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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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Before the 1980’s the definition of a “cancer survivor” was someone who had shown no evidence of cancer for five years. But groups like the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) recognized the need “for language that truly told the story of…
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We first met Jim and learned his story when he signed up to participate in a virtual patient panel. If you’re interested in sharing your story and hearing about opportunities like the one Jim had, sign up to share your story. “This is…
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You can’t put Charles Mattocks in just one box: actor, award-winning director, chef – he’s embraced a lot of roles in his life. One that’s most important to him personally, though, is his role as a health advocate, for both type 2 diabetes…
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“It’s nothing, I’m fine.” Sound familiar? Some people just don’t like the doctor. Whether it’s fear, busy-ness, shame, discomfort, or something else, many choose to stay away. In fact, psychologists even have a name for this phenomenon: health information avoidance. But when…
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Matthew Holland is the picture of health. He’s tall, handsome, and in great physical shape. He’s the type of guy who seeks out physical challenges with gusto, spending his summer vacations on a mountain bike or wakeboard and eagerly trying new snowboarding challenges…
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What You Make of It As Steven Hawking slowly lost the ability to write, he compensated with visual methods for doing his work. Without his limitations, he may never have been known as one of the greatest minds in physics. Virginia Woolf used…
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Maeve Rochford is one tough cookie. The owner of San Diego’s popular Sugar and Scribe Bakery trounced her competition on the second season of Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship, which aired in late 2015. Before winning the title, though, she touched viewers during…
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Q&A: Outlifting Addison’s Disease Tyler Brown is a 28-year-old biomedical engineering student who lives in Columbia, Missouri. When he isn’t busy taking a full load of classes and conducting research, you’ll find him enjoying walks with his wife, lifting weights, reading philosophy, watching…
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Hold the Salt: Sodium Girl Shares Her Story In 2004 Jessica Goldman Foung received a diagnosis of lupus that would ultimately change her life, her diet, and her career path. Here’s how a low-sodium diet helped save Jessica’s life—and how she ultimately came…
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Alyssa Mackenzie, a 27-year-old Connecticut native, was recently diagnosed with systemic lupus erythermatosus (SLE). She’s no stranger to chronic illnesses, though, and has been dealing with multiple autoimmune disorders since birth. Alyssa writes about her experiences on her blog, Make Lemonade with Lupus,…
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Regina Holliday is an artist, patient rights advocate, and founder of the Walking Gallery and the Medical Advocacy Mural Project. We recently spoke with her to discuss her work, her new book, and what she’s got planned for the future – here’s what…
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When Jessica Beltran’s mom noticed her infant daughter wasn’t growing eyebrows and eyelashes, she brought her to see a doctor. At just six months old, Jessica was diagnosed with alopecia. In the early years of her life, she had alopecia areata, a form…
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Who is the expert in directing your healthcare? Hint: It’s not your doctor. You might not wear a white lab coat or have a medical degree, but you know your body best. Of course, doctors are still very important in guiding your care….
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There was never any question whether Rayna DuBose was tough. Graduating from high school in 2001 with a scholarship to play basketball at Virginia Tech, Rayna took no prisoners on the court. Whether shooting hoops, playing volleyball or dancing ballet, Rayna never held…
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It was a typical Atlanta morning in January, 1991. Herb Silverman, then 27, was up early and doing his morning workout at the small gym in his apartment complex when something went awry. “I felt lightheaded and dizzy but didn’t know what the…
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We recently spoke with Jessica Gimeno, author of the blog Fashionably ill: The Sick Woman’s Stylist. As someone who fights mental illness and chronic pain daily, Jessica is dedicated to helping people survive chronic illnesses with style and humor. Check out what she…
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If you met Carlyle King, you probably wouldn’t think he’s autistic. He’s easy to talk with, seems to do fine in social situations, and works at Boise State University as an information technology professional with a focus on maintaining learning management systems. But…
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Jill Conley was 31-years old when she was diagnosed with stage IIIB breast cancer. She and her husband Bart started Jill’s Wish to help others like her. You were diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer about three months after marrying your husband, Bart. Can you…
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What if you woke up tomorrow and found out you had a new health condition? Think about how you would feel. Afraid? Uncertain? Would you want to talk to someone who had experienced the same thing? Maybe to find out how they got…
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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.