Is there a caregiver in your family? For example, someone who looks out for an elderly parent or grandparent – or who cares for a child or spouse with a debilitating illness? November is National Family Caregivers Month, a time for recognizing the important role of family caregivers in our society as well as the… Continue reading Honoring Family Caregivers Everywhere
Category: Organ Transplants
What’s Positive About Disease?
It may seem counterintuitive, but according to some of our members, there are actually some good things that can come out of being diagnosed with a serious illness. In the spirit of Thanksgiving – a time when many people are reminded of all the things they have to be grateful for – we thought we… Continue reading What’s Positive About Disease?
What We’re Reading at PatientsLikeMe
Here are some of the media items that grabbed our attention recently. Four Things I Learned from Living with a Chronic Illness Wise advice from a teenager who had to give up competitive gymnastics and find a new perspective on life after being diagnosed with a disease that causes chronic pain. Access to Doctors’ Notes… Continue reading What We’re Reading at PatientsLikeMe
PatientsLikeMe Featured on Bloomberg TV
On October 9th, Bloomberg TV aired a four-and-a-half minute “Innovators” segment profiling PatientsLikeMe’s journey as company. Filmed partially in our office in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the piece features PatientsLikeMe Co-Founder and Chairman Jamie Heywood as well as Ed Sikov, a PatientsLikeMe member with Parkinson’s disease. Our thanks go to Bloomberg’s Nicole Lapin for her in-depth coverage… Continue reading PatientsLikeMe Featured on Bloomberg TV
The Joy of Being Helpful
Many patients with life-changing conditions report feelings of grief and guilt about no longer being able to do many of the things they did in the past. As a recent discussion in our forum revealed, however, patients are finding ways to reset their perspective and boost their self-esteem by focusing on what they are still… Continue reading The Joy of Being Helpful
Know Your ABC’s on World Hepatitis Day
Did you know that both hepatitis B and hepatitis C can be transmitted through blood-to-blood contact – but hepatitis B is commonly transmitted through unprotected sex as well? Also, there is a vaccine available for only one of these forms of hepatitis. Do you know which one it is? (Answer: hepatitis B) Because these “silent” infections… Continue reading Know Your ABC’s on World Hepatitis Day
The Importance of Open Access: An Interview with Patient Advocate Graham Steel
A native of Glasgow, Scotland, Graham Steel is a longtime “Guest Researcher Member” of PatientsLikeMe. Following the death of his brother Richard at the age of 33 from a rare condition known as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), Graham became involved in patient advocacy work, and most recently, in lobbying for open access to published scientific… Continue reading The Importance of Open Access: An Interview with Patient Advocate Graham Steel
What We’re Reading at PatientsLikeMe
Here are some of the media items that grabbed our attention recently. What Air Traffic Can Teach Us About Kidney Transplants Air traffic rules balance fairness and efficiency. Can organ waitlists do the same? Open Access Is Not for Scientists. It’s for Patients. A guest blog post by our R&D Director, Paul Wicks, for the… Continue reading What We’re Reading at PatientsLikeMe
Women’s Health Week: “It’s Your Time”
Ladies, we know your lives get busy. So why not pull out your calendar or smartphone right now and see if you’re due for a visit to your health care providers? You’ll be doing your part for National Women’s Checkup Day (observed today, Monday, May 14th), an annual event that’s part of National Women’s Health… Continue reading Women’s Health Week: “It’s Your Time”
Preparing for Life After an Organ Transplant
Last week, we shared our interview with a liver transplant recipient who is living out her dreams post-transplant. Today we’d like to add the insights of 32 organ transplant recipients who took part in an online discussion hosted by PatientsLikeMe. Split equally in gender with ages ranging from 25 to 60 years old, our discussion… Continue reading Preparing for Life After an Organ Transplant