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
Category: Patient Experiences
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
Touched with fire: A meaning behind the suffering
We’ve been talking with new PatientsLikeMe member Paul, whose debut feature-film, Touched with Fire – inspired by his experiences living with bipolar – opened last week in select theaters. For Paul, the road to diagnosis was more like being on a rollercoaster. Years of using marijuana seemed to stimulate his creativity at film school, but… Continue reading Touched with fire: A meaning behind the suffering
ALS Blog: “Hope makes us strong.” – An interview with ALS caregiver Cathy
Meet Cathy (Catrin), who became a caregiver for her husband after he was diagnosed with bulbar onset ALS in January of 2015. As she learns to manage the dual roles of wife and caregiver, she has turned to the PatientsLikeMe community for help, encouragement and hope. We took time to connect with her recently and… Continue reading ALS Blog: “Hope makes us strong.” – An interview with ALS caregiver Cathy
“I had no idea that my thyroid controls so much” — PatientsLikeMe member Barbara shares her experience for Thyroid Awareness Month
January is Thyroid Awareness Month. So, how much do you know about the small, butterfly-shaped gland that influences the way your heart, brain, liver, kidneys and skin function? To help spread #thyroidawareness, we asked member Barbara to tell us about living with thyroid cancer and hypothyroidism, a condition that affects over 6,000 PatientsLikeMe members. Barbara… Continue reading “I had no idea that my thyroid controls so much” — PatientsLikeMe member Barbara shares her experience for Thyroid Awareness Month
Meet Craig from the PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors
We recently sat down with Craig, one of your 2015-2016 PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors. Craig is living with fibromyalgia and severe degenerative disc disease, the result of a serious car accident in 1978. Craig is active on PatientsLikeMe and other online communities, where he adds his voice to discussions about chronic pain, healthy living and… Continue reading Meet Craig from the PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors
#CervicalHealthMonth: Member Laurie opens up about living with cervical cancer
Every year, more than 12,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with cervical cancer. And every January, the National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) kicks off Cervical Health Awareness Month. In honor of #CervicalHealthMonth, we asked Laurie (lroz57), who joined PatientsLikeMe in 2012, to tell her story. Laurie was given a 50/50 chance of survival when… Continue reading #CervicalHealthMonth: Member Laurie opens up about living with cervical cancer