BeWell Blog

Mother's Day with Chronic Illness: Honoring Moms Who Are Warriors Too

Mother's Day with Chronic Illness: Honoring Moms Who Are Warriors Too

Mother's Day is near, and as social media fills with pictures of moms managing stylish brunches and family hikes, many of us in the chronic illness community are quietly thinking about how we're going to muster enough energy to just...

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You and Your Body Against the Disease: A Love Letter from a Chronic Illness Warrior

You and Your Body Against the Disease: A Love Letter from a Chronic Illness Warrior

Written by: Nicole Benish   Hey! My name is Nicole and I live by the motto: You and your body against the disease, not you against your body. It’s working so hard to fight the illness(es), it’s doing everything in...

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Living with IBS: What I’ve Learned as an IBS Warrior

Living with IBS: What I’ve Learned as an IBS Warrior

Written by: Erica Spruill Happy Irritable Bowel Syndrome Month! If you don't know what Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is, let me tell you. According to the International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders, “IBS is a disorder in which people have recurring...

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Pros and Cons of Living with a Chronic Illness

Pros and Cons of Living with a Chronic Illness

Written by: Koren Brosnac Developing a chronic illness changes your life. One day you might be active, healthy, and full of energy—and the next, you're in and out of doctors' offices, hospitals, ambulance rides, and struggling to get through each...

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Chronic Illness and Earth Month: Eco-Friendly Habits That Don't Burn Spoons

Chronic Illness and Earth Month: Eco-Friendly Habits That Don't Burn Spoons

So it's Earth Month again, and my social media is flooded with people showing off their perfect zero-waste lifestyles, homemade cleaning products, and backyard compost bins. Meanwhile, I'm staring at the mountain of pill bottles, blister packs, and medical waste...

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Redefining Easter Holidays with Chronic Disease: Celebration Without the Energy Drain

Redefining Easter Holidays with Chronic Disease: Celebration Without the Energy Drain

The pastel bunnies intrude, supermarkets are filled to the brim with egg-dying kits, and social media feeds are saturated with pristine family Easter schedules. And we, with chronic illness, quietly tallying the energy cost of every tradition and attempting to...

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When Sunshine Feels Like a Flare: Managing Heat Sensitivity with Chronic Illness

When Sunshine Feels Like a Flare: Managing Heat Sensitivity with Chronic Illness

Ugh, summer. That magical time when everyone posts beach pics and patio brunches while I'm over here with my cooling towel wondering why my body thinks 78 degrees is a personal attack. Don't get me wrong - I love seeing...

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IBS in Public: 10 Real-Life Hacks for Managing Symptoms on the Go

IBS in Public: 10 Real-Life Hacks for Managing Symptoms on the Go

There's having IBS at home - and having IBS out and about. Two very different problems. At home, you know where the bathroom is. You've got your heating pad, your comfort foods, and no one questioning why you've been in...

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IBS or Something More? How to Know When to Ask for More Answers

IBS or Something More? How to Know When to Ask for More Answers

April rolls around annually as IBS Awareness Month, and it always has me thinking about diagnoses, doctor visits, and those gut feelings (yes, literally) that something just doesn't seem right. For all of us, IBS is not just a diagnosis...

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Seizing the Outdoors: Enjoying Warmer Weather Without Doing Too Much

Seizing the Outdoors: Enjoying Warmer Weather Without Doing Too Much

The sun's finally showing up more often, and I don't know if it's just me, but I get that feeling to be outside. There's something special about those first truly warm days that awakens something in us - a craving...

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It's Heating Up Outside, and Still Freezing Inside: The Importance of Adaptive Clothing Throughout the Year

It's Heating Up Outside, and Still Freezing Inside: The Importance of Adaptive Clothing Throughout the Year

Finally, spring. Everyone is casting off coats, soaking up rays, and storing away winter apparel. Everyone but us people with chronic illness, that is. We are smarter. We are aware that no matter what the weather app says, we still...

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Why Are My Allergies Worse? How Autoimmune Diseases Affect Allergic Reactions

Why Are My Allergies Worse? How Autoimmune Diseases Affect Allergic Reactions

Oh, spring. Sunshine, flowers, and... tissues. Lots of tissues. For us folks dealing with autoimmune issues, the beginning of allergy season tends to bring a specific kind of woe. That singular bout of sneezing has become a seven-day orchestra of...

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