The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey 💜
Where chronic illness, resilience, advocacy, and hope come together. Sharing stories. Building community. Inspiring hope.
ChronicIllnessWarrior
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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: 🌻 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: 💜 “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: 🌻 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: 💜 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: 💜 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: 💜 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: 💜 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: 💜 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: 🌻 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: 💜 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: 🌻 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: 💜 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: 🌻 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: 🌻Unexpected ER Visit — The Mystery of the Rebellious Thumb
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻Unexpected ER Visit — The Mystery of the Rebellious ThumbTwo days after having my power port removed, I unexpectedly found myself back in the emergency room—this time for a…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries:⚡️Why Am I So Jumpy? Chronic Illness, Stress, and a Nervous System on High Alert
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries:⚡️Why Am I So Jumpy? Chronic Illness, Stress, and a Nervous System on High AlertWhen a person spends long periods feeling stressed, overwhelmed, emotionally unsafe, or constantly anticipating conflict, the nervous system adapts.
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Don’t Tell Me What to Do!
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Don’t Tell Me What to Do!After more than a decade, saying goodbye to my power port wasn’t as simple as scheduling a procedure and moving…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: Today Was a Good Day… So Naturally, I’m Worried
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: Today Was a Good Day… So Naturally, I’m Worried📖 A Quick Note Before We Begin If you live with chronic illness, you probably understand this feeling all too…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: Will Someone Ever Love All of This?
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: Will Someone Ever Love All of This?Dating with Crohn’s Disease and Myasthenia Gravis “The right person won’t see my illnesses first. They’ll see me.” There are…
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The Dual Diagnosis The Roommates I Never Asked For
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis The Roommates I Never Asked ForIf Crohn’s Disease and MuSK+ Myasthenia Gravis were people, they would be the world’s worst roommates. Neither was invited. Neither…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: All My Life I Had to Fight: From Survival to Healing
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: All My Life I Had to Fight: From Survival to Healing“All my life I had to fight.” — Sofia, The Color Purple Recently, I was talking with my best friend…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: I’ve Been Strong for Too Long
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: I’ve Been Strong for Too LongI was never a crier. I prided myself on being strong. I showed up for the people I loved, even…
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The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: The Things Healthy People Take for Granted
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≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: The Things Healthy People Take for Granted“People think I stay home because I’m antisocial. The truth is, sometimes leaving home requires more courage, planning, and energy…