Autoimmune Dysmotility and Me: Part Two

A few months ago, I posted about my struggle with dysmotility, basically a disorder where food does not move through the digestive system appropriately. At the time, we thought it was my stomach. That proved untrue – my stomach is fine. Turns out it is my esophagus, specifically the lower third that due to nerve […]

Congratulations Admiral Levine. And thank you for your service

From the NYT and BBC Dr Rachel Levine, the US assistant secretary for health, has been sworn in as the first transgender four-star officer in the country’s history. The 63-year-old is now an admiral of the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Dr Levine, appointed by President Joe Biden, is already the highest-ranking openly transgender […]

Let the record show that I spoke up for Susan Kerr and said that what she endured was not okay

Sue Kerr

Content note: trauma, child abuse, generational dysfunction, childhood sexual violence So I’m not attaching or bonding with my parents, I’m developing a ridiculously unhealthy dependency on a horrific abuser. And no one talks about any of this because they don’t have the skills to do so. Welcome to 1972. “How much do you love me?” […]

50 Plus 1 To Grow On: Pandemic Birthdays, Milestones, and Community Cats

I turned 50 years old on October 22, 2020. Our big plan to celebrate with a weekend spa trip – something I would ordinarily never do – were postponed. And I was bummed, but resigned. I had hoped to ‘make it up’ this year before 50 slipped further away from me, but that’s not going […]

Sharing (Part of) My Mental Health Journey on #WorldMentalHealthDay

WOrld-Mental-Health-Day

Sponsored by World Health Organization (the day, not the post) The overall objective of World Mental Health Day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health. The Day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their […]

Losing weight is not the eternal magic fat girl solution

When you’ve undergone test after test to figure out why you are sick, there is a moment – a moment when a test turns up information. Not quite a diagnosis, not quite a precise answer. But still, it is something to cling to in a landscape colored by bias, insurance industries, and sexism, of people […]

Asking People About Their Vaccination Status Makes Me Anxious

Social Media Face Mask Shares

Recently, a local elected official posted photos on social media – without masks – attending a social event outside. And then supported legislation requiring masks at outdoor spaces. Now that’s a little bit of a head spin, but more importantly to me is the failure to qualify the original posts. Are the people in the […]

They value me more when I am literally diminished or why I’m not talking about my unexplained weight loss

Sue Kerr

t I’ve been keeping something from you and most people. I’m struggling with ongoing symptoms related to a potential GI disorder. That’s not the piece I held back – I’ve written about those experiences. The part I haven’t mentioned is that I’ve lost 25 pounds since the spring. <waits to see what you say> <– […]

The Opposite of Abandonment

It was an early fall evening when the light lingered in the promise of chilly weather. My brother and I escaped the schoolbus and ran down the hill to our family home as fast as we could. I was in 3rd grade so 7 years old. My 5-year-old brother was in 1st grade. The house […]

Autoimmune Dysmotility and Me

Last year, I found a doctor who finally believed me. She believed I was always low grade nauseated, I was typically not hungry, etc. I was miserable. She sent me for bloodwork and scheduled other tests. The bloodwork contained a marker suggesting I might have a GI autoimmune disorder. Then, pandemic. She thought I might […]