One thing the pandemic did for the disability community was to open dialogue and raise awareness for those living with chronic illness or pain. Long COVID symptoms brought conversations to the forefront regarding those who live with debilitating but often…
Three years ago today, our world changed
Three years ago today, when the pandemic hit, I was barely shy of nine months pregnant. We knew our daughter, George, would be born with Turner Syndrome. She faced open heart surgery at a day old in April 2020, a…
The pandemic is not over for those with long COVID
“The pandemic is over.” President Biden’s words a few weeks ago are dangerously false. They are also short sighted. Since we first heard the phrase “novel coronavirus,” our focus has been on deaths. Yes, deaths are an important metric with…
Repressing my sexual orientation cost me my health — permanently
I can’t remember what it feels like to not be in pain. It’s been years since I’ve had the energy of a healthy person. The litany of physical symptoms that rage war in my body daily are a result of…
Six lessons living with chronic illness has taught me about surviving a pandemic
For the last seven years, I’ve battled chronic pain and illness. A traumatic back injury in 2013 was only the beginning of what these years have held for me. Intense treatments and therapies with very slow results kept me hopeful…
Broken community in the face of pandemic: For me, social distancing is nothing new | #intimeslikethese
Millions are now experiencing the social distancing and isolation I have felt in the months following my kidney transplant. I hope they will also experience the kind of creative love and care my church offered me.
My 5-year wait on the kidney transplant list is nearly over. Two churches have carried me through
During this arduous journey, my current church and my former church have been the Church for me in countless ways, both tangible and imperceptible.
Anointed by the little hands of my 5 year old; sustained through my agonizing pregnancy by her faith
My at-risk pregnancy was physically and spiritually strenuous and often excruciatingly painful. It was the faith of our 5-year-old daughter that helped sustain me.
Ungida por las manos de mi niña de 5 años; sostenida por su fe durante mi embarazo agonizante
Mi embarazo de alto riesgo fue física y espiritualmente extenuante, y a menudo, terriblemente doloroso. Fue la fe de mi hija de 5 años lo que me ayudó a sostenerme.