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When old symptoms come back again: PTSD, rain, and acceptance
It’s been raining a lot here in Skokie, the village I now call home since we moved a few minutes north of Chicago’s north side to gain more space and a backyard for gardening. And by raining, I mean, a lot. First there was a freak blizzard, which dumped a ton of precip on us and then all melted the next day, soaking the ground. Then, it’s rained almost every day since, and apparently overnight last night, monsooned. That’s why my backyard looks like this today: Those wooden boxes on the right with the stone base are going to be my garden, and you can see the water has risen well into that area. (But the wood is made for this, so it should hold up, at least for a few years.) And that patch in the center is where we’re amending the grass, so I guess it’s good...
read moreRepresentation Matters: The HealtheVoices 2019 Conference
I don’t go to church, but I imagine that it feels a bit like how I felt at the HealtheVoices 2019 Conference a couple weeks ago. A deep sense of comfort and belonging. A common belief in a greater good for all. Friendships forged out of shared joys, traumas, and passions. A lot of singing and dancing. Tears of joy, of connection, of understanding. Sharing of resources. A feeling like everyone around you is family. I made new friends like Tammie Snowden, who advocates for folks with diabetes, and met old friends IRL for the first time, like Devri Velazquez, who lives with Takayasu’s Vasculitis. (I posted a ton of pics at my Instagram account.) In the world of patient advocacy, an event like this — sponsored by industry organizations, but designed by and for patient advocates — is rare. The main organizer is Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, an arm...
read moreListen in: Chronically Well podcast with Callie Dixon
A quick note to share that today, I’m on Callie’s Chronically Well podcast, talking about creativity and chronic illness. The episode is here, or you can find it in any podcasting app. Plus, she videotaped the entire thing – so you can watch our cute faces as we chat. Talking to folks on podcasts is one of my very favorite things to do. Are there any podcasts on which you think I would be a fab guest? Let me know in the comments below....
read moreI think I’m going to start blogging again.
For a few years now, social media has taken over. When I started ChronicBabe, Facebook didn’t exist. Neither did YouTube, or Twitter, or Pinterest, or Instagram, or Tik Tok, or… anything else. Just: Blogging. And that was pretty easy to keep up with. But as I’ve added all my social channels over the years, it is really tough to keep coming up with fresh ideas for y’all, all over the place. So I let my blog whither a bit. But: That time is over. It is now time for me to come back to blogging. I have a lot of things to say, about life with chronic illness and chronic pain; about our health care system; about how women treat each other; about how our persistent lack of self-care is damaging us. And more. Much more. So let’s talk. I am curious to know: What kinds of things do...
read moreAnnouncing: ChronicBabe Pen Pal Kits
do you miss feeling connected? sometimes i do, too. and when i do, i try to make an extra effort to reach out to people and say hello. one way i do that is by sending snail mail. it’s such a simple thing to do – write a short little note, throw in some confetti, seal it with a kiss, and toss it in the mailbox. and i LOVE getting snail mail – it’s like a little present! so i decided this week that i would help y’all become better pen pals.today, i’m announcing today the release of ChronicBabe Pen Pal Kits! i am raiding my stationery collection and creating fun little packages from my stash. each kit contains: at least 3 note cards. these might be blank, or might have fun phrases or illustrations, like “thank you” or “you’re awesome”3 Forever Stamps, to make sure you send your snail...
read more25 Ways to Support Chronically Ill Friends During the Holidays
It’s the winter holidays, and this time of year, many of us with chronic illness feel extra blue. We may not be able to travel because of our illnesses, or we may have less money to spend on gifts because our health expenses are high. We might feel like we can’t attend parties because there won’t be anything for us to eat or drink; we might even feel like we won’t have anything new to talk about, and that’s uncomfortable. This holiday season, I hope you’ll give an extra thought to your friend who’s ill. To make it easier, I’ve come up with a long list of ways you can show you care. This is great for those of us sick chicks to share with each other (we’ve got to support one another!) and it’s a great list to share with our loved ones, who might want to support...
read moreHooray! The new ChronicBabe Academy Membership program is here!
Babes, I am SO excited to share that the new ChronicBabe membership program is here: the ChronicBabe Academy! This membership program replaces the Secret Club membership program. While I loved the old way, I am now able to offer a new approach that has SO MANY MORE bells and whistles. Head to this page to learn all about it. So exciting! And: A bit scary. Anytime I launch a new offering, it’s a little stressful. So be kind—and patient—as launch day progresses. Thank you! xoxo,...
read moreArt and Poop: Why Chronic Pain Patients Need to Talk About the Icky Stuff
Salix Pharmaceuticals provided me with a stipend and paid for my travel and accommodations related to the event. However, all opinions are my own. Most people I meet hate talking about poop, but I don’t mind. Poop is one aspect of life we all have to deal with, and I’ve recently learned it is an important topic for those of us with chronic pain. So, I’ve never shied away from talking about it or any of the other “icky” topics. When Salix Pharmaceuticals asked me to participate in a blogger event, I was wary at first—I so rarely do projects with pharma—but when they explained that it was a unique art event designed around learning about “Painstipation” (the constipation caused by opioid pain medication in chronic pain patients), and that they were presenting findings from a survey on opioid induced constipation (OIC) sponsored by Salix in partnership with U.S....
read moreIt’s time to make ourselves BIG in the face of illness, even while the world wants us to be small…
Last week, I had the honor of speaking at an event organized by Katy Brennan for Suffering the Silence, where a bunch of women stood in a room together and talked about how they’re living incredible lives even though they have chronic illness and disability. To be among women like me—to hear their stories, hopes, dreams—was profoundly moving. When called to speak, I changed course from reading from my book to instead read something I wrote more recently. It’s about the importance of making ourselves BIG instead of being forced to be small. Here’s my quick piece. I hope you like it! If it resonates at all, please join the conversation in the comments and share your perspective. Thanks! It’s time to make ourselves BIG as a child… and as a young woman, and – heck – even today – my parents emphasized the importance of not making trouble. of...
read morePlease take a moment to endorse me in the WEGO Health Awards
Hi! I’m doing something I don’t usually do today, and that is beg for you to tell other people you like me. The WEGO Health Awards are happening again (I’ve won a few in previous awards) and this year, I’m up for three awards. I can’t get to the finalist category without your help. Please read on for information about how to endorse me so I can move into the finalist category. One of the best ways for me to spread the word about my work is to win awards; they put me in front of huge new audiences, and that means I can help many more people. It feels weird to ask for your help, but I do need it; in the WEGO Health Awards, finalists are chosen mostly by how many endorsements they get. And we are many, babes! So we should be able to rustle up...
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