Behind the scenes

One thing that I wish people understood about living with chronic illness is how much often goes on behind the scenes that people don’t see. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I’m lucky enough to be able to manage university part-time, but most people don’t know how sick I often feel on a daily basis. While I’m able to … Continue reading Behind the scenes →

On “trying harder”

A thought that I often wrestle with is the idea that I should be “trying harder” or “pushing myself.” Although I know that it’s not true, I sometimes question whether it’s my fault that I’m not getting better or am disabled. There's a common "no pain no gain" narrative that gets applied to many aspects … Continue reading On “trying harder” →

Things that have helped me manage university with chronic illnesses.

Back in high school, I would spend hours at a time with my head in textbooks. Since developing chronic illnesses, productivity has looked a bit different for me. I've had to adapt and learn how to work within and around my symptoms. It took me a while to figure out what works for me, so … Continue reading Things that have helped me manage university with chronic illnesses. →

8 things that help me conserve energy

With ME/CFS,  I'm constantly trying to go about my life without exerting myself beyond what my body can recover from. Acceptance and figuring out how to pace myself has led to fewer crashes and improved my quality of life. I also have dysautonomia, a common comorbidity of ME/CFS, which makes it hard for me to … Continue reading 8 things that help me conserve energy →

Things that I wish someone had told me when I first got sick.

You will grieve.  The grief and longing for your health and previous lifestyle will seem unbearable but it'll get less intense over time. When the gravity of what was happening to me became clear and I realized that I wasn’t going to quickly bounce back to my old life, I felt suffocated and fell into … Continue reading Things that I wish someone had told me when I first got sick. →