I wish I could say, “yes,” … that I can go with you to the concert. … that I can figure out the grocery list, go to the store, and unpack when I get home. … that I can walk with you around our neighborhood. … that I will vacuum the house and do the laundry and cook...

Watching the World   I open the door from my room I watch the world People in school for degrees People on sunny sandy beaches People winning awards People on trips with friends I love watching everything I dream of joining in I wonder about being part I close...

HOPE   I hope you never wake up one day and realize your illness will never get better I hope you are never told you’re being denied care in the form of a letter   I hope that you never feel anxiety to see doctors out of fear I hope that you never have to...

I was proud to be a civil servant who worked on the remediation of hazardous waste sites for the US EPA. I was 20 years in and figured I had 20 more to go. But at 42 years of age, ME had other plans. After a day of cross country skiing, ignoring what I now know were...

Reflections on Fibromyalgia This is the owl I got at the children's hospital gift shop when I received my Fibromyalgia diagnosis at age eleven, almost two decades ago. I am now thirty years old and finishing a degree in Disability Studies, and my life with chronic...

The Monster If I had to describe my chronic illness as a creature, it would be a grotesque,  twitchy hare with a hyena head and spider legs. It's the stuff of nightmares.  Can you imagine it? A blind, lifeless eye staring back at me while venomous  drool drips from...