Mary endured various anxieties associated with a high risk of breast cancer for a decade before ultimately being diagnosed with the cancer in 2014. Here she shares how it felt to face the disease, the many decisions triggered by her diagnosis, the treatment…
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Many people living with multiple illnesses don’t just manage symptoms, they also adhere to a medication schedule and may need to repeatedly adjust their overall regimen (with their doctors’ input) due to how medicines interact. Staying on top of treatments alone can have…
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Tonianne has lived with physical and mental health conditions since childhood. These are their frank, empathetic words about coping and learning over time — a valuable message all the more appropriate during this Mental Health Awareness Month. This story mentions self-harm and other…
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Rosemary’s health concerns date back to 1984, when she was diagnosed with lupus and interstitial lung disease. In the decades since, she has been diagnosed with several other conditions, making each year more complex and challenging than the last. Looking back on her…
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Zoann managed asthma symptoms for nearly two decades only to find that the doctors she saw over those years had never truly seen her. They had never looked beyond her diagnosis to see that she had multiple health issues going on. When Zoann…
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Pain has shaped Pam’s life for decades, both physical and mental. Others’ pain, too. She has served as a caregiver for multiple family members and in more recent years, after being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions, shifted focus to her own…
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In 2021, Cathy sent us her story about her harrowing experiences leading up to, and following, a multiple system atrophy (MSA) diagnosis. We checked in with her before publishing it, and in the time between, she had forgotten exactly what she’d shared with…
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Two similar people living with the same health condition may have varying symptoms, a range of responses to daily difficulties and unique ways of finding peace. The very concept of “support” means one thing to you and likely something altogether different to your neighbor….
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Robin’s declining strength and stamina at work served as an alarm that something was wrong. It took three years, however, to identify what was causing these feelings of weakness and exhaustion. Here Robin shares the perspective gained from this long process — and…
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For many years, Megan’s multiple physical and mental health conditions have proven difficult to treat with standard medications. As a result, she has found alternate ways to find relief and peace. Here she shares some of what she has experienced and how she’s…
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Health Stories Project was created to give people opportunities to share their personal health experiences and to learn from the experiences of others.