Touched with fire: Eliminating the stigma of bipolar

PatientsLikeMe member Paul is a filmmaker who’s harnessed his bipolar into creativity, most recently in the debut feature film, Touched with Fire, which he wrote, directed, edited and scored himself. In the last month, we’ve spoken with him about his diagnosis and what he does to cope. Now he’s opening up about fighting the stigma… Continue reading Touched with fire: Eliminating the stigma of bipolar

Meet Phyllis from the 2015-2016 Team of Advisors

 We’d like to introduce you to Phyllis, another member of your 2015-2016 Team of Advisors. Phyllis is living with Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma (CTCL) as well as Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Still, the former mayor of Princeton, NJ, leads an active life by spending time with her grandchildren, cheering on the Mets and taking brisk walks when she… Continue reading Meet Phyllis from the 2015-2016 Team of Advisors

Oceans of Hope: An interview with PatientsLikeMe member Beth

Beth (sailebeb) has been living with MS since 2010, but it hasn’t stopped her from leading an active lifestyle. In the spring of 2015, she joined a crew of MS patients on a sailing trip from Tahiti to American Samoa. The journey was organized by the Sailing Sclerosis project, Oceans of Hope, to change perceptions that people… Continue reading Oceans of Hope: An interview with PatientsLikeMe member Beth

“We are the ones that know what is required to give us the care we deserve” — Member Ann shares her story for Rare Disease Day

 February 29 only comes around every four years – and this year, it’s extra special: Today marks the 9th annual Rare Disease Day. In the United States, a disease is considered rare if it affects less than 200,000 people at any given time.1  This year’s theme is all about elevating the patient voice, so we caught up with… Continue reading “We are the ones that know what is required to give us the care we deserve” — Member Ann shares her story for Rare Disease Day

2016 National Compassionate Caregiver of the Year Award now accepting nominations

A warm smile. An assuring word. A difficult message delivered with empathy. Has a doctor or other healthcare professional ever made a difference in your life? If you know someone who embodies compassionate care, our partners at The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare want to hear about it. Their National Compassionate Caregiver of the Year (NCCY) Award… Continue reading 2016 National Compassionate Caregiver of the Year Award now accepting nominations

Touched with fire: Harnessing the fire of bipolar

Over the last few weeks, new PatientsLikeMe member Paul has been opening up about living with bipolar and how this condition inspires his art. Touched with Fire, a debut feature film now playing in select theaters, was written, edited, directed and scored by him and draws on his personal experiences. Discovering Kay Jamison’s book of… Continue reading Touched with fire: Harnessing the fire of bipolar

Meet Cyrena from the PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors

  Say hello to Cyrena, another member of your 2015-2016 Team of Advisors. Cyrena is living with bipolar II and lupus, and currently a PhD candidate in pharmacology. Cyrena describes some days with her conditions as “swimming through a vat of molasses” — which makes managing her intensive student workload along with her health a… Continue reading Meet Cyrena from the PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors

Leaning on loved ones—An interview with lung cancer member Clare

When Clare (Riverdale) was diagnosed with non small-cell lung cancer, her husband was already living with prostate cancer. While supporting each other through chemotherapy and radiation, the couple has made an effort to eat healthy and keep up the active lifestyle they led before. We recently connected with Clare, who emphasized “the value of a… Continue reading Leaning on loved ones—An interview with lung cancer member Clare

Food for Thought: A heart-healthy recipe for Heart Month

  February is Heart Month, a time to raise awareness for the leading cause of death in Americans: heart disease. Healthy eating can lower your risk for heart problems, so for this edition of Food for Thought, we’re sharing a recipe from the American Heart Association. Give this Thai chicken soup a try — it’s… Continue reading Food for Thought: A heart-healthy recipe for Heart Month

Meet Doug from the PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors

We’d like to introduce you to Doug, another member of your 2015-2016 Team of Advisors. Doug is an actor, teacher and writer living with major depressive disorder (MDD). He’s been tracking his health on PatientsLikeMe since 2008. Doug feels there is a lot of stigma surrounding the term “mental illness,” and shares that one of… Continue reading Meet Doug from the PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors