The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey 💜
Where chronic illness, resilience, advocacy, and hope come together. Sharing stories. Building community. Inspiring hope.
Kia Lorice
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 National Stress Awareness Week — When Stress Is More Than Just a Feeling
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 National Stress Awareness Week — When Stress Is More Than Just a FeelingStress isn’t a medical cause of Crohn’s or MG, but it reshapes how we live with these conditions. For someone…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 The Battle Behind My Eyes — When Myasthenia Gravis Blurs More Than Vision
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 The Battle Behind My Eyes — When Myasthenia Gravis Blurs More Than VisionFor those with Myasthenia Gravis, eye movement isn’t just vision—it’s a test of endurance. Double vision, drooping eyelids, and fluctuating…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey 🌻 Just Because I Carry It Well Doesn’t Mean It Isn’t Heavy
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey 🌻 Just Because I Carry It Well Doesn’t Mean It Isn’t HeavyStrength isn’t just a badge—it’s a burden. I’ve survived unimaginable challenges and learned to mask exhaustion with sarcasm, but now…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey 🌻 Same Infusion, Different Address, A Little More Peace
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey 🌻 Same Infusion, Different Address, A Little More PeaceToday marked my first Rystiggo infusion in my new home—a peaceful escape from the usual household chaos. Surrounded by plants,…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 When Getting Through the Day Is Enough
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 When Getting Through the Day Is EnoughSome days, being strong means knowing when to rest. Between chronic illness, everyday responsibilities, and life’s unexpected challenges, I’m learning…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Going Back to Cali — One Last Trip With My Uninvited Roommates ✈️💜
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Going Back to Cali — One Last Trip With My Uninvited Roommates ✈️💜My Reno adventure spiraled into chaos—conference fatigue, questionable coffee, and stairs that tested my limits. Sleep vanished, and my goal…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Oh Reno! — Crohn’s, MG & the Conference That Wouldn’t End 😂💜
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Oh Reno! — Crohn’s, MG & the Conference That Wouldn’t End 😂💜Surviving the Reno trip meant one thing: dealing with a forgotten wallet and a credit card dilemma. When hotel rules…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Reno or Bust — Crohn’s, Chaos & a Whole Lot of Clenching ✈️😂
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Reno or Bust — Crohn’s, Chaos & a Whole Lot of Clenching ✈️😂Work in Reno turned into pure chaos: forgotten AirPods, a delayed flight, and a wallet missing before takeoff. Procrastination hit…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 That’s Not Typical… Well, Neither Am I!
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 That’s Not Typical… Well, Neither Am I!When your doctor says, “That’s not typical,” but your body says, “Challenge accepted!” 😂💜 Living with Crohn’s Disease and Myasthenia…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 “How Are You?” — The Three Little Words That Aren’t So Simple
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 “How Are You?” — The Three Little Words That Aren’t So SimpleChronic illness turns ‘How are you?’ into a loaded question. Between exhaustion and unpredictable symptoms, the simplest answer hides complexity.…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 When Shared Trauma Is No Longer Enough
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 When Shared Trauma Is No Longer EnoughShared trauma creates intimacy—knowing someone who gets the weight of childhood struggles and chronic illness feels validating. But I’ve discovered:…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 The Science of a Flare — When Your Immune System Gets Its Signals Crossed
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 The Science of a Flare — When Your Immune System Gets Its Signals CrossedWhat happens when your immune system gets its signals crossed? 💜 Crohn’s Disease and Myasthenia Gravis may both be autoimmune…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 The Wait Is Over… And the Results Are In!
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 The Wait Is Over… And the Results Are In!Three mammograms, one biopsy, and endless questions—finally, the answer: benign. The medical team confirmed there’s no sign of cancer, and…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 The Emotional Labor of Being a Patient — When Managing Your Health Becomes Another Full-Time Job
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 The Emotional Labor of Being a Patient — When Managing Your Health Becomes Another Full-Time JobChronic illness turned my inbox into a full-time task force—appointments, insurance, and treatments—without a single interview. Now I’m the unsung…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Three Mammograms, One Biopsy, and a Whole Lot of Anxiety
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Three Mammograms, One Biopsy, and a Whole Lot of AnxietyThree weeks ago, a routine mammogram turned into a wake-up call: new findings required follow-up. The 3D imaging exposed unexpected…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Invisible Doesn’t Mean Imaginary — The Reality Behind the Smile
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Invisible Doesn’t Mean Imaginary — The Reality Behind the SmileBehind every smile lies the complexity of invisible disabilities—conditions that limit movement, breathing, and daily tasks. From inflammatory bowel disease…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 When Sleep Isn’t Enough — The Exhaustion Nobody Sees
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 When Sleep Isn’t Enough — The Exhaustion Nobody SeesChronic illness fatigue isn’t ordinary tiredness. Between Crohn’s disease draining my energy and Myasthenia Gravis weakening my muscles, even eight…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 The Hidden Reality of Chronic Illness — What You Don’t See
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 The Hidden Reality of Chronic Illness — What You Don’t SeeThe world sees me thriving—laughing, planning, moving forward—but chronic illness turns exhaustion into a silent adversary. Each day demands energy…
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🌻 The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: Dear Self, You Are Still Worthy 💜
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≻: 🌻 The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: Dear Self, You Are Still Worthy 💜I’ve mastered helping others find strength—now I need to rediscover my own. The fatigue from managing two autoimmune diseases and…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Moving with MG — When Everyday Tasks Become Extraordinary Challenges
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Moving with MG — When Everyday Tasks Become Extraordinary ChallengesNew beginnings come with unexpected hurdles: timing, process, and yes—even body function. I’ve hired movers but still handle personal items…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 When Your Body Is Fighting, Your Mind Needs Care Too
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 When Your Body Is Fighting, Your Mind Needs Care TooBehind the jokes and affirmations lies the exhausting reality of emotional endurance. Chronic illness amplifies the burden of constant worry—proving…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Some Weeks, Surviving Is the Victory
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Some Weeks, Surviving Is the VictoryFriday marks progress, and for many, surviving another week is its own victory. Chronic illness turns routine into a strategic…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Dear Body, I’m Learning to Give You Grace
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Dear Body, I’m Learning to Give You GraceLiving with chronic illness means my body decides when I can move, think, or rest. I used to push against…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 The Part of Chronic Illness You Can’t See — Mental Health Matters 365 Days a Year
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 The Part of Chronic Illness You Can’t See — Mental Health Matters 365 Days a YearLiving with chronic illness means more than managing symptoms—it’s wrestling with mental strain and self-doubt. The emotional weight of interpreting…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Same Diagnosis, Different Journey — Why One Size Does Not Fit All
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Same Diagnosis, Different Journey — Why One Size Does Not Fit AllSharing the same diagnosis doesn’t mean sharing the same journey. From symptoms and disease severity to treatments and outcomes, every…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Outside Is Overrated, and My House Is a Five-Star Resort 😂
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Outside Is Overrated, and My House Is a Five-Star Resort 😂Every weekend, I convince myself I need fresh air—maybe brunch or the beach—but reality hits when I open the door.…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Whoever Has My Voodoo Doll, We Need to Talk! 😂💜
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Whoever Has My Voodoo Doll, We Need to Talk! 😂💜Living with Crohn’s and MG feels like cohabitating with unpredictable tenants. Crohn’s disrupts my digestion, and MG controls my movements—both…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 What I Would Tell Another Warrior on Their Worst Day
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 What I Would Tell Another Warrior on Their Worst DayFighting chronic illness means recognizing that strength isn’t constant. We don’t need motivational slogans—we need permission to pause. Being honest…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Hello October — A Little More Hope, A Little More Grace
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Hello October — A Little More Hope, A Little More GraceSeptember’s chaos fades as October brings new beginnings, but chronic illness reminds us that progress isn’t linear. I’m not chasing…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Pain Doesn’t Need Proof
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Pain Doesn’t Need ProofSeptember’s focus on pain reminds us that discomfort isn’t always visible—sometimes it shows up in the simplest tasks: going to…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 KiKi Is Officially Off Duty
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 KiKi Is Officially Off DutySpending the day on budget reviews threw my schedule off, but I welcomed the evening infusion. The non-digital pump worked…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 One Breath at a Time
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 One Breath at a TimePushing through exhaustion used to mean strength, but now I’m choosing gentler pacing. I’m learning: if today is too much,…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 One Day. One Moment. One Breath at a Time.
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 One Day. One Moment. One Breath at a Time.Dear Diary, It’s Sunday. That strange little space between I survived last week and here comes another one. And before…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 One Day, My Story Will Be Someone Else’s Survival Guide
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 One Day, My Story Will Be Someone Else’s Survival GuideCrohn’s Disease and MG crashed my life like uninvited roommates—neither pays rent and both demand everything I have. But through…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Dear Warrior, This One Is for You
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Dear Warrior, This One Is for YouChronic illness can make every week feel like a battle—but being a warrior doesn’t mean fighting beautifully or staying strong…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Today Is Enough
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Today Is EnoughThe best way forward is owning today’s reality, not planning for tomorrow. Ordinary days hold power—whether it’s a good meal…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 What I Would Tell Another Warrior on Their Worst Day
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 What I Would Tell Another Warrior on Their Worst DayChronic illness reveals that resilience isn’t a uniform battle; it’s messy, unseen, and real. You can be exhausted and hopeful—both…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey 🌻Falling Into a New Season
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey 🌻Falling Into a New SeasonSouthern California’s first fall day? A perfect excuse to wear sandals and light pumpkin candles. The truth? Seasons teach us…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Sometimes Support Is Just Showing Up
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Sometimes Support Is Just Showing UpLiving with chronic illness reveals that real support isn’t about positivity or strength—it’s the quiet, intentional care that lets me…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey🌻 Worth the Trip, Paying for It Later
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey🌻 Worth the Trip, Paying for It LaterThis weekend in D.C., I finally celebrated my granddaughter’s first birthday—a milestone for relatives who’d long missed her. The trip…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 The Truth Behind “I’m Fine”
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 The Truth Behind “I’m Fine”Dear Diary, “How are you feeling?” It sounds like a simple question. Most days, I give the simple answer: “I’m…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 The Healthcare System Is a Scam: When Insurance Stands Between Patients and Care
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 The Healthcare System Is a Scam: When Insurance Stands Between Patients and CareThe author recounts their frustrating experience with healthcare and insurance struggles after a medical emergency. They detail delays in treatment,…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 When the Movies Turned Into a Sh!tty Mess—Literally
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 When the Movies Turned Into a Sh!tty Mess—LiterallyThat weekend movie outing turned into a comedy of errors, as Crohn’s decided the real entertainment would begin after the…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 I Haven’t Even Left the House Yet
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 I Haven’t Even Left the House YetEvery morning is a battle between my body’s energy levels and my chronic illnesses. From the shower to the bathroom,…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Plot Twist: I Have to Go Back to Pulmonology
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Plot Twist: I Have to Go Back to PulmonologyThe narrator shares their frustrating experience with a neurologist regarding chronic breathing issues, revealing the challenge of navigating multiple health…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Asthma, Crohn’s, Myasthenia Gravis & Perimenopause—OH MY!
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Asthma, Crohn’s, Myasthenia Gravis & Perimenopause—OH MY!Hurricane Marie’s humidity has turned my body into a battleground with asthma, Crohn’s, MG, and perimenopause. One at a time,…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 The AIP Diet—Helpful Tool or Restrictive Hype?
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 The AIP Diet—Helpful Tool or Restrictive Hype?Living with autoimmune diseases like Crohn’s and Myasthenia Gravis often leads to unsolicited dietary advice, particularly regarding the Autoimmune Protocol…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 When My Body Changes the Rules
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 When My Body Changes the RulesLiving with chronic illness requires constant mental assessments to navigate daily activities. Each outing involves careful planning around potential symptoms…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 A Letter to the Woman I Was Before I Got Sick
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 A Letter to the Woman I Was Before I Got SickThe writer reflects on life before chronic illness, addressing her former self with affection and understanding. She acknowledges the freedoms…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 The Hidden Cost of a “Good Day”
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 The Hidden Cost of a “Good Day”Living with chronic illness means that a seemingly good day often comes at a cost. Despite engaging in activities, the…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 High Pain, Low Tolerance
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 High Pain, Low ToleranceLiving with chronic illness brings unpredictable challenges, particularly on high-symptom days when energy is scarce. The author reflects on the…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 IBD vs. IBS, Part 2 — Wait…You Can Have BOTH?
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 IBD vs. IBS, Part 2 — Wait…You Can Have BOTH?After sharing Part 1 about the differences between IBD and IBS, my friend Steph sent me a text: “Your blogs…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 When Being Strong Was Never a Choice
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 When Being Strong Was Never a ChoiceDear Diary, During one of my usual scrolls—don’t judge me—I came across a message by Rachel Marie Martin of Finding…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Sometimes It Isn’t About the Small Thing
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Sometimes It Isn’t About the Small ThingChronic illness brings expected challenges like pain and fatigue, but it also incites emotions like anger, often overlooked. This anger…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 You Are Not Too Much
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 You Are Not Too MuchLiving with chronic illness can make us feel like our symptoms, needs, and hard days are somehow “too much.” But…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Dear Me, You Don’t Have to Keep Up
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Dear Me, You Don’t Have to Keep Up🌻 A reminder from me, to me: I don’t have to keep up with healthy people—or the person I used…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Scared, But Going Anyway
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Scared, But Going AnywayFear doesn’t always mean stop. Sometimes it means you’re stepping beyond what’s familiar and growing into someone new. I’m learning…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Caring and Capacity Aren’t the Same Thing
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Caring and Capacity Aren’t the Same ThingSometimes caring deeply doesn’t mean having the capacity to carry someone else’s burdens. When my emotional battery hits 3%, I’m…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Disabled Does Not Mean Incapable
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Disabled Does Not Mean IncapableBeing disabled doesn’t mean being incapable. What I can do today doesn’t guarantee what my body can sustain tomorrow. Chronic…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Apparently, My Roommates Really Did Come to Alaska
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Apparently, My Roommates Really Did Come to AlaskaCrohn’s and MG ignored their eviction notices and came to Alaska anyway. Between bathroom sprints, a human-bobble-head moment, way too…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 IBD vs. IBS — One Letter Changes Everything
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 IBD vs. IBS — One Letter Changes EverythingIBD and IBS may differ by only one letter, but they are very different conditions. From inflammation and complications to…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Side Effects May Include…Regretting Watching This Commercial
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Side Effects May Include…Regretting Watching This CommercialEver notice medication commercials become impossible to ignore after diagnosis? One minute everyone’s happily kayaking; the next, the announcer is…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 The Women I Keep Getting to Know
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 The Women I Keep Getting to KnowSome friendships survive decades not because people stay the same, but because they make room for each other to change.…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 My Coping Toolbox: Baking, Beaches, Pooh, Potter & Punchlines
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 My Coping Toolbox: Baking, Beaches, Pooh, Potter & PunchlinesWe all have coping mechanisms, and mine change depending on what I’m carrying. Baking, music, writing, the ocean, Winnie the…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Consider This Your Warning Label
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Consider This Your Warning LabelWhat happens when a Facebook morning scroll asks you to describe yourself like you’re warning someone before they meet you?…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 More Than a Sunflower
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 More Than a SunflowerLong before chronic illness entered my life, the sunflower was already my favorite flower. 🌻 Now, knowing its connection to…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Give Yourself Credit for the Days You Made It Through
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Give Yourself Credit for the Days You Made It ThroughLiving with chronic illness often feels like a battle between personal plans and the body’s relentless demands. It’s essential to…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Finding Your Tribe Is Finding Home
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Finding Your Tribe Is Finding HomeIn a world that does not always understand chronic illness, finding people who see you, believe you, and accept every…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Same Diagnosis, Different Journey
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Same Diagnosis, Different JourneyTwo people can share the same diagnosis and live completely different realities. Symptoms, limitations, and treatment responses aren’t one-size-fits-all. Someone…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Apparently, My Roommates Are Coming to Alaska
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Apparently, My Roommates Are Coming to AlaskaPreparing for an Alaska cruise means packing layers, medications, backup plans—and apparently two uninvited roommates. Crohn’s and MG refuse every…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 The Weight You Never See
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 The Weight You Never SeeEven when I speak openly about chronic illness, what I share is only a glimpse. Behind every post are the…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 When Remission Still Hurts
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 When Remission Still HurtsRemission may mean Crohn’s inflammation is controlled, but it does not always mean the pain is gone. This entry explores…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Who Holds the Strong One?
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Who Holds the Strong One?Being the strong one often means carrying everyone else’s burdens while quietly hiding your own. This reflection explores the strength…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 When Fatigue Isn’t Just Fatigue
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 When Fatigue Isn’t Just FatigueFatigue isn’t always “just being tired.” Living with both Crohn’s disease and Myasthenia Gravis has taught me that one drains…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 But You Were Fine Yesterday
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 But You Were Fine YesterdayChronic illness does not guarantee the same abilities from one day to the next. A better day is not a…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Multiple Autoimmune Syndrome—When Autoimmune Diseases Don’t Come Alone
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Multiple Autoimmune Syndrome—When Autoimmune Diseases Don’t Come AloneMultiple Autoimmune Syndrome means managing three or more autoimmune diseases that do not take turns. This entry explores overlapping symptoms,…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻Through My Mother’s Eyes
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻Through My Mother’s EyesIn Part Two of the *Through Their Eyes* series, my mother shares what it has been like to watch me…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 The Weight Behind the Smile
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 The Weight Behind the SmileSome days, “I’m fine” carries more weight than anyone realizes. This reflection explores the invisible burdens behind the smile, the…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 The Test That Finally Believed Me
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 The Test That Finally Believed MeThe anniversary of my MuSK-positive Myasthenia Gravis diagnosis isn’t a celebration of illness—it’s a celebration of finally being believed. This…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 You Are Not the Burden
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 You Are Not the BurdenLiving with chronic illness may mean carrying heavy burdens, but needing help does not make you one. My diagnoses, symptoms,…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Why Me?
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Why Me?This morning, I asked God a question I’ve carried more than once: Why me? Why Crohn’s? Why Myasthenia Gravis? I…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 The Pictures That Matter Most
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 The Pictures That Matter MostI used to worry about looking good in pictures. Now I worry about the pictures my doctors are looking at.…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 When Sleep Became a Breathing Test
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 When Sleep Became a Breathing TestWhen sleep became a nightly struggle to breathe, I learned my exhaustion wasn’t just fatigue—it was my body fighting to…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 COVID-19, Myasthenia Gravis, and the Search for Answers
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 COVID-19, Myasthenia Gravis, and the Search for AnswersLiving through the COVID-19 pandemic while managing Crohn’s disease, I never imagined another autoimmune diagnosis was waiting. This diary explores…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 You’re Too Young to Be Going Through That
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 You’re Too Young to Be Going Through ThatSometimes the words “You’re too young to be going through all that” are meant with love—but chronic illness doesn’t care…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 She Had No Idea
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 She Had No IdeaShe thought her biggest challenge was deciding what to wear on Friday night. She had no idea life would become…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Can Nightshade Vegetables Trigger Autoimmune Flares? Separating Fact from Fiction
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Can Nightshade Vegetables Trigger Autoimmune Flares? Separating Fact from FictionCan tomatoes really trigger autoimmune flares? Before you clear out your kitchen, let’s separate fact from fiction. Explore the science…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Learning to Travel Again
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Learning to Travel AgainA weekend in Las Vegas became more than a getaway—it became proof that healing sometimes looks like slowing down. Join…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Most People Fake Being Sick. I Fake Being Well.
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Most People Fake Being Sick. I Fake Being Well.Most people fake being sick. I fake being well. Living with Crohn’s Disease and Myasthenia Gravis means smiling through pain,…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Crohn’s Disease and Myasthenia Gravis: More Than a Coincidence?
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Crohn’s Disease and Myasthenia Gravis: More Than a Coincidence?When I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease in 2006, I never imagined I’d later develop MuSK-positive Myasthenia Gravis. Could it…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Why Did It Take So Long? Understanding Why Myasthenia Gravis Is So Difficult to Diagnose
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Why Did It Take So Long? Understanding Why Myasthenia Gravis Is So Difficult to DiagnoseAfter months of unanswered questions and normal test results, I finally learned why Myasthenia Gravis is known as “the great…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Running on Empty
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Running on EmptyWhat started as a simple trip to the laundromat turned into a reminder that living with Crohn’s Disease and Myasthenia…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey🌻 The New Normal…Again
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey🌻 The New Normal…AgainWhat happens when your “new normal” keeps changing? In this heartfelt reflection, I share how Crohn’s Disease and Myasthenia Gravis…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 We Don’t All Get the Same Twenty-Four Hours
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 We Don’t All Get the Same Twenty-Four HoursFor those of us living with chronic illness and disability, time is measured differently. We count “usable hours”—the precious moments…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Food for the Soul
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Food for the SoulSometimes the greatest nourishment isn’t found on our plates but in the people gathered around them. Food for the Soul…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Sometimes Home Is the Best Medicine
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Sometimes Home Is the Best MedicineAfter much-needed rest, I discovered that some of the best medicine isn’t found in a prescription—it’s found in Mom’s house,…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 My Body Had Other Plans
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 My Body Had Other PlansAn unexpected ER visit, another mystery diagnosis, and a red-eye flight home for a family reunion reminded me that chronic…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻Through Steph’s Eyes
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻Through Steph’s EyesSometimes the people who love us see strengths we no longer recognize in ourselves. In this first installment of *Through…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻Living or Resting? The Battle I Fight Every Day
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻Living or Resting? The Battle I Fight Every DayAs I prepare to board a red-eye flight home to Washington, D.C., I find myself caught between two competing thoughts:…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜“Your Labs Look Fine”: The Reality of Medical Gaslighting
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜“Your Labs Look Fine”: The Reality of Medical GaslightingFor many people living with chronic illness, “your labs look fine” can feel like a dismissal rather than an answer.…