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At Health Stories Project, empowering patients and caregivers to share their authentic health journeys is at the heart of our business. Only from understanding such a journey – which is different for every person we encounter – can we authoritatively recommend strategies to…
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Performer and multiple sclerosis advocate Brittany Quiroz is keeping it real—and empowering others. If all the world is a stage, as William Shakespeare’s Jacques asserted around 400 years ago, most of us are metaphorical bit players whose challenges and dreams don’t factor into…
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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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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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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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Despite a healthy, active lifestyle, Michael found himself in an ICU bed with kidney failure in 2019. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, underwent dialysis and chemotherapy and then a stem cell transplant. Still recovering nine months following this procedure and in search…
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Gina’s life completely changed when she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. She went from being an active 34-year-old business owner to completely disabled by 46. Here she shares her story, along with encouraging words for others experiencing similar situations. Seeking Medical Care I…
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Multiple sclerosis (MS) is like personality — it’s very different from one person to another. The symptoms are unique to everyone diagnosed with MS and may be misunderstood by people who don’t live with the condition. March is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, so…
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Danielle has been living with bipolar disorder since 1996. This condition, and others she lives with, affect her life daily. Here, she shares hurtful words her father told her and how comments like this affect her and others living with a similar condition….
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Lindsey kept her narcolepsy diagnosis to herself, family and close friends, until September 2019 when she decided to finally post about her health experiences on her social media profiles. Here she shares how opening up about her diagnosis has helped her accept the…
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Denise was diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the late 1980s and told she might only have one year to live. Here she shares what has given her strength in the decades since. A Bleak Prognosis [In the 1980s], my friends were…
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When Sylvia’s husband passed away, managing her health conditions — including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) — became exponentially more difficult. The key to her perseverance was receiving support from someone living with similar circumstances. Here she recounts her emotions following in the wake…
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Heidi’s health challenges began when she was very young and only compounded in her teenage years and early adulthood. Today, she continues to manage multiple physical and mental conditions — some with effective treatments and others through guesswork and specialist appointments. This is…
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Cynthia first broke one of her bones when she was eight years old. Since then, every five years or so, she has broken another. Before that count reached a dozen, she worried that something physical was contributing to the pattern — and her…
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Brian’s difficult and frustrating path to multiple diagnoses, including Hashimoto’s disease (chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis), is an apt reminder this Thyroid Awareness Month that the small gland plays a huge and vital role. When the thyroid functions incorrectly, it may stymie both patients and…
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Diane was diagnosed with psoriasis in 1963, a condition no one had ever seen in the town she was growing up in. She experienced situations she doesn’t want others to live through, so she now advocates for others living with the same conditions…
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Misty tirelessly advocated for herself until she received a referral to a neurologist that would ultimately lead to finally getting answers she had been searching for. Here she shares her long journey searching for someone to look into her symptoms, her diagnoses of…
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Lucy has experienced health issues since she was a teenager. These have carried out throughout her life and into adulthood. Here she shares which symptoms led to her multiple diagnoses, what it’s like living with three distinct conditions and the advice she would…
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Fifty-plus years of significant health challenges might break anyone’s spirit. Jo, however, emphasizes the practical and positive despite the adversity of a lifetime of managing a host of issues and conditions including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes and psoriasis. Jo’s story…
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In 1996, Beth was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease (PKD), which causes cysts to grow inside the kidneys. Over time, this genetic disorder affects the organs’ function, causes chronic kidney disease and leads to kidney failure. Beth’s evolving response to living with PKD…
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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.