoted to the first trimester, including when and how we found out, etc.
Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-61283040326775457682021-04-16T08:36:00.041-04:002021-04-16T08:36:00.289-04:0013 YearsThis is a visual representation of my story that was created for me by Rebeka Ryvola as a participant in Convening The Center.It has been 13 years since
I traveled from the kingdom of the well to the kingdom of the sick. And 13
years since I began to mourn the loss of my previous life.
Unsurprisingly, much has
happened in that time. Aside from adding diagnoses and oft changing medication
Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-53655710982118896282021-04-05T14:07:00.000-04:002021-04-05T14:07:08.689-04:00“Anyone Who Wants A Vaccine Can Get A Vaccine”… Unless They Are Chronically Ill Or DisabledAs I
explained in a previous post, My Job, Not My
Illnesses, Got Me A COVID-19 Vaccine. And my getting the vaccine only solved half my
problem. The other half of the problem is that my husband, who is unable to
work remotely, and works in a very public-facing occupation, had yet to be
vaccinated as of the end of March.
My husband
has asthma and high blood pressure. While he’s 37, he’s definitelyLesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-72966161855191788252021-03-10T08:36:00.000-05:002021-03-10T08:36:10.276-05:00My Job, Not My Illnesses, Got Me A COVID-19 VaccineFor those of us who live
with illness, the pandemic has brought into relief for many what some of us
recognize is a daily slog of inequality and missed opportunities. There have
been many lessons that I’ve learned over the past year, and I’ll have another
post about that. But the major issue right now, is getting vaccinated. And I’ve
been vaccinated, not because of my illnesses, but because of myLesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-56368090785796352852021-03-01T11:31:00.000-05:002021-03-01T11:31:24.470-05:00Reflecting on Being a Graduate Student with a Chronic Illness/Disability I am
feeling triggered. Eight years after I graduated with a PhD from the University
of Michigan, they are finally, finally starting to address the issue of graduate
students with disabilities. While I was a student, I became vocal about
experiences I, along with others, had as a result of identifying as a student
with a chronic illness or disability.
I’ve
linked the report, “Executive Summary Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-8022325710248818212021-02-16T17:37:00.000-05:002021-02-16T17:37:01.688-05:00My Experience with the COVID-19 VaccineFirst off,
a Trigger warning. If you don’t want to read about vaccinations or see a
picture of me getting one, then please skip this post.
I hemmed
and hawed about getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Not so much because of the
vaccine itself, but because I work in healthcare and was able to get it fairly
early on. But I couldn’t help feel like there might be people needing it more
than me. I didn’t Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-12751089552308193202020-12-21T21:10:00.000-05:002020-12-22T08:21:13.807-05:00Good Riddance, 2020!Oh what a year it has been. I plan to spend some time in the new year reflecting on COVID and everything the pandemic has taught me. But for now, wishing you and yours a healthy and happy holiday season and a better 2021 for us all. From my little family to yours.Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-48204627550673439172020-11-19T08:10:00.002-05:002020-11-19T13:26:03.852-05:00Thanksgiving is Canceled I haven’t
written a lot during the pandemic. I guess because I’ve sort of felt that we’re
all in the same boat, even though we’re not. We’re not because there are people
who continue to flout responsibility. There are
people who think the pandemic is a hoax. Still. Even after nearly 250,000 of
our fellow Americans have died. A quarter of a million people. Let that sink
in.In
Michigan, Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-57836630879819205112020-06-30T11:04:00.000-04:002020-06-30T11:04:23.709-04:00Wear A Damn Mask
I’m
putting this out there because it needs to be said. I can see that as a chronically
ill person and someone who is #HighRiskCovid19, as the world opens up, mine
will be getting smaller. I’m seeing pictures of people on Facebook unmasked in
bars and crowds. I guess even going to some peoples’ houses will be off limits
because of the number of places they’ve been and the number of people Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-65171070209945042692020-06-26T08:39:00.001-04:002020-06-26T08:39:53.339-04:00Book Review: “The Things We Don’t Say: An Anthology of Chronic Illness Truths”*
I love
reading, but reading is one of the things that has taken a hit during the
quarantine. My attention span has suffered. “The Things We Don’t Say: An
Anthology of Chronic Illness Truths” by Julie Morgenlender came at the perfect
time. It even comes with a disclaimer that you don’t have to read it all at
once. I’ll have you know, I didn’t read it all at once, but I got about 100
pages Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-88700617485460599162020-06-10T08:28:00.000-04:002020-06-10T08:31:57.665-04:00There Are Many Ways To Protest
Over the
last few weeks, as someone who is #HighRiskCovid19, I have struggled with
whether or not to attend a protest. I fully support Black Lives Matter and I
truly believe that there are significant changes that need to happen in our
society. I also know that my struggle of whether or not to attend a protest is
part of my privilege.
