What Does It Mean to Choose Surgery?

I recently came across a post from someone with scoliosis that said she “rejected spinal surgery and became a yoga teacher instead.” I don’t know her specific situation—especially the degree of her curve(s) but the idea that this is a choice that people with scoliosis can make feels dangerous to me. I know that many …

“My” Anxiety

Do you use identity-first or disability-first language? This is a continual negotiation for people with disabilities or disabled people (depending on which language you use). Our diagnoses and conditions shape our identity and we shape how we relate to them with our language. One way we also do this is by being possessive of our …

When Everything Feels Exhausting

Lately, I’ve been beyond exhausted. Fatigue, exhaustion, and tired: nothing seems to cover how worn out I actually feel. I’ve had almost all of my IV iron treatments and I still feel wrung out like an old washcloth. I know it is normal for some people not to feel better until all of the treatments …

Waiting for a Diagnosis

This is not the first time I’ve said it and it probably won’t be the last. I am tired of being tired, especially now that I know that there is a physical reason that I feel tired and headachey all the time, but not the underlying cause. Now that I know this much, I want …

How Do I Talk to Myself?

There’s so much advice online about talking to oneself as a friend. You’re supposed to stop the negative self-talk that’s just making you more anxious and depressed. One of the number one pieces of advice on the internet is to treat yourself with kindness. You write out positive affirmations and say them into the mirror. …