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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Darcel White is blogger, autism and dyslexia advocate, and single mother to three children with food allergies, seasonal allergies, and asthma. She shared with us how she found out about her children’s condition and the actions she takes every day to make sure…
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We say it often: sharing your story makes a difference, but don’t take my word for it, this comic by Tatiana Gill was inspired by comments and stories from Health Stories Project community members. 5 Reasons to share from patient advocates: 1. “My greatest support would…
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When Jay Sperling went to have pre-operative bloodwork done for a minor knee surgery, he hadn’t anticipated the results. His white blood cell count was abnormally high. He didn’t have any infections (which can often cause the white cell count to go up),…
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For newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients, Peter Sennert represents hope. Peter, 57, was diagnosed with the rare cancerous blood disease 18 years ago and is still going strong. He and his wife, Mary Ellen, now devote themselves to advocating for blood cancer research…
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When Gene Mikov, 75, described his current skin care routine, he recited a set of rules: “Wear sunscreen, put on a hat and don’t get too much sun.” Gene has adhered to these rules — or at least the first two — since…
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Ten years ago, when Carolyn first met her husband, John, she knew he “had something.” He’d exhibited dyskinesia, or involuntary muscle movements, as they’d chatted. On their next date, when he explained that he suffered from early onset Parkinson’s disease, her response was…
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Alison Gomez, a two-time non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) survivor, began vlogging (video blogging) as a way to connect with and support others with her condition. She speaks openly about her experiences with various treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation, a bone marrow transplant, and the emotions…
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As a kid, Daniel Malito could only watch from the sidelines as his classmates played sports and roughhoused. When he was eight years old, Malito started getting chronic low-grade fevers and joint aches. Over the next couple of years, his family saw a…
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On paper, Kitt O’Malley is a typical overachiever. She loved school as a kid and attended Berkeley, earning a bachelor’s degree in legal studies. She went on to earn a master’s in psychology from a private college and studied theology at Fuller Seminary….
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When you suffer from a chronic illness, it’s natural to feel negative emotions sometimes. The problem is when those emotions take over your life. Just ask Davina “Dee” Conner. After she learned she had HIV in 1997, she hit a low point. For…
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When some people smile, it’s downright infectious. Such is the case for Nitika Chopra, a wellness blogger and social media influencer who radiates positive energy across multiple platforms, including Instagram, where she has amassed more than 35,000 followers. Chopra directs her good vibes…
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Even though approximately 37 million people around the world live with HIV, it is still an unknown subject for many. I had the chance to meet with five HIV advocates and educators to learn more about positive living. They shared some tremendous insights:…
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Osteoporosis is often thought of a condition that afflicts the elderly — and in fact, a large percentage of Americans over the age of 80 are afflicted with it to some degree, particularly women. But the disease, which causes a loss of bone…
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Professional fighter, DJ, and fitness model Coel Peach “couldn’t figure out what was going on” when he started coughing up blood and feeling unusually tired all the time. After a year of experiencing these symptoms, Coel was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Now,…
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Applying for disability wasn’t an easy decision for Erica Carrasco, the migraine blogger behind Achy Smile. She’d been a go-getter her whole life, but had suffered from increasingly severe headaches as an adult that eventually derailed her career. There was nothing left to…
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Editor’s note: If you or a loved one are living with eating disorder(s), borderline personality disorder, or have experience with self harm the following post could be potentially triggering. You can contact the Crisis Text Line by texting “HOME” to 741741 or call…
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This comic by Tatiana Gill was inspired by comments and stories from Health Stories Project community members who are living with mental illness. Sign up to share your experiences with Health Stories Project!
Nothing about breast cancer is easy. And for a lot of women, one of the hardest things about breast cancer is mastectomy. In theory, you think you might know what to expect; maybe you’ve even seen post-surgical photos of other survivors. But your…
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Editor’s note: If you or a loved one are living with depression the following post could be potentially triggering. You can contact the Crisis Text Line by texting “HOME” to 741741 or call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. Jennifer shares…
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Meet Marvin Marvin Anderson works as an award-winning speaker, personal development empowerment coach, author and HIV advocate. He is also the founder of The Stigmocracy Organization. which is working to diminish stigma directed toward individuals infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. We asked Marvin to…
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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.