Clearly, I
haven’t been the only one struggling with Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-4191233320028528722020-06-03T08:54:00.000-04:002020-06-03T08:54:02.303-04:00Being Chronically Ill In The Age of COVID-19
(https://nypost.com/2020/05/20/end-new-york-citys-lockdown-now/)
I happened
upon the May 23, 2020 issue of the New York Post and was greeted with “One
Man’s Plea” regarding re-opening New York City, the crux of which was, “The
elderly and infirm can continue to be isolated,” but the quarantine must end
for everyone else.
This trope
makes me so angry.
Why is
this narrative okayLesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-30606641433684680522020-05-19T11:10:00.000-04:002020-05-19T11:10:06.562-04:00A House Divided, But We Stand United
I am lucky
that I have a job that is allowing me to work from home, potentially for the
long haul. I am lucky that I have a company laptop, and that our house has a
reliable internet connection and all of the other necessities that I need to be
able to do my job from home.
And just
to be clear, my company wasn’t set up for this. My set-up at work includes a
laptop and an additional monitor,Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-17451246043593146702020-05-12T10:53:00.000-04:002020-05-19T10:56:11.717-04:00In This Age of Connection, Why Do I Feel So Disconnected?
Today, we
are more connected than ever. There’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snap Chat, text,
email, snail mail, Zoom, Face Time, Houseparty, and the list goes on and on. (I’m
almost in my mid-30s, I’m trying to keep up with the times, but it’s getting
hard) There are so many ways to connect outside of IRL in this age of social
distancing, yet what I crave is connection. IRL.
I have
nearlyLesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-56866500243881657942020-04-28T13:03:00.000-04:002020-04-28T13:03:15.956-04:00When It’s Over, Will It Really Be Over?
I’ve had a lot of
time over the past days and weeks to reflect on COVID-19 and my experiences as
a chronically ill person. To say I’ve been scared is an understatement. At
home, I feel safe. I’ve barely left my house in over six weeks, and don’t plan
to unless I absolutely have to.
From a personal
standpoint, what I’m struck by the most is that I’ve once again been forced to
face my own Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-84510748188975890242020-02-22T21:35:00.000-05:002020-02-22T21:35:40.878-05:00When Health Is The Focus Again
It’s been
a while. Mainly because my health hasn’t been the center of everything. It’s so
easy to write when things aren’t going well. It’s harder to write when they
are.
In the
last two years, I bought a house and got married. And of course, lupus and
rheumatoid arthritis have been there and figured in. We bought a ranch because
I didn’t want to be forced to navigate stairs if my health Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-29463401302345112472020-01-01T21:30:00.000-05:002020-02-22T21:31:17.297-05:00Happy 2020!!!Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-8062720985127958112019-10-04T08:21:00.000-04:002019-10-04T08:21:52.755-04:00In the Clinical Trial of Life, You Are Always an N of 1 (RD Blog Week #5)
I’ve felt
this for a long time, but I’m finally writing it down, because I think it’s
good advice for newly diagnosed patients, and I wish someone would have told me
something similar when I was first diagnosed.
Clinical
trials are scary. Many patients feel they would only participate in a clinical
trial if they were desperate, in a last ditch effort if no other treatments
work.
But the
Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-21429920310294625682019-10-03T09:00:00.000-04:002019-10-03T09:02:42.670-04:00We Are All Part of This Community, No Matter How We Are Doing (RD Blog Week #4)
As of
late, I haven’t been blogging. It’s not so much that I haven’t had things to
say as much as it has been a struggle about whether or not I should say it. I
hesitate to express feelings I’ve held for quite some time. But, here goes…
I have
made great friends through social media, blogging, and the chronic illness
community, and I am forever grateful for that. However, I feel like so Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-82117986750250977312019-10-01T08:00:00.000-04:002019-10-02T16:50:50.594-04:00Looking Back On 12+ Years of Chronic Illness (RD Blog Week #2)
When I was diagnosed with lupus and RA 12 years ago, I thought
my life was over. I was in my first year of graduate school. Professors and my
doctors told me that I should drop out of school. I didn’t listen. But I’d be
lying if I said that having lupus and RA didn’t change things for me. They definitely
did.
Deciding that I didn’t want an academic career was a
difficult choice, but one thatLesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-52723829156526579772019-09-30T13:11:00.001-04:002019-10-02T16:51:02.887-04:00Medication Meltdown (RD Blog Week #1)
For the
past five years, I have been on a combination of medications that has worked,
been the most consistent, and lasted for the longest period of time since I was
diagnosed with lupus and RA. I can’t explain how grateful I am for that,
especially given that it is so much more difficult to find treatments that
work, having multiple autoimmune diseases, and trying to find treatment
regimens Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-89899764414436762982019-05-05T11:19:00.000-04:002019-09-30T11:24:09.338-04:00I Got Married!!!
And it was
the best day ever!!!
Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.com2