chronic illness

Outside Blues: Chronically Ill People Face an Old New Post-Pandemic World

a woman with short brown hair and bangs sits on a black chair in front of a window with their legs pulled up on the chair
by Fortesa Latifi
May 14, 2021 at 10:23am
Now the end of the pandemic is near in the United States and friends will ask chronically ill people to meet in crowded, loud buildings again.
illustration of a light-skinned person with their black hair in a bun holding their head in their hands, eyes closed, as the television blares in the background

Brain Loop: Redefining the Invisible Battle Against Chronic Migraines

by Lynsey Giardina
April 7, 2021 at 10:53am
Women are three times more likely to suffer from the invisible illness than men. Read more »
Tessa Miller, a white woman with short blond hair, poses in a black and white photo with her small, brown dog

“What Doesn’t Kill You” Tells the Gut-Churning Truth about Chronic Illness

by Jordan Davidson
February 10, 2021 at 10:17am
Crohn’s disease is unpredictable, cruel, and gross. There’s no way around that. Read more »
Lara Parker, a white woman with shoulder length honey blond and brown hair, stands against a gray wall in a green shirt

Patient Perspective: Lara Parker, a Wise Friend for Those with Vagina Problems

by Caroline Reilly
October 6, 2020 at 9:46am
In order to get help from doctors and be taken seriously, people with endometriosis have to be really vulnerable. Read more »
a close-up, soft focus portrait of author Caroline Reilly looking off to the side with her hand touching her face

Come as You Are: Orgasms Prioritize Pleasure in the Midst of Pain

by Caroline Reilly
May 4, 2020 at 10:33am
Orgasms can be restorative for pelvic-pain patients because orgasming helps them experience a “healing trust” that reconnects them with their need for sexual pleasure and intimacy. Read more »
a white person with blond hair lays across a bed on their stomach with their head turned toward the camera

Fake It Off: Reddit’s r/Illnessfakers Community and the Politics of Disbelief

by Anna Hamilton
March 23, 2020 at 10:18am
The continued tracking of alleged over-the-top chronically ill influencers is part of an established cultural history of believing that chronically ill people, particularly women, are exaggerating or faking their illnesses for profit. Read more »
a brownskinned, thin, femme-presenting person lays across a bed with their arm across their forehead

Cover the Coronavirus without Being an Ableist Asshole

by Caroline Reilly
March 13, 2020 at 5:53pm
Our current discourse reinforces the reality that some of our lives are more deserving of being fraught with worry and risk, but warding off coronavirus is on all of us. Read more »
Caroline Reilly, a white woman with brown hair, takes a mirror selfie using a cell phone. There are perfume bottles and makeup on the counter, and her room is in the background.

The Intimate Act of Performing Pain

by Caroline Reilly
February 12, 2020 at 10:00am
There’s an acute and near-indescribable vulnerability that comes with admitting to being in pain in real time. Read more »
a white woman with blond hair stands and showcases the tattoos on her arms, shoulders, and hands

Memorializing Survival: Piercing the Chronic Pain Away

by Caroline Reilly
December 12, 2019 at 12:44pm
Our tolerance for pain allows us to turn life’s horrors into something beautiful. Read more »
four older white women standing in front a purple background on The Golden Girls

30 Years Ago, “The Golden Girls” Treated Sick Women like We Matter

by Diane Shipley
September 23, 2019 at 10:05am
Three decades later, “Sick and Tired” remains a cultural touchstone for people with chronic illnesses. Read more »
a selfie of Caroline Reilly, a white woman with long, brown hair

Survival Jean: “If You Look Good, You Feel Good” Is More Than a Mantra for the Chronically Ill

by Caroline Reilly
September 16, 2019 at 2:52pm
When you are diagnosed with a chronic illness, everything in your life becomes incidental. Read more »

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