Mighty Well
  • Shop
  • Home
  • Friends in the Fight
    • Friends in the Fight

      We are Thankful for our Brand Ambassadors Everyday!

      December 5, 2019December 6, 2019

      Friends in the Fight

      Survival Guide: Managing Dietary Restrictions this Season

      December 4, 2019December 4, 2019

      Friends in the Fight

      Able Minded, Unable Body

      December 3, 2019December 3, 2019

      Friends in the Fight

      Gratitude for Those Who Lift Us Up

      November 27, 2019November 27, 2019

      Friends in the Fight

      Adaptive Fashion, Entrepreneurship, and Chronic Illness: Conversations with…

      November 22, 2019November 25, 2019

  • Chronic Illness
    • Chronic Illness

      We are Thankful for our Brand Ambassadors Everyday!

      December 5, 2019December 6, 2019

      Chronic Illness

      Survival Guide: Managing Dietary Restrictions this Season

      December 4, 2019December 4, 2019

      Chronic Illness

      Gratitude for Those Who Lift Us Up

      November 27, 2019November 27, 2019

      Chronic Illness

      Adaptive Fashion, Entrepreneurship, and Chronic Illness: Conversations with…

      November 22, 2019November 25, 2019

      Chronic Illness

      Understanding Physicians’ Perspectives

      November 20, 2019November 20, 2019

  • Spoonie Community
    • Spoonie Community

      We are Thankful for our Brand Ambassadors Everyday!

      December 5, 2019December 6, 2019

      Spoonie Community

      Survival Guide: Managing Dietary Restrictions this Season

      December 4, 2019December 4, 2019

      Spoonie Community

      Gratitude for Those Who Lift Us Up

      November 27, 2019November 27, 2019

      Spoonie Community

      2019 Holiday Gift Guide for Patients with Chronic…

      November 11, 2019November 26, 2019

      Spoonie Community

      Our Point of View: Understanding Women’s Experiences of…

      October 31, 2019October 31, 2019

  • General Wellness
    • General Wellness

      Survival Guide: Managing Dietary Restrictions this Season

      December 4, 2019December 4, 2019

      General Wellness

      Gratitude for Those Who Lift Us Up

      November 27, 2019November 27, 2019

      General Wellness

      Understanding Physicians’ Perspectives

      November 20, 2019November 20, 2019

      General Wellness

      5 Tips for Nurses to Better Connect with…

      November 11, 2019November 14, 2019

      General Wellness

      Both Patient & Provider: Meet Mighty Well Ambassador…

      November 5, 2019November 5, 2019

  • Treatment
    • Treatment

      Understanding Physicians’ Perspectives

      November 20, 2019November 20, 2019

      Treatment

      Top 4 Things Patients Should Know About Life…

      November 11, 2019November 18, 2019

      Treatment

      Both Patient & Provider: Meet Mighty Well Ambassador…

      November 5, 2019November 5, 2019

      Treatment

      Returning Home After a Mastectomy: Five Tips &…

      October 10, 2019

      Treatment

      Bias in Medicine: 5 Tips to Self-Advocate

      August 15, 2019August 15, 2019

  • Shop
  • Home
  • Friends in the Fight
    • Friends in the Fight

      We are Thankful for our Brand Ambassadors Everyday!

      December 5, 2019December 6, 2019

      Friends in the Fight

      Survival Guide: Managing Dietary Restrictions this Season

      December 4, 2019December 4, 2019

      Friends in the Fight

      Able Minded, Unable Body

      December 3, 2019December 3, 2019

      Friends in the Fight

      Gratitude for Those Who Lift Us Up

      November 27, 2019November 27, 2019

      Friends in the Fight

      Adaptive Fashion, Entrepreneurship, and Chronic Illness: Conversations with…

      November 22, 2019November 25, 2019

  • Chronic Illness
    • Chronic Illness

      We are Thankful for our Brand Ambassadors Everyday!

      December 5, 2019December 6, 2019

      Chronic Illness

      Survival Guide: Managing Dietary Restrictions this Season

      December 4, 2019December 4, 2019

      Chronic Illness

      Gratitude for Those Who Lift Us Up

      November 27, 2019November 27, 2019

      Chronic Illness

      Adaptive Fashion, Entrepreneurship, and Chronic Illness: Conversations with…

      November 22, 2019November 25, 2019

      Chronic Illness

      Understanding Physicians’ Perspectives

      November 20, 2019November 20, 2019

  • Spoonie Community
    • Spoonie Community

      We are Thankful for our Brand Ambassadors Everyday!

