Health Journey Update – June 2025 Just a quick update on my health journey—I’m officially down over 40 pounds since starting Tremfya and Zepbound! I lost about 10 lbs even before beginning the weight-loss shots, and the rest—around 30 lbs—has come since starting them. ✨ Some days are easier than others, of course, but the progress is consistent. What’s wild…
Tag: chronic illness
When Meds Fight Back: The Last 24 Hours on Cymbalta & Flexeril
If you’ve been following along with my health journey, you know that starting new medications is always a little bit of a gamble—especially when you’re already juggling multiple chronic conditions. I do my best to stay informed, cautious, and open-minded… but sometimes, your body will tell you loud and clear: “Nope, this ain’t it.” That…
Navigating New Medications: A Chronic Illness Journey
If you’ve been following my health journey for a while, you know my body likes to keep things… interesting. Between fibromyalgia, psoriatic arthritis, and the grab bag of autoimmune disorders I’ve got going on, I’ve become something of an unwilling expert in meds, symptoms, and side effects. Still, every new medication feels like stepping into…
When Pain Gets Weird: Living with Fibromyalgia Beyond the Obvious
Fibromyalgia. That word alone can make a chronic illness warrior sigh in exhaustion, pain, or both. When people hear the term, they often think “muscle pain” and maybe “tired all the time” — but friend, that’s just the beginning. This condition is like the trickster of chronic illnesses, showing up in ways that are downright…
A Long Drive for the Right Care: Why Advocating for Yourself Matters
There are days when chronic illness and autoimmune life feel like an endless series of appointments, pills, scans, and dismissive doctors who barely skim your file before deciding who you are. Days when your body screams for answers while the system quietly shrugs, leaving you to navigate a maze of uncertainty and frustration. The waiting rooms become…
Skin Sensitivity and Fibromyalgia: Living with Allodynia
If you’ve ever winced in pain just from the feeling of a soft blanket brushing your skin, you’re not alone — and you’re not imagining things. This is a very real and often misunderstood symptom of Fibromyalgia called Allodynia. Allodynia can make everyday sensations, such as a light touch or the pressure from clothing, feel agonizingly painful, leading…
When the Doctor Stops Listening: A Battle Cry for the Dismissed
There’s a specific kind of heartbreak that comes when a doctor looks at you—not with compassion, not with curiosity, not with hope—but with defeat. That moment when you realize they’ve silently decided you’re too much, too complicated, or worse, not worth figuring out. It’s the second you start talking about symptoms they can’t see on a chart….
How the pages have turned: Rheumy Update: Gaslighting Special!
Another Day, Another Doctor…(And this time, it’s a two-part rollercoaster.) We had high hopes for this new rheumatologist. Really, we did. I made the switch not because my previous rheumy wasn’t doing her job—she’s amazing—but because I was trying to make life just a bit easier by finding someone local. Closer drive, easier appointments, same quality of care……
Understanding Fibromyalgia: More Than Just Pain
When Your Muscles Twitch and Your Body Won’t Listen: The Hidden Layers of Fibromyalgia I used to think fibromyalgia was “just” chronic widespread pain and fatigue. I hate that I even put the word just in there — because even that would be a lot to carry. But as I’ve learned firsthand, this diagnosis brings with it…
Supporting Loved Ones with Chronic Illness: A Guide
How to Support a Loved One with Chronic Illness (Without Losing Your Mind or Theirs)Because casseroles are nice, but compassion is better Hey there, soul tribe! Let’s talk about something near and dear to many of our spoons — chronic illness and chronic pain. Whether your bestie has fibro, your partner is navigating an autoimmune rollercoaster, or…
