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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“A Hot MS” Celebrates the Everyday Disasters That Shape Patients’ Lives
- April 7th, 2023
- Clint Brownlee
- Living with Chronic Illness, Patient Advocacy, Stories From The Community
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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Breast Cancer, Surgery & Recovery: There’s Nothing “Routine” About It
- August 5th, 2022
- Clint Brownlee
- Stories From The Community
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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“It’s OK to Not Be a Superhero”
- June 6th, 2022
- Clint Brownlee
- Living with Chronic Illness, Stories From The Community
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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From “Damaged Goods” to Small Victories: Growing Up with Mental and Physical Health Conditions
- May 20th, 2022
- Clint Brownlee
- Stories From The Community
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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Six Principles That Help Rosemary Manage Multiple Serious Conditions
- April 27th, 2022
- Clint Brownlee
- Living with Chronic Illness, Stories From The Community
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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After 18 Years of Waiting, I was Finally ‘SEEN’ by Doctors
- April 23rd, 2022
- Clint Brownlee
- Living with Chronic Illness, Stories From The Community
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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A Changing Perspective on Life with Chronic Pain: “It Never Gets Boring”
- April 17th, 2022
- Clint Brownlee
- Living with Chronic Illness, Stories From The Community
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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When Is a Perforated Colon and Multiple System Atrophy a Laughing Matter?
- April 7th, 2022
- Clint Brownlee
- Living with Chronic Illness, Stories From The Community
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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The Community Speaks: Sources of Support
- April 5th, 2022
- Clint Brownlee
- Finding Community
Two similar people living with the same health condition may have varying symptoms, a range of responses to daily difficulties and unique ways of finding peace. The very concept of “support” means one thing to you and likely something altogether different to your neighbor….
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