IJAG – Diagnosing part 7 (Restless Leg Syndrome)

I'm over on Substack now and I wrote a piece on being diagnosed with Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). Give it a read: https://bentcolumn.substack.com/p/im-just-a-girl-diagnosing-part-7

Getting dirty

I drone on endlessly about being in nature. The scientifically proven benefits are well-known. The personal stories are countless. While much hasn’t been said about how people with chronic medical conditions and pain can easily incorporate nature-based activities into their daily lives, we should be an important part of the conversation. I’ve touched on the …

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My bad

Things are relative. We are living in a world where even facts and ultimate truths are called into question. Those truths get messier the further down we go into the rabbit hole of examining perception and individual realities. One of my favorite punk lyrics goes, “That’s me inside your head”. Our complex human brains are …

Invisible proof

What you didn’t know, was that you would spend the rest of your life trying to convince people that you are broken. Even as you wrestle with the daily mindfuck that is surviving with invisible conditions, people need you to prove your pain and symptoms. Your word isn’t enough. Descriptions of any detail will never …

Eddie would go

I had the blessing of a childhood tightly intertwined with nature. Instead of days spent with a television babysitter or smartphone appendage, I was nearly always outdoors. Rain, shine, or storm I was outside with only my imagination, friends, and ingenuity.  The reason I’m highlighting my relationship with growing up in a nature-filled life, is …

Failed fluffy friend

I’m an animal person. I’ve been around pets and wild animals for most of my life. I know how to care for and interact with them. It’s all very natural for me. That being said, I haven’t had my own critter for a very long time. With a busy life, moving around, and travelling frequently, …

Crushed by assumptions

People with bent and broken bodies are often presumed to be weak. We are thought to have the same mental and emotional deficits that our external selves display. This becomes even more complicated with invisible disabilities. Looking healthy but having physical challenges means that people assume laziness and lies on top of the incorrect belief …

Trickiness of time

Someone recently asked me how long ago my medical issues started. With a blank stare and stuttered excuse, I realized that I couldn’t answer that question accurately. I began to wonder if I was lacking as a proactive patient. Here's the thing, I’m not sure that I want to have a perfect schedule and exact …

Slogging through hygiene

It’s the more unspoken part of dealing with chronic illness. If being able to get out of bed or going to a doctor’s appointment is a big win, taking care of your daily hygiene needs makes up all the tiny victories in between. It seems so simple. Just take a few minutes to clean yourself …

Like. Lust. Love

Developing and maintaining a romantic relationship isn’t easy on the best of days. We all carry baggage and have expectations that we place on the other person. Even if someone’s situation is “perfect”, they will bring trauma and scars from their past, often subconsciously.  When it comes to handling romance with bent and broken bodies, the …