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
Tag: stigma
Primary care that treats mind and body? It’s happening in Alaska
Integrated care for both mind and body under one roof? It may sound pie in the sky, but it’s really happening at an award-winning healthcare center in Anchorage, recently featured in Politico. How does it work? And can it be replicated? A shining example in Anchorage “It’s a truism that the mind and body are connected,… Continue reading Primary care that treats mind and body? It’s happening in Alaska
Speaking out for Lung Cancer Awareness Month: “We’ve got to get rid of the stigma”
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and we’re sharing members’ encounters with stigma and the automatic association with smoking. Lung cancer rates are increasing among nonsmokers, and some members of your community are raising their voices. One concern? The assumption that lung cancer only affects smokers could delay diagnosis and treatment for anyone (especially never-smokers)… Continue reading Speaking out for Lung Cancer Awareness Month: “We’ve got to get rid of the stigma”
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
Meet Christel from the PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors
We wanted to take a minute to introduce you to Christel, one of your 2015-2016 PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors. Christel who was 12 years old when she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, shares openly that she spent a lot of her teens and twenties ignoring its existence. But 32 years later, Christel has made… Continue reading Meet Christel from the PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors
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”