Can patients become innovators? Rishi Bhalerao from PatientsLikeMe speaks at TEDx Springfield 2013

Rishi Bhalerao, our Program Director of Client Services, recently spoke about patient innovation at the 2013 TEDx conference in Springfield, MA. Rishi talked about how the path to innovation begins right with patients because they are the ones who live with a condition day-in and day-out. Their sharing helps bridge the gap from patient to… Continue reading Can patients become innovators? Rishi Bhalerao from PatientsLikeMe speaks at TEDx Springfield 2013

“Listen to your body” – PatientsLikeMe team member Maria shares her story for National Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week

We thought we’d get personal and tell Maria Lowe’s story. Maria actually works at PatientsLikeMe as part of our Health Data Integrity and Research Teams, and she’s been living with Crohn’s since she was just a kid in the 90s. Her father, David, was also diagnosed with Crohn’s back in 1980, but as you’ll read,… Continue reading “Listen to your body” – PatientsLikeMe team member Maria shares her story for National Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week

“Sleep has become a process.” Checking in with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patient and PatientsLikeMe member Lori

Some of you probably remember seeing her on the PatientsLikeMe blog before. Lori is living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and when we first chatted with her last July, she shared her experiences with blogging, the difficulty in finding the right diagnosis and how connecting with others has positively impacted her life. For our “Are You… Continue reading “Sleep has become a process.” Checking in with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patient and PatientsLikeMe member Lori

Trying to put insomnia to rest – An interview on sleep with insomnia patient and PatientsLikeMe member Marcia

As part of our “Are You Sleeping?” initiative, we’re talking with different patients to learn what it’s like to live with a lack of sleep and how that impacts their health. Recently, we caught up with Marcia, a PatientsLikeMe MS community member (some of you might know her as gamma) and happy grandmother of 3… Continue reading Trying to put insomnia to rest – An interview on sleep with insomnia patient and PatientsLikeMe member Marcia

Bad night’s sleep is norm for people with health conditions, according to PatientsLikeMe survey

Majority of Members Have Chronic Sleep Problems That Point to Insomnia, But They Aren’t Diagnosed With The Condition   CAMBRIDGE, Mass.— September 23, 2013—Results from a new survey of 5,256 PatientsLikeMe members around the world reveal nearly one-third of respondents—people who live day to day with life-changing conditions—never (5%) or rarely (25%) get a good… Continue reading Bad night’s sleep is norm for people with health conditions, according to PatientsLikeMe survey

“I do not want your pity. I just want understanding.” An interview with alkaptonuria patient and PatientsLikeMe member Carolyn

Do you know what alkaptonuria (AKU) is? If you don’t, you’re not alone. AKU is a rare but devastating condition that causes severe, early onset osteoarthritis. It also causes cardiovascular problems, such as heart disease, kidney, bladder and prostate stones and other serious health complications. AKU is so rare that it’s estimated to only affect… Continue reading “I do not want your pity. I just want understanding.” An interview with alkaptonuria patient and PatientsLikeMe member Carolyn

“My new normal.” PatientsLikeMe member Jeff tells his personal journey with interstitial lung disease

Have you met PatientsLikeMe member Jeff, also known as NinerFan? He has been living with interstitial lung disease (ILD) since 2004 and he recently took some time to share his journey with us. He spoke about everything from getting diagnosed to being a newlywed, and gave a great list of advice for others going through a… Continue reading “My new normal.” PatientsLikeMe member Jeff tells his personal journey with interstitial lung disease

“Don’t try to do this alone.” An interview with multiple sclerosis patient and PatientsLikeMe member Ted.

For our latest patient spotlight interview, we’re talking with Ted. Some of you may know him on PatientsLikeMe as sirsmedley’s and he’s been sharing his journey with the community since 2010. Ted was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) back in 2009 and he recently took some time to talk with us about a bunch of… Continue reading “Don’t try to do this alone.” An interview with multiple sclerosis patient and PatientsLikeMe member Ted.

“Does anyone in healthcare want to be understood?” Sally Okun from PatientsLikeMe at TEDMED2013

It’s no secret that here at PatientsLikeMe, we think that the voice of the patient — your voice — is the number one way to drive medical advancements. At TEDMED 2013, our very own Sally Okun shared that message on one of the world’s largest stages. She asked the audience a very simple question. “Does… Continue reading “Does anyone in healthcare want to be understood?” Sally Okun from PatientsLikeMe at TEDMED2013

“Retooling my attitude.” An interview with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patient & PatientsLikeMe member Lori

As part of our “Spotlighted Blogger” series, we’re talking with people who are sharing their personal health experiences to help raise awareness of disease and change healthcare for good. For our latest interview, we’re talking with Lori, an idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patient who started blogging about her journey back in October 2011. Her blog is… Continue reading “Retooling my attitude.” An interview with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patient & PatientsLikeMe member Lori