Christmas is great, Hanukkah is great, but I really think Festivus has excellent potential as a holiday for the chronically ill. Hear me out. Continue reading “Festivus: A Holiday for Spoonies?”
Category: Disability Rights
The Myth of “Hypoallergenic”
The word “hypoallergenic,” like the word “natural,” is not regulated. Continue reading “The Myth of “Hypoallergenic””
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Misdiagnosed Despite a CDC-Positive Test: My Lyme Disease Story
Since Lyme awareness month is about to end, I thought I would tell a story about what can happen when there’s no Lyme awareness. Continue reading “Misdiagnosed Despite a CDC-Positive Test: My Lyme Disease Story”
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Lyme Awareness Month: Lyme Myths
Hello! It’s not only Lyme Awareness Month but also Fibromyalgia Awareness Month, Food Allergy Awareness Month, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) Awareness Month, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) Awareness Month, and Asthma Awareness Month. Continue reading “Lyme Awareness Month: Lyme Myths”
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Two Days in Insurance Hell: A Play in Hopefully Only One Act
Main Character, a woman with Lyme, fibromyalgia, allergies, thyroid disease, and a messed-up spine, is trying to get a doctor to authorize her brand-name Neurontin (a painkiller that works on nerve pain). She gets weird rashes and chills from using gabapentin, the generic version of the medicine. She got a threatening letter from her insurance carrier, saying that after April 1 they weren’t going to pay for the brand-name version without a doctor’s authorization. Continue reading “Two Days in Insurance Hell: A Play in Hopefully Only One Act”
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Things Not to Say to People With Chronic Illnesses
1. You LOOK so healthy.
2. Have you tried (name of very basic, obvious remedy, like ibuprofen)?
3. Are you SURE you’re sick?
4. You mean you really can’t do that tiny, tiny, little motion? Just doing that little thing causes you pain? Aren’t you being dramatic? Continue reading “Things Not to Say to People With Chronic Illnesses”
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Medicare is for Disabled People, Too
The other day I was at the osteopath’s office, getting ready to pay for the visit. The secretary asked if they had my insurance information. I told them I had Medicare. Continue reading “Medicare is for Disabled People, Too”
