Understanding Secondary Fertility: Navigating the Challenges of Expanding Your Family

The journey of parenthood is often filled with joy, laughter, and countless memories. However, for many families, the road to expanding that family can be rife with unexpected challenges. If you’ve experienced the joy of having one child but find it difficult to conceive again, you may be grappling with the realities of secondary infertility.… Continue reading Understanding Secondary Fertility: Navigating the Challenges of Expanding Your Family

From “What happened to you?” to “You’re so inspirational”: 5 ways Anne navigates stigma as a wheelchair user

Member Anne Thomas (AnneBT), a civil rights attorney turned professional storyteller, has shared her stories with everyone from elementary schoolers and medical students to corporate leaders and World Bank officials. Anne sustained a spinal cord injury in a car accident at age 18. Her wheelchair is often the first thing people notice about her, so… Continue reading From “What happened to you?” to “You’re so inspirational”: 5 ways Anne navigates stigma as a wheelchair user

Myths vs. facts about multiple sclerosis

Stop! What do you know about multiple sclerosis (MS)? That’s the question we’re asking during MS Awareness Month. We’ve heard from many community members that people don’t always get what it’s like to live with MS, and that there’s wrong information out there. So as part of ongoing awareness efforts, we created shareable photos that… Continue reading Myths vs. facts about multiple sclerosis

“Post-MS, I’m one of the strongest people I know” – PatientsLikeMe MS member Jazz1982 opens up about her experiences with MS

PatientsLikeMe members are located all over the world, and this month, Swedish MS advocate Jazz1982 shared about what life is like on the other side of the Atlantic. She spoke in detail about the stigma surrounding MS, her exceptionally strong mindset and her experiences with Betaseron, Tysabri, Mabthera (Rituximab) and a few other pharmacological treatments.… Continue reading “Post-MS, I’m one of the strongest people I know” – PatientsLikeMe MS member Jazz1982 opens up about her experiences with MS

Finding Peace, Confidence and Lifelong Friends: An Interview with Psoriasis Patient Erica

Of all the psoriasis patients we’ve interviewed, Erica was hit by this highly stigmatized autoimmune condition the earliest – she developed visible symptoms at the tender age of 9.  Now 21, she shares her decade-plus journey from being the girl that people avoided in school to an increasingly confident young woman who has finally started… Continue reading Finding Peace, Confidence and Lifelong Friends: An Interview with Psoriasis Patient Erica

Psoriasis and Bullying

Teasing.Physical violence.Staring.Social isolation.Name-calling. Many of our members with psoriasis, a chronic autoimmune condition that can produce red, scaly patches and other skin symptoms, report experiencing various forms of bullying while growing up.  One relays the story of a teacher who repeatedly sent her to the nurse’s office, assuming that she had a contagious condition.  Another… Continue reading Psoriasis and Bullying

Spotlighted Blogger: Psoriasis Patient Alisha B. of “Being Me in My Own Skin”

Welcome to the latest installment of our “Spotlighted Blogger” series.  So far, we’ve interviewed patient bloggers living with gastroparesis, type I diabetes, bipolar I disorder, Parkinson’s disease and ALS, and today we introduce Alisha B., who felt alone in her struggles with psoriasis until “coming out” on her blog, Being Me in My Own Skin. Alisha is currently participating in… Continue reading Spotlighted Blogger: Psoriasis Patient Alisha B. of “Being Me in My Own Skin”