Looking Back to Move Forward — 5 ways to safely create meaning this Independence Day
Happy Independence Day! COVID-19 is still present and a concern for us. Many communities are grappling with social and racial unrest. Landmarks and symbols of American history are being reevaluated through the lens of the racism and genocides they represent. Independence, the very value we celebrate every July, is a significant contributor to why the US is […]
Aaron Philip: a model for “all types of bodies”
Photo Credit: Bryan Whitley on CNN As Pride month comes to a close, with activists still fighting for Black lives, it’s important to remind ourselves of this truth: all of this was made possible by Black trans women. The Stonewall Riots of 1969, the foundation of the modern LGBTQ+ movement, were in response to police […]
Getting Back To It
These last few weeks, we’ve seen a wave of people getting out of the house, whether to enjoy the summer weather or to attend protests in support of Black lives. States are also beginning to loosen their restrictions and people are heading back to work, restaurants, and shopping centers. While this means renewed hope for […]
Moving in with parents
Life with chronic illness can be rife with complicated decisions. Many come with the added weight of grief — do I give up something I love or keep doing it because the emotional loss will be worse right now than the medical consequences? This is an ongoing process, as each year brings new changes of […]
Top 5 Tips for Protesting While Immunocompromised / Disabled
If you’ve been reeling from the pain of recent events, you are not alone. Our hearts ache, our anger flares, and we feel we must do something. But… what? How can those of us with compromised immune systems, complex symptoms, and disabilities get involved? We reached out to Emily Levy, Mighty Well’s CEO and co-founder […]
Compassion in Uncertain Times
Fear can do funny things to our brains. It disrupts the balance in our autonomic nervous system, activating the fight, flight, or freeze response. In times of fear, we are more likely to pull inward or lash outward at potential threats. This is a perfectly normal survival mechanism and something we are seeing during COVID-19. […]
Millions Missing: making activism accessible
A few years ago, when I was just beginning my plunge into the world of diagnoses and drastic life changes, I saw the documentary Unrest by Jennifer Brea. Not only did the representation on screen feel incredible, but it moved me to action. I felt so empowered by this woman who could create so much […]
Three Cystic Fibrosis Activists That Travis Flores Thinks You Should Know
As you may know, May is Cystic Fibrosis Awareness month. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a progressive genetic disease. It causes lung infections, as well as affecting the pancreas and other organs. It makes breathing difficult and can require intensive treatment including lung transplants. Especially right now, when people with underlying respiratory conditions feel particularly vulnerable, […]
Mighty Replay: Jesse Ruben virtual concert
Representation matters. It’s a core reason why Mighty Well was created in the first place — so that products for patients would be designed, tested, and modeled by patients. It’s why we love to share our picks for books, movies, and TV shows featuring spoonies. And it’s also why Jesse Ruben’s virtual concert yesterday had […]
Reaching Out to Immunocompromised Loved Ones: The Questions We Want to Hear
Right now, we all have someone we feel worried about. At least one person in our lives is at higher risk from COVID-19. Yet worrying doesn’t necessarily lead to reaching out. We may feel awkward or unsure of how to ask our immunocompromised loved ones how things are going. Being raised in a society that teaches us to […]
10 Tips for Time at Home
The world has shut down in a way that is unprecedented until now. With so many people stuck at home, questions around how to fight boredom are popping up. For those of us with chronic illness, this is not a new problem! We are, in fact, the leading experts on the subject! So, if you […]
The Silence of Shame
Each month, I scroll through the health awareness campaigns. This month, I noticed a theme — almost all of these conditions involve stigma. While it is always important to shout out each illness and bring awareness and funds to research that we may not have heard of, it is extra important to bring light to […]