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Content note: trauma, child abuse, generational dysfunction, childhood sexual violence So I’m not attaching or bonding with my parents, I’m developing a ridiculously unhealthy dependency on a horrific abuser. And no one talks about any of this because they don’t have the skills to do so. Welcome to 1972. “How much do you love me?” […]
I turned 50 years old on October 22, 2020. Our big plan to celebrate with a weekend spa trip – something I would ordinarily never do – were postponed. And I was bummed, but resigned. I had hoped to ‘make it up’ this year before 50 slipped further away from me, but that’s not going […]
Sponsored by World Health Organization (the day, not the post) The overall objective of World Mental Health Day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health. The Day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their […]
When you’ve undergone test after test to figure out why you are sick, there is a moment – a moment when a test turns up information. Not quite a diagnosis, not quite a precise answer. But still, it is something to cling to in a landscape colored by bias, insurance industries, and sexism, of people […]
Recently, a local elected official posted photos on social media – without masks – attending a social event outside. And then supported legislation requiring masks at outdoor spaces. Now that’s a little bit of a head spin, but more importantly to me is the failure to qualify the original posts. Are the people in the […]
t I’ve been keeping something from you and most people. I’m struggling with ongoing symptoms related to a potential GI disorder. That’s not the piece I held back – I’ve written about those experiences. The part I haven’t mentioned is that I’ve lost 25 pounds since the spring. <waits to see what you say> <– […]
It was an early fall evening when the light lingered in the promise of chilly weather. My brother and I escaped the schoolbus and ran down the hill to our family home as fast as we could. I was in 3rd grade so 7 years old. My 5-year-old brother was in 1st grade. The house […]
Last year, I found a doctor who finally believed me. She believed I was always low grade nauseated, I was typically not hungry, etc. I was miserable. She sent me for bloodwork and scheduled other tests. The bloodwork contained a marker suggesting I might have a GI autoimmune disorder. Then, pandemic. She thought I might […]
This past week, I’ve been sicker than I can remember. Spoiler warning – it is (likely) tonsillitis. I was grumpy a week ago Monday and Tuesday, chalked it up to the impending house painting we had planned for this coming week. I thought it was anxiety and was disappointed with myself for not handling things […]
Today marks one year since Lyndsey Sickler and I spoke the Pittsburgh MasQue ProjecT into existence. Dramatic, perhaps. But this year has taught me that it is up to us to save ourselves. We are the calvary. Mainstream institutions haven’t shown up or acknowledged the realities of our lives during the pandemic, especially media outlets […]
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