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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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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There is a very real stigma surrounding lung cancer. Many people believe that the only way you can get lung cancer is through smoking–this is incorrect. Although smoking tobacco is by far the leading cause of lung cancer, it can also be due…
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Jenny had a pacemaker implanted before she was 40 years old — and that was after experiencing multiple other serious health issues. Since then, she contracted COVID-19 and dealt with long-term symptoms. Given these challenges, Jenny’s survival surprised her as much as the…
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Lisa was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in her twenties and experienced a life-changing heart attack two decades later, in 2013. Here she recalls the difficulty of her sister’s lack of support after her heart attack — and celebrates the power of a…
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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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Richard was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, cancer that develops in plasma cells, in 2014. Here he reflects on a few aspects of his experience with this condition with no known cause. Onset of Symptoms [I sought medical help after a] steadily increasing…
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Life with a serious health condition can be difficult. We have found that some individuals find comfort hearing from others living through similar situations. Our Health Stories Project community members living with deep vein thrombosis (DVT), atrial fibrillation (AFib) or pulmonary embolism (PE)…
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Jamie, who has managed multiple mental health conditions — and HIV — for many years, reflects on the importance of support and self-care. Growing & Learning Growing up, I knew I was a little different than other kids. When I was a teenager,…
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For years following the birth of her son, Jolie experienced pain in her core and difficulty breathing — and medical professionals could find nothing wrong. The truth, eventually discovered after another visit to an emergency room, was that she had a rare and…
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Individuals living with schizophrenia may find it important to have a support person, group or resources. Support can take many forms and may range between a significant other, family members, friends, psychiatrists, therapists, online and in-person communities, hotlines and social media. Unfortunately, some…
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Hobbies don’t just help us pass the time. These enjoyable activities can have mental and physical health benefits as well. Three Health Stories Project members — Jolie, Kanani and Tyler — share how their creative pursuits help them manage their health, from providing…
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Sometimes revealing an especially personal or difficult matter to others can change everything — for the better. Saying that is one thing, however, and doing it is something altogether different. Here Matt shares his life-changing decision to reveal his human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)…
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Eczema and various allergies have been with Celeste since birth — and she said she is in menopause today. Here she candidly recalls the challenges she has persevered over the decades and how the stresses of life have intertwined with the shifting intensity…
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Brad admitted to putting off medical care when he probably needed it earlier in his life. After a heart attack in 2018, he realized he should take a more proactive approach. Since then, he has dedicated himself to staying active and maintaining his…
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Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a health condition that makes skin red and itchy. It is most common in people who have a family history of the condition and although it typically develops in early childhood, it can occur at any…
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Graft versus host disease (GVHD) is a condition that may occur following a transplant using donor bone marrow or stem cells. More than 20,000 people every year are diagnosed with GVHD. The chances of developing GHVD and its severity may vary between individuals. The…
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Isabel M. from Chaps, New Mexico is living with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, or hEDS. At the age of 22, she’s already seen a lifetime of diagnoses. She’s spent half of the past 2 years recovering from 5 surgeries and at the time of…
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Heidi P. from Ohio, sent us the following story. Like 3,000 other community members, Heidi has multiple sclerosis (MS), and was diagnosed 29 years ago in 1992. Her MS story reflects what so many others who have chronic autoimmune conditions have told us….
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Community Insights Are Valuable Our site will never be a place to come and get every fact or the latest piece of news about any health condition. However, we will continue to share results from surveys you generously respond to. Last year, we…
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We’re all experiencing this pandemic both together and in isolation. We checked in one last time in 2020 and asked how you all were doing. Some of the questions were new, and some were identical to questions we asked last spring so we could…
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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.