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203 Posts

Chronic Illness

In this section you will find all articles related to chronic illness, which is a major focus for this website. Topics span from rare diseases to new diagnoses, chronic pain, brain fog, societal issues and more. Articles are a collection of patient perspectives, both my own and others from the chronic illness community.

Community ⸱ Sheryl Chan

Why Humility is the Best Tool for Advocacy

A Thought Whilst I Was Watching "The Icefall Doctors" Documentary I selected “Earth’s Natural Wonders by BBC” amongst a list of Netflix series, and began munching on my dinner alone. The first chapter shone a light on the Icefall Doctors, whose job is to secure the safest
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Personal Development ⸱ Sheryl Chan

Book Recommendations for Spoonies: Part II

Welcome to the Second Edition of Book Recommendations for Spoonies! Just like the first roundup of book recommendations for spoonies, these are all books written by people with illnesses themselves, or revolve around related topics. They're suitable even if you're a healthy person with no medical
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Chronic Illness ⸱ Sheryl Chan

Finding Your Self Behind the Illness (Your Story Isn't Over Yet)

An Introduction to Callie, and Finding Your Self Again Despite Chronic Illness I'm excited to have Callie on the blog today, as she shares some thoughts about self-identity, both from the perspective of a patient and also as a psychologist. She talks about the emotions many of us
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Chronic Illness ⸱ Sheryl Chan

Rheumatoid Arthritis — the Biggest Street Fight of My Life

My Name is Ray, and I Have Rheumatoid Arthritis I was lucky and did not always have Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). I did not have RA as an infant, nor as a child, teenager or younger adult. Like I said I was lucky, unlike millions of others who have Arthritis. This
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Personal Development ⸱ Sheryl Chan

I Have No Purpose in Life, and Therein Lies My Life Purpose

A Question for All Eternity: "What is My Life Purpose?" It's a timeless, eternal question that has plagued or intrigued humanity since the beginning of time. It is a thought that can be disturbing to me especially when I’m in the throes of extreme pain.
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Caregiving ⸱ Sheryl Chan

What’s it Like to be the Father of a Child with Chronic Illness? (Precious Insights from My Own Dad!)

An Introduction to My Father If there's one passion that my father passed on to me, it would be travelling. More of the rugged, far out type of places, rather than posh retreats. I will forever be grateful for the wonderful childhood memories he gave to me, as
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Personal Development ⸱ Sheryl Chan

The Stories We Tell Ourselves: Prisons or Paths to Freedom

An Introduction to Rose Roberts & How the Stories We Tell Ourselves Matter Rose does a beautiful job articulating the struggles with self-worth and self-trust that many of us with chronic illness experience. Society has many preconceived, rigid notions of how a person should and shouldn't be, which
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Diary Entries ⸱ Sheryl Chan

June 2018: Self-Reminder on Listening to Your Body

*Note: This article was originally written for my monthly linkups, which I've archived as it was taking too much out of me. However, I've kept most of the posts written as I realise it's much like a diary with memories that make me nostalgic
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Antiphospholipid Syndrome ⸱ Sheryl Chan

The Annoying Thing About Living with Antiphospholipid Syndrome (My Personal Experiences)

The Added Complications of Living with Antiphospholipid Syndrome Do you have a friend or know someone living with Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS), or another blood clotting disorder? It can be a real pain, and interferes with treatments for many other chronic illnesses. I’m not discounting the severity of any other
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Personal Development ⸱ Sheryl Chan

Flowers are the Most Beautiful When They're Just About to Die (and What That's Got to Do with Being a Spoonie)

A Random Thought That Drifted to Chronic Illness During a Floral Workshop Recently, I attended a floral workshop as part of a good friend’s hen’s party. Such classes aren’t that cheap, so in a way I was glad to finally have an ‘excuse’ to go for one
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Personal Development ⸱ Sheryl Chan

You Don't Have to be Strong, Just a Little Stronger Than Before

When Inspiration Becomes the Standard We often tell ourselves or others to ‘be strong’ or to ‘be brave’. Instead of instilling inspiration, these statements can sometimes provoke the opposite effect. It becomes another standard we have to meet, and triggers more ripples of fear. But the fact is, you don’
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Caregiving ⸱ Sheryl Chan

What's it Like to be the Mother of a Chronically Ill Child? (Precious Insights from My Own Mum)

Mothers are Life’s Ultimate Superheroes There’s no need to state the obvious I suppose, but many mothers are the ultimate superheroes in everyday life. They’re the ones who show up when things get rough, and showing up once is actually the 'easiest' part. This can
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