invisible disabilities Archives

My Fibromyalgia: The 5 Stages of Diagnosis and What Went Wrong in My Medical Care

7 May

It started with some tenderness in two or three knuckles. A couple days later, my hands were definitely hurting and my elbows were sore. A couple days after that, I felt it in my shoulders, too. Then suddenly, my whole...
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Advance Information Checklist for People with Disabilities and Their Allies

24 Apr

One thing I love when I’m doing a presentation on disabilities is experiencing the volume of human kindness. There is always an atmosphere of “how can I help?” and this yields great questions during the Q&A portion at the end...
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Try a Smile Day

16 Apr

I know, I know. It’s tacky and cheesy. Most of us, if not all of us have heard that if you just force yourself to smile, you automatically feel better. I guess maybe it works a little bit. But a...
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4 Ways I Do It Anyway (When Pain and Fatigue Conspire Against Me)

20 Mar

Oh, springtime …. I’m seeing green of my lilies starting to reach out of the ground. Daily I marvel at the new growth on the rosebush I planted last year. And the weather is … all over the place. So...
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Children’s Coloring Book About Invisible Disabilities

13 Mar

Last year, a high school student contacted me through my website after she Googled invisible disabilities. She is a Girl Scout, and she told me she was working towards her Gold Award, which is the highest award and equal to...
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How to Tell People About an Invisible Disability

12 Feb

This came up as a question from a student when I was presenting at a university last fall. The student was recently diagnosed with a cognitive condition and asked me, “How do I tell people about it?” I happen to...
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Lost in My Dog’s Head

3 Feb

My go-to coping strategy for when my chronic illness, chronic pain, or mental health are especially on the fritz is a thing I call “get lost.” I did not invent it and hardly think I even named it. Also, it’s...
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Talking Sh*t (why we should!)

21 Jan

Did you know I hold an elected government office? I’m a Council member in my tiny old suburb near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Earlier this month, we were discussing parking spaces in town for people with disabilities. I won’t go into that...
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Invisible Disabilities and LEGO

11 Jan

I love LEGO®, and LEGO helps me love myself. Here’s how it happened. LEGO bricks were my favorite childhood toy. When I was in middle school, they existed in secret. It was the early 90s, and I was getting teenager...
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Invisible vs. Hidden: What to Call Our Disabilities?

4 Dec

A couple times in the past month, I’ve had conversation about the term “invisible disabilities” versus “hidden disabilities.” Which one do I use and why? Are they the same? I first used “invisible disability” because that’s the first way I...
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