      December 5, 2019December 6, 2019

      Spoonie Community

      Survival Guide: Managing Dietary Restrictions this Season

      December 4, 2019December 4, 2019

      Spoonie Community

      Gratitude for Those Who Lift Us Up

      November 27, 2019November 27, 2019

      Spoonie Community

      2019 Holiday Gift Guide for Patients with Chronic…

      November 11, 2019November 26, 2019

      Spoonie Community

      Our Point of View: Understanding Women’s Experiences of…

      October 31, 2019October 31, 2019

  • General Wellness
    • General Wellness

      Survival Guide: Managing Dietary Restrictions this Season

      December 4, 2019December 4, 2019

      General Wellness

      Gratitude for Those Who Lift Us Up

      November 27, 2019November 27, 2019

      General Wellness

      Understanding Physicians’ Perspectives

      November 20, 2019November 20, 2019

      General Wellness

      5 Tips for Nurses to Better Connect with…

      November 11, 2019November 14, 2019

      General Wellness

      Both Patient & Provider: Meet Mighty Well Ambassador…

      November 5, 2019November 5, 2019

  • Treatment
    • Treatment

      Understanding Physicians’ Perspectives

      November 20, 2019November 20, 2019

      Treatment

      Top 4 Things Patients Should Know About Life…

      November 11, 2019November 18, 2019

      Treatment

      Both Patient & Provider: Meet Mighty Well Ambassador…

      November 5, 2019November 5, 2019

      Treatment

      Returning Home After a Mastectomy: Five Tips &…

      October 10, 2019

      Treatment

      Bias in Medicine: 5 Tips to Self-Advocate

      August 15, 2019August 15, 2019

Mighty Well

Category:

Friends in the Fight

    Our Point of View: Understanding Women’s Experiences of Chronic Illness
    Chronic IllnessFeaturedFriends in the FightMedical CareSpoonie CommunitySpoonie StoriesThe UndefeatedTreatment and Care

    Our Point of View: Understanding Women’s Experiences of Chronic Illness

    by Ariela Paulsen October 31, 2019October 31, 2019
    written by Ariela Paulsen

    I was in therapy. Again. 

    I was having trouble making it through the workday and had started having such horrible GI symptoms each morning that I was often late. I’d get home in the early afternoon and lay down on the couch. I wouldn’t get up for hours. I knew the signs of depression and assumed it must be the culprit. And surely my heart rate suddenly spiking over 100 BPM, my random sweating and shaking, and inability to sleep were anxiety. After all, I’d seen doctors and specialists, and they all agreed it was all in my head.

    Yet, my therapist disagreed. I hadn’t lost interest in life. I desperately wanted to paint and sing and teach! I just didn’t have the energy. “I don’t think you’re depressed,” she admitted, “I think you’re sick.” I was dumbfounded. The truth I’d been screaming for years, the truth that I’d buried over the last several months because no one believed me, was being reflected back at me. 

    My therapist directed me to a provider in the area who had diagnosed some other patients who had come to therapy with supposedly psychosomatic symptoms. Excited and terrified, I went.

    After two hours of being thoroughly heard, I had a diagnosis of a connective tissue disorder and potential comorbidities and complications to look into further. I just couldn’t believe it! On my way out, I asked why, after years of research and specialists, was I just getting this diagnosis?

    “Well, there hasn’t been widespread understanding of these diseases and, historically they haven’t been well researched.” She then leaned in, almost conspiratorially, and added “I think it’s because the vast majority of patients with these issues are women. We’ve been brushed off or diagnosed with female hysteria. Now that women are getting into medical research, there’s actually work being done to help.”

    I was floored. My symptoms — sudden weakness and faintness, a “delicate” stomach, fatigue, brain fog, pain, mood swings… I could picture women being ushered to a fainting couch, or administered smelling salts, and then patted on the head. 

    But the reality of how this disparity continues to play out today is chilling. Even with this diagnosis, I continued to be brushed off, disbelieved, and labeled a chronic complainer. And I’m not alone.

    In the US, 60% of the population has some form of chronic illness, and more than 40% have multiple. The majority of these people are women. The chronic conditions that affect women tend to also be less understood and/or more complicated to diagnose. In fact, 75% of autoimmune disease patients are female-bodied, as are 90% of Lupus patients. It takes years for women to be diagnosed, on average. Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome — a condition that is now understood to not be rare but, rather, rarely-diagnosed — takes an average of 12 years of searching before diagnosis. That’s 12 years of not being believed. And, yes, 75% of EDS patients are female-bodied.

