CLOVES Awareness Day. August 3rd. This day means a lot of things. A day to educate others about CLOVES. A day to share your story about living with CLOVES. A day to wear green or your CLOVES merch to represent this special day. A day to donate to CLOVES Syndrome Community to support them or … Continue reading CLOVES awareness and what it means
Category: Uncategorized
Give me a break
Not too long ago while at the gym, I was completing a set on the squat rack when I noticed an older man across from me on the other squat rack giving me odd looks. I could tell he was staring at my overgrown foot so I responded to this in my usual fashion - … Continue reading Give me a break
What it means to be rare
What does it mean to be rare? Being rare isn't easy. And it's different for everyone. For me, it means a childhood of searching the ends of the earth for a correct diagnosis, undergoing experimental surgeries and procedures, and wondering what the future holds... It also means waking up sometimes with random backaches where I … Continue reading What it means to be rare
Clinical Drug Trial Experience
I think it’s safe to say that any new medication that can potentially treat CLOVES Syndrome is quite a groundbreaking concept right now. It gives us hope that we are making progress. And for the last few months, I've have the opportunity to participate in one of the drug trials available: The ARQ Trial, which … Continue reading Clinical Drug Trial Experience
Genetic testing experience
If you’re someone or if you know someone with a PROS condition (or any rare disease), you may be aware of how important it can be to get your genes tested to access some treatments. Lately, I’ve been in a rut trying to get tested for the PIK3CA gene. This may be a common process … Continue reading Genetic testing experience
CLOVES Conference recap
A brief recap of the latest CLOVES Family Conference
Call to action
Lately, I’ve been experiencing a bit of a writing block. With starting my first full-time job and studying for my license exam, I haven’t had a lot of free time to just sit down and write. It can become hard to pursue your hobbies throughout a busy life. The reason this blog is so important … Continue reading Call to action
Most ridiculous comments I’ve gotten about my syndrome
Throughout the years, there have been some really outrageous, ignorant comments I’ve gotten regarding my foot from complete strangers. It’s a wonder how some people actually function socially when they can be so insensitive. I used to get embarrassed and let it get to me, but now I realize how hilarious some of these responses … Continue reading Most ridiculous comments I’ve gotten about my syndrome
Top 5 lessons I’ve learned living with my natural imperfections
We all know living with an anomaly can suck, no matter what it is. Throughout my life experiences so far, I’ve learned several lessons that over time have helped me rebuild the parts of my character that so often got torn down from the tough times. Though this may not apply to all since everyone … Continue reading Top 5 lessons I’ve learned living with my natural imperfections
Parenting a child with CLOVES • by Julie, a CLOVES mother
My daughter asked me to write about what it’s like to parent a child with CLOVES Syndrome. When I started to think about what to write, I realized how hard it is to put into words as it is such a unique experience given the rarity of CLOVES Syndrome. Our journey began when Lindsay was … Continue reading Parenting a child with CLOVES • by Julie, a CLOVES mother