When I was elementary school age, I wrote a letter to Santa on Christmas Eve wishing for my foot to be "normal." I asked for that and only that because I wanted it so fiercely. I wrote this letter alone in my room and left it by the fireplace on Christmas Eve. I didn't speak … Continue reading A healing process
Tag: rare
A rare community of support
Life with a rare disease brings so many unique challenges for every individual impacted. With CLOVES in particular, this disease manifests in every person differently so no two people diagnosed have the same symptoms. That means that not only do we have a unique experience being diagnosed with a rare disease, but we live an … Continue reading A rare community of support
Rude staring will always happen, but I don’t always have to stand for it
Two weekends ago, my fiancé James and I had just arrived to the pumpkin patch for some fall festivities. We were meeting my sister-in-law later as well for a nice little Saturday. James was wearing nice pants and a Henley top, and I had on some baggy jeans, a flannel, and of course, my normal … Continue reading Rude staring will always happen, but I don’t always have to stand for it
CLOVES awareness and what it means
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
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
Permission to sweat the small stuff (& happy Rare Disease Day!)
Happy Rare Disease Day! As I’ve mentioned many times, living with CLOVES Syndrome is a journey of ups and downs. There are a lot of challenges, big and small, that come with this syndrome that can make life tough sometimes. I happened to be thinking one day about some of the ways that CLOVES impacts … Continue reading Permission to sweat the small stuff (& happy Rare Disease Day!)
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
PeaceLoveHeal 