The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey 💜
Where chronic illness, resilience, advocacy, and hope come together. Sharing stories. Building community. Inspiring hope.
health
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey 🌻 Same Infusion, Different Address, A Little More Peace
↳
≻: 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,…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Going Back to Cali — One Last Trip With My Uninvited Roommates ✈️💜
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 That’s Not Typical… Well, Neither Am I!
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 “How Are You?” — The Three Little Words That Aren’t So Simple
↳
≻: 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.…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 The Science of a Flare — When Your Immune System Gets Its Signals Crossed
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 The Wait Is Over… And the Results Are In!
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 The Emotional Labor of Being a Patient — When Managing Your Health Becomes Another Full-Time Job
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Three Mammograms, One Biopsy, and a Whole Lot of Anxiety
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Invisible Doesn’t Mean Imaginary — The Reality Behind the Smile
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 When Sleep Isn’t Enough — The Exhaustion Nobody Sees
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Moving with MG — When Everyday Tasks Become Extraordinary Challenges
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Some Weeks, Surviving Is the Victory
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Same Diagnosis, Different Journey — Why One Size Does Not Fit All
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Whoever Has My Voodoo Doll, We Need to Talk! 😂💜
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 One Day, My Story Will Be Someone Else’s Survival Guide
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 The Truth Behind “I’m Fine”
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 The Healthcare System Is a Scam: When Insurance Stands Between Patients and Care
↳
≻: 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,…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 The AIP Diet—Helpful Tool or Restrictive Hype?
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 When My Body Changes the Rules
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 A Letter to the Woman I Was Before I Got Sick
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 The Hidden Cost of a “Good Day”
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 High Pain, Low Tolerance
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Sometimes It Isn’t About the Small Thing
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Give Yourself Credit for the Days You Made It Through
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Finding Your Tribe Is Finding Home
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 When Remission Still Hurts
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 When Fatigue Isn’t Just Fatigue
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Multiple Autoimmune Syndrome—When Autoimmune Diseases Don’t Come Alone
↳
≻: 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,…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 The Weight Behind the Smile
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 You Are Not the Burden
↳
≻: 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,…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 Why Me?
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 The Pictures That Matter Most
↳
≻: 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.…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 When Sleep Became a Breathing Test
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries | Kia’s Journey: 🌻 She Had No Idea
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Can Nightshade Vegetables Trigger Autoimmune Flares? Separating Fact from Fiction
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜Different Season. Different Race. Same Determination
↳
≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜Different Season. Different Race. Same DeterminationLiving with Crohn’s disease and MuSK-positive Myasthenia Gravis has changed what movement looks like for me. From completing a half…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 My Sensory Cup Was Already Full: Chronic Illness and Sensory Overload
↳
≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 My Sensory Cup Was Already Full: Chronic Illness and Sensory OverloadWebsite Excerpt: Some days, it’s not the bright lights or crowded spaces that push me over the edge—it’s a bag…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: All My Life I Had to Fight: From Survival to Healing
↳
≻: 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…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: Just Strong: Maybe the Universe Was Sending Me a Message
↳
≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: Just Strong: Maybe the Universe Was Sending Me a MessageThis morning, during my usual scroll through Facebook, I came across an advertisement looking for Just Strong Ambassadors. For those…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: The Career They Saw, The Battle They Didn’t
↳
≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: The Career They Saw, The Battle They Didn’t“I have this weird relationship with my chronic illness where I spend 75% of my time trying to pretend it…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: When the Mask Slips: A Lesson in Leadership, Fatigue, and Grace
↳
≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: When the Mask Slips: A Lesson in Leadership, Fatigue, and GraceOne of the things I’ve become exceptionally good at over the years is hiding how I feel. When you live…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries:Crohn’s, Myasthenia Gravis, and Menopause: Which One Is Driving the Bus Today?
↳
≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries:Crohn’s, Myasthenia Gravis, and Menopause: Which One Is Driving the Bus Today?Some days, I feel like my body is a mystery I can’t solve. I wake up exhausted and immediately start…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: Sometimes the Answer Is No: What I Learned at My Neurology Appointment
↳
≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: Sometimes the Answer Is No: What I Learned at My Neurology AppointmentYesterday, I walked into my neurology appointment carrying a list of questions. Questions about my thymus gland. Questions about the…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: The Leaders Who Help Carry the Weight
↳
≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: The Leaders Who Help Carry the WeightSometimes inspiration finds us in the most unexpected places. I was scrolling through social media recently when I came across…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: The Questions We Have to Ask: Thymectomy, Fatigue, and Life Between Rystiggo Treatments
↳
≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: The Questions We Have to Ask: Thymectomy, Fatigue, and Life Between Rystiggo TreatmentsLiving with Myasthenia Gravis often feels like navigating uncharted territory. Just when I think I have a handle on my…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: Weighted Blankets: Comfort or Concern? Navigating the Pros and Cons with Crohn’s Disease and Myasthenia Gravis
↳
≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: Weighted Blankets: Comfort or Concern? Navigating the Pros and Cons with Crohn’s Disease and Myasthenia GravisWhen you live with chronic illness, sleep isn’t just about rest—it’s about recovery. Like many people managing autoimmune diseases, I’m…
-
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Autoimmune Disease May Be Invisible—But We Are Not
↳
≻: The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 Autoimmune Disease May Be Invisible—But We Are NotWhy Autoimmune Disease Awareness Month Is About More Than Sharing a Ribbon Before my first diagnosis, March was simply another…