BeWell Blog

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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

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

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

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

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

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

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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Spring Cleaning as a Spoonie

The birds are chirping, flowers are starting to bloom, and everyone's talking about spring cleaning. My social media news feed is flooded with before-and-after photos of tidy closets and sparkling kitchens. Meanwhile, I'm looking at my cluttered bedroom, calculating math...

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Sip Carefully: Why Alcohol and Chronic Illness Don’t Mix

That time of year again. Shamrocks everywhere. Green-colored everything. The inevitable flood of St. Patrick's Day party invitations and bar specials clogging up my social media feed. But for those of us who juggle life with autoimmune disease or chronic...

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Reflecting on International Women's Day: Honoring Women with Chronic Illness

International Women's Day, marked every year on March 8th, offers a time to commemorate gains achieved by women and look back on work still to be done. It's a day to recognize strength in every sense – including the amazing...

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Spring Forward Struggles: How Daylight Savings Time Affects Chronic Illness

So, we've been a couple of days into Daylight Savings Time now. Is everyone organized yet? Or are you me - still waking up confused, glancing at the clock, and wondering why everything is out of whack? That "just one...

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How to Advocate for Yourself in the Medical System – Lessons from the Rare Disease Community

The first time a doctor told me "it's probably just constipation/gas," I nodded and went home, thinking they must be right. A few doctors and many years later, I finally got my Crohn's diagnosis at the age of 17. That...

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