BeWell Blog

women in pink walking at a breast cancer event

Against the Pink Police: Why Wearing Pink in October Can Be an Act of Solidarity

Every October, pink ribbons sprout on everything from coffee cups to sneakers. In the cancer community, that wave of pink is meant to symbolize support, awareness, and hope. But in recent years, the backlash has grown: the charge of “pink-washing”...

Read more

a gold ribbon next to a teddy bear and a child's shoe

Beyond the Gold Ribbon: Everyday Acts to Support Childhood Cancer Families

Each September, gold ribbons serve as a reminder that it's Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The symbol is powerful, but childhood cancer families need more than awareness, they need real, every-day support. If you have ever found yourself pondering, "What can...

Read more

Flat lay of a planner, writing utensils, medications, pill holders and a water bottle. This depicts back to school for chronically ill.

Back-to-School Preparation When You're Chronically Ill

Back-to-school preparation with chronic illness? These are some tips to reduce stress, organize medication, and prepare school or college essentials.

Read more

Women in a wheel chair painting a colorful mural on a wall.

Beyond Visibility: Reframing Wellness Through the Prism of Disability Pride

Disability Pride Month is in July, and visibility is vital, but I just can't stop thinking about something more. What if we're not just asking to be included in wellness conversations—what if we're actually pioneering them? After decades of navigating...

Read more

women looking at the food table at a 4th of july picnic

Freedom to Live Full: Adaptive Clothing Provides Independence for All

What Freedom Truly Is When You're Fighting Your Body Every Day July rolls around, and everyone is talking about freedom and independence. Reminds me of my own conception of freedom—which really has nothing to do with fireworks or parades. It's...

Read more

Built From the Battle: How IBD Shaped BeWell Products

Built From the Battle: How IBD Shaped BeWell Products

A view into how IBD shaped BeWell for World IBD Day. When I Was First Diagnosed with Crohn’s... ...I thought my life would be divided in two: before IBD and after IBD. But what I didn’t expect—what no one tells...

Read more

Why May Matters: Lupus, Arthritis, Mