Stories, survival strategies, and emotional truths about living with autoimmune and invisible illnesses. Real talk on managing pain and building resilience every day.
I learned early how easily chronic pain and laziness get confused. In grade 12, my teacher Mrs Smith had a word with me after the last bell rang.While my classmates spilled out into the hall, buzzing about Friday night plans, I sat slumped in a hard wooden chair. Knees swollen, neck stiff, and my back…
Living with a chronic illness doesn’t just change your health. It rewrites who you are. For me, psoriatic arthritis didn’t just mean pain. It meant losing the identity I’d built since I was a kid: athlete, competitor, future NHL player. This is my story of chronic illness and identity loss and how I started rebuilding…
This morning I woke up at a 7/10. My body begged me to stay in bed. But I’ve learned something in 25 years with psoriatic arthritis: if I don’t move now, I’ll pay double by noon. So I stretched, whispered “slower is smarter,” and started anyway. I don’t chase pain-free days anymore. I design my…
My Life Before Pain I grew up chasing the NHL dream. I was a AAA hockey player, skating daily, training like my future depended on it, because it did. Movement, strength, and competition weren’t just hobbies; they were my identity. Life was structured, joyful, and full of momentum. Until it wasn’t. Living with chronic pain…