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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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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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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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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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In a span of just over five years, Frank experienced multiple health challenges that further complicated a mental health issue that, on its own, led to disability. This is how he described the journey and the perspective he gained along the way. Stress,…
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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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An accident at work changed the trajectory of Kimberley’s life. Although her health issues may seem invisible to others, the pain she feels is very real. Here she shares a situation she encountered with someone she used to consider a friend and how…
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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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One winter night in 2000, Kara was involved in a terrible car accident and airlifted to a hospital. Faced with a long and difficult recovery but determined to live the life she’d planned, she worked through the pain caused by the accident for…
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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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Jim has lived with Charco-Marie-Tooth disease, which affects peripheral nerves that control the muscles, since childhood. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at 60 years old. He urges those who are recently diagnosed with a condition to accept, process and move past emotions…
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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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Dan’s medical history includes contracting bacterial meningitis, a cardiovascular disease diagnosis and the placement of multiple stents following a severe heart attack. Here he describes these aspects of his health journey and shares the wisdom he’s gained from them. Facing Mortality I [once]…
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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.