After allowing my students to listen to their finale song for our end of the year dance show, I asked them this very simple question: “What do you think it means to be human?” I got so many beautiful responses, I wanted to share a few. “For life to break you apart and for you… Continue reading Humanity
Today marks my 5 year anniversary of starting Topical Steroid Withdrawal. To think I’ve carried this around for half a decade is mind boggling, but as a friend once told me, “perhaps you were born for such a time as this (Esther 4:14).” I’ve always wanted to believe that. And if I am meant to… Continue reading Inevitably
My fingers have been itching to sit at this laptop and configure words that may possibly, eventually, make something of all the clatter and noise inside my head. I’ve been thinking about the Topical Steroid Withdrawal community a lot. For two, really two and a half years, I had toiled over a documentary that I… Continue reading 20/20 in 2020
I was looking for an outlet tonight and I started to scroll through a slew of memes and quotes (naturally), and funnily enough, one told me to grab a cup of hot chocolate. I quickly remembered that I had a random pack of cocoa mix sitting in my bag from work. I snatched it up,… Continue reading Just as I Am
This month is Eczema Awareness Month. Years ago I never would have believed such a thing existed. Who needs awareness about eczema? Having lived with TSW, Topical Steroid Withdrawal, for over 4.5 years now, my view has drastically changed. Millions of people are stricken with eczema and there is such a large stigma around it.… Continue reading The One Worth Knowing
“And when that doesn’t happen, you heal yourself. You find strength in things other than people. You find energy in your solitude, you find hope in your daydreams. You build yourself up, tell yourself that you don’t need anyone to save you, that you don’t need anyone to steady your foundation. But you do.” As… Continue reading The Juggle Struggle
On this final day in England, Indian food in my belly while staring out into the garden, I am situated in a recliner with a bandage on my neck, plasters around my fingers, cotton gloves on my hands, and am properly greased up like a fresh Tin Man. I’ve even got the heather grey sweater… Continue reading White Flag
They say we either write when we are falling in love, or falling apart. I can not say, without dramatic use, that I am either, but it often times feels like the latter. I retreated to a watery refuge yesterday. For some reason, when I’m in the water, it’s as if it quiets all the… Continue reading Be The Wilderness
This is an important letter written by ITSAN. They need your help. We would be nowhere without this nonprofit. The Future of ITSAN is at Risk for 2019! Dear TSW family, We at ITSAN have been working really hard this past year to break through the resistance to TSW in the medical community – to… Continue reading Help ITSAN
The weeks have been blurred and have been running by so quickly because of work. I am putting both week 4 + 5 together. My hip does not hurt as much anymore, but I am still careful of how much I am doing to it. I am slowly starting to rehab it into being back… Continue reading Week 4 + 5 (Stem Cell)
