Healthy Anxiety

It’s been a long time since I’ve written. I’ve been going through a stressful time health wise (what else is new?), and I haven’t been able to focus. I’ve had fun new symptoms like horrible night sweats almost every night. It's not glamorous or fun. In fact, I've been feeling a bit ashamed by these …

Secondary Pain: Trying to Avoid Pain But Causing Other Pain

I spend a lot of my time lying down. One of the things I love about working from home is being able to work lying down. I also relax lying down. The existence of laptops means that I can literally work with my computer on my lap every day. Sitting or standing for too long …

Three Ways That I’m Accepting a New Physical Illness

Sometimes, I think I have a handle on everything—that I’ve finally achieved acceptance and balance. And then I get knocked off balance by some new ailment. In this case, I went to the dermatologist for what I hoped would be a routine skin check. I had a pre-cancerous mole removed before, so I go every …

Reflecting on How Living Simply Prepared Me to Change My Career

Recently, I wrote about our experience when our apartment’s floors flooded during the holidays for No Sidebar, one of my favorite sites about simple living and minimalism (my article is here) Sites like No Sidebar helped me to realize that I was literally making myself sicker—mentally and physically—on the path I was on. Becoming a …

Feeling Naïve About My Health for the First Time in a While

I often feel like an expert in being chronically ill. I know how to look up doctors on my insurance company’s website. I know to ask if they cover me just in case when I make an appointment. I know to ask if the tests are covered as well when they suggest something. I know …