Purpose of the Blog

I want you to know that you are not alone. More importantly, I want you to know that hope is possible because I’m beginning to find mine again. 

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[image description: Emmie and her dad wearing matching green shirts, pointing at a spot on Emmie’s arm where an opioid patch once was and is now no more because she weaned off of it in summer 2016 at Mayo Clinic’s Pain Rehabilitation Center].

The picture above is from the day that I weaned off my narcotic pain medication. I’m on this path with you, my friend, and I’m no stronger than you, which means that my successes can be yours.

Whether it is someone in your life or you who struggles, chronic illness is a misunderstood, frustrating, and often stigmatized part of life. It can take away from your sense of control and worthiness. It can reduce your quality of life if you have to make adjustments and accommodations that “normal” people don’t have to. It can make you clench your fist and wonder, “Why me? Why now?” It can make you feel alone if you don’t see others suffering. It can make you feel sad because you remember what life used to be like before your illness came into the picture. However, your chronic illness does not define you or make you a lesser person. It is just another part of who you are and you have the right to make of it whatever you want.

I share my story so that you can:

  • Feel connected and encouraged, whether or not you live with chronic illness;
  • Learn about healthy coping mechanisms;
  • Be empowered to take back as much control as possible; and
  • Have faith in yourself, wherever you are in your journey.

“I’m a recovering perfectionist and an aspiring good-enough-ist.“ 

 – Brene Brown

A note about accessibility: I try my best to make sure that my blog is accessible to anybody with any sort of disability because y’all are the ones that I write most for. Please contact me if the site’s design has failed to accommodate your needs in any way.

A sample of I-2-W original posts: