Before there was The Dual Diagnosis Diaries, there was Kia’s Journey.
When I was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, I made the decision to rebrand. Suddenly, I was no longer navigating life with just Crohn’s Disease. I was now learning to navigate life with two autoimmune diseases. Cue MG’s dramatic entrance music because apparently one autoimmune disease wasn’t enough.
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries felt like a more accurate reflection of what my life had become.
What I have come to realize, though, is that Kia’s Journey never really ended.
Some diary entries are heavily focused on autoimmune disease, treatments, symptoms, advocacy, and all the complicated realities that come with living with Crohn’s Disease and MuSK-positive Myasthenia Gravis. But other entries are simply about me being out here trying to live, survive, laugh, cry, and make sense of life in general.
And honestly, both are equally important.
Just now the Good Times theme song randomly started playing in my head.
🎵 “Scratchin’ and survivin’… Good Times. Hangin’ in and jivin’… Good Times. Ain’t we lucky we got ’em…”
And if that doesn’t perfectly describe life with chronic illness, family drama, work stress, random medical appointments, and whatever other chaos life decides to throw my way, I don’t know what does.
See? This is exactly how my brain works.
Anyway…
If you’ve been here since the beginning of The Dual Diagnosis Diaries or have simply reviewed some of my previous diary entries, you’ve probably noticed that my writing style has evolved. If you’ve been following since the days of Kia’s Journey, you’ve definitely witnessed the evolution.
I bring this up because moving forward, some posts may simply be titled The Dual Diagnosis Diaries, while others may carry the subtitle Kia’s Journey.
💜 The Dual Diagnosis Diaries
or
💜 The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey
The distinction is intentional.
🩺 The Dual Diagnosis Diaries
These entries will typically focus more on illness, advocacy, education, treatments, symptoms, and the realities of living with autoimmune disease.
🌻 The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey
These entries will lean more into my personal experiences, reflections, family, friendships, random thoughts, life lessons, and whatever adventure, chaos, or questionable decision I happen to find myself navigating at the moment.
Maybe you’ll notice the difference.
Maybe you won’t.
Either way, every entry will still be authentically me.
And either way, now you know.
📝 Why I Write
I also wanted to address why I chose writing as my primary form of expression instead of vlogging or podcasting.
Because let’s keep it real—some of the stories I tell would probably be absolutely hilarious if shared verbally.
But here’s the thing: I have always communicated better through writing than speaking.
Don’t believe me? Ask my mom.
I’m sure she has more than a few stories about the letters I used to write her as a kid. Maybe she’ll actually respond to my interview request and share some of those stories with y’all. If she does, pray for me because there is no telling what childhood evidence she still has tucked away somewhere.
Writing gives me something speaking often doesn’t:
✨ Time to reflect.
✨ Time to process.
✨ Time to edit.
✨ Time to occasionally save myself from myself.
Writing allows me to review my thoughts and ask important questions before sharing them with the world:
- Am I being too emotional?
- Should I really say that?
- Is this unnecessarily mean?
- Am I being brutally honest or just brutal?
Sometimes the answer is:
“Girl, put the keyboard down and revisit this tomorrow.”
And sometimes the answer is:
“Hit publish.”
🎤 What About Speaking Engagements?
Recently, while talking with my friend Steph, she asked if I planned to add speaking engagements as The Dual Diagnosis Diaries grows.
Honestly, it sounds like a wonderful idea.
The irony, however, is that Myasthenia Gravis limits how much I can talk.
There is something almost poetic about that.
A disease that affects my speech helped push me toward writing—toward the very thing that has become my greatest outlet, my advocacy platform, and quite possibly my purpose.
That doesn’t mean I won’t eventually step onto a stage somewhere. If there is one thing life with chronic illness has taught me, it is to never say never. But for now, writing remains the place where my voice is strongest.
So while I may never become a podcaster or motivational speaker traveling from stage to stage, I will continue doing what I’ve always done.
I will keep writing.
Because writing gave me a voice long before I realized how much I would one day need it.
Who knows? Maybe putting all of this into a book is what my future entails. And if that happens, I’ve already decided Steph will be the voice of the audiobook version. She doesn’t know this yet, but minor details like consent have never stopped me before.
But for now, this website will suffice.
And as long as I have a keyboard, a thought, and a story to tell, Kia’s Journey will continue.
💭 Final Thoughts
Whether you’ve been with me since the days of Kia’s Journey or you’ve recently discovered The Dual Diagnosis Diaries, thank you for being here.
Thank you for reading, supporting, and allowing me the space to share my story.
No matter what title appears at the top of the page, the mission remains the same: to share honestly, advocate fiercely, and remind others that they are never alone.
Here’s to continuing the journey together—one diary entry at a time.
Thank you for taking the time to read this entry from The Dual Diagnosis Diaries. Whether you are here because you live with chronic illness, love someone who does, or simply stumbled across my little corner of the internet, thank you for being part of this journey. My hope is that by sharing my experiences, others will feel less alone, more informed, and empowered to keep fighting their own battles—one day at a time.
Founder • Author • Advocate • Future Wellness Coach
Kia Lorice
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries 💜
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