    So why is this happening?

    Bias in doctors and patients

    As we explored in “Bias in Medicine,” implicit bias is being studied more in medicine as it becomes clear that physicians are not above our brain’s normal process of creating biases! The long history of considering women a biologically weaker sex has left a lasting residue. What was one called hysteria has been reclassified under many names, including conversion disorder, psychosomatic, medically unexplained symptoms, or the brutal “it’s all in your head.” Doctors rarely admit when symptoms are puzzling or may be out of their scope of knowledge. Ascribing unknown symptoms to the psyche (especially disproportionately to women), takes away that person’s agency. Instead of charging forward with the symptoms they believe have a physical cause, patients are being told it’s just psychological. This creates a bias within the patients themselves, until they no longer trust their own experience. 

    Lack of research

    As stated in our previous post, women have been largely excluded from medical research. Around 70% of patients with “medically unexplained symptoms” are women. Perhaps this is because diseases prevalent in female bodies are not being studied by medicine, and therefore truly cannot be explained by medicine — at least until they start including women in research. This research will not happen, however, without acknowledging that these symptoms are not solely a result of the psyche.

    Lack of representation

    It is naturally easier to feel empathy for, and believe in, people who are similar to you. That is why it is so important to have representation! Only around a third of doctors are female, so two-thirds of the doctors we see are more attuned to male patients.

    Women tend to be sick younger, and expected to not show it

    Statistically, men tend to experience chronic illness later in life, or as a result of age and lifestyle. Women, on the other hand, are more likely to experience chronic illness when younger and perceived as “in their prime.” Young women are associated with fertility and health, expected to be vivacious. Women who open up about illness can meet resistance from jobs and social groups. So, they learn to not show it. Yet, when presenting as young and healthy, patients are more likely to be met with skepticism.

    What can you do about it?

    This discourse is starting to pick up steam! Share your experiences with friends and coworkers (and in the Friends in the Fight facebook group!). Be honest when you feel dismissed by a doctor and ask that they look into the medical guidelines for the symptoms you’ve presented. Seek second opinions. Connect with other patients who understand and can validate your experiences. And trust yourself!

    Check out our 5 Tips to Self-Advocate for more!

    0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • Friends in the FightGeneral WellnessLiving Mighty Well

    The Power of Self Talk

    by Mia Johnson October 28, 2019October 28, 2019

    Before tackling the issue of negative self-talk that most of us have troubles with, we need to define ‘self-talk’. Self-talk…

    0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • Chronic IllnessFriends in the FightSickness into StrengthSpoonie Community

    Sia: Our Friend in the Fight

    by Allie Cashel October 24, 2019October 24, 2019

    Earlier this month, pop singer / songwriter, Sia opened up about her experiences living with chronic pain and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome on…

    0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • FeaturedFriends in the FightLiving Mighty WellSickness into StrengthSpoonie StoriesThe Undefeated

    5 Women Who Have Turned Their Cancer Diagnosis Into Strength

    by Ariela Paulsen October 21, 2019October 21, 2019

    Several months ago, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the shock of finding…

    0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • Chronic IllnessFriends in the FightLiving Mighty Well

    Conversations With Tiffany & Caleb Remington: Chronic Illness and Relationships

    by Allie Cashel October 17, 2019October 17, 2019

    This week’s Facebook Live broadcast brought newlyweds and Mighty Well founders, Emily Levy and Youself Al-Humaidhi together as hosts. They…

    0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • Chronic IllnessFriends in the FightGeneral WellnessLiving Mighty WellSickness into StrengthThe Undefeated

    Finding Inner Peace in the Midst of Treatment

    by Ariela Paulsen October 14, 2019

    In honor of Mental Health Awareness Week, we’d like to acknowledge how interconnected together mental health and physical health are. …

    0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • Friends in the FightLyme Disease

    Global Lyme Alliance 5th Annual Gala

    by Allie Cashel October 11, 2019October 14, 2019

    Our friends and partners at Global Lyme Alliance hosted their 5th Annual New York City Gala at Cipriani last night,…

    0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • Chronic IllnessFriends in the FightLiving Mighty WellSickness into StrengthSpoonie Community

    Meet the Mighty Well Ambassadors: Womens Health Advocates

    by Allie Cashel October 7, 2019October 9, 2019

    Did you know women are statistically more likely to be diagnosed with multiple chronic illnesses than men? Many of the…

    0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • Chronic IllnessFriends in the FightLiving Mighty WellSpoonie Stories

    Storytelling 101: How to tell your chronic illness story

    by Brianne Benness October 2, 2019October 2, 2019

    Are you ready to start sharing stories about your chronic illness? Sharing your story can be intimidating, but it can…

    0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
  • Chronic IllnessFriends in the Fight

    Jameela Jamil: Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Warrior

    by Allie Cashel September 30, 2019September 30, 2019

    Jameela Jamil recently confirmed that she is living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a rare connective tissue disorder. She shares this diagnosis…

    0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Newer Posts
Older Posts

About Us

Hi, We're Mighty Well.

The mission of Mighty Well is to help patients and their caregivers turn sickness into strength. We are leading the global charge that changes the perception of patients from victims to fighters. We do this by improving the experience of being a patient. We create the products we wish we’d had: functional and stylish apparel and accessories that you can wear with confidence - and content that can help you get through the good times and the bad. It’s wellness you can wear.

Be a Friend in the Fight!

Recent Posts

  • Fighting for Inclusion Within the Adaptive Wear Industry
  • We are Thankful for our Brand Ambassadors Everyday!
  • Survival Guide: Managing Dietary Restrictions this Season
  • Able Minded, Unable Body
  • Gratitude for Those Who Lift Us Up

Recent Comments

  • Wendy on 5 Cooking Hacks for People With Chronic Illness
  • Barbara Kipper on 5 Cooking Hacks for People With Chronic Illness
  • Bobby J Alexander on 7 Things Not To Do With a PICC Line
  • MARTA LOZANO on PICC-ture Perfect with Covalon IV Clear™
  • Sandee Bennett-Aucoin on PICC Line vs. Central Line: Weighing Your Options

Archives

Categories

  • Adaptive Wear
  • Chronic Illness
  • Featured
  • Friends in the Fight
  • General Wellness
  • Living Mighty Well
  • Lyme Disease
  • Medical Care
  • Medical Devices
  • Mighty Models
  • Picc Line
  • Popular Posts
  • Sickness into Strength
  • Spoonie Community
  • Spoonie Stories
  • The Undefeated
  • Treatment
  • Treatment and Care
  • Uncategorized

Keep in Touch

Facebook Twitter Instagram

Instagram

  • Mighty Well Ambassador Deschwartz16 has learned that even on thehellip
  • Looking for something that will brighten up the holidays forhellip
  • Emily and her cofounders recognized the need for more stylishhellip
  • Today is ThankfulThursday  our MightyWell Ambassadors have been feelinghellip
  • Have you gotten your one of a kind MightyWell patcheshellip
  • Happy GivingTuesday Looking for a way to make a differencehellip
  • Mondays can be tough  especially the ones that followhellip
  • We love the Mighty Wrap! We are also super excitedhellip
  • Did you miss our Black Friday deals yesterday? Not tohellip

Popular Posts

  • 1

    7 Things Not To Do With a PICC Line

    October 12, 2017
  • 2

    PICC Line vs. Central Line: Weighing Your Options

    October 13, 2016
  • 3

    Making a Choice: PICC Line vs. Port

    July 20, 2017
Promotion Image

FRIEND IN THE FIGHT

Promotion Image

CHRONIC ILLNESS

Our Story

Mighty Well - Founder - Emily Levy - Our Story

 

It all started with a cut off sock, a cute hockey player, and an 8 AM finance class. Oh, and a PICC Line. That moment inspired us to launch our first product, the PICCPerfect PICC Line Cover.

 

We know it stinks to feel defined by a diagnosis or feel like just a name on a doctor’s chart. Sounds like you? Read how our founder turned sickness into strength.

Recent Posts

  • Fighting for Inclusion Within the Adaptive Wear Industry

    December 6, 2019
  • We are Thankful for our Brand Ambassadors Everyday!

    December 5, 2019
  • Survival Guide: Managing Dietary Restrictions this Season

    December 4, 2019

Join the Fight

Mighty Well's Facebook Page

Find Us on Instagram

  • Mighty Well Ambassador Deschwartz16 has learned that even on thehellip
  • Looking for something that will brighten up the holidays forhellip
  • Emily and her cofounders recognized the need for more stylishhellip
  • Today is ThankfulThursday  our MightyWell Ambassadors have been feelinghellip
  • Have you gotten your one of a kind MightyWell patcheshellip
  • Happy GivingTuesday Looking for a way to make a differencehellip
  • Mondays can be tough  especially the ones that followhellip
  • We love the Mighty Wrap! We are also super excitedhellip
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Mighty Well © 2018 All Rights Reserved


Back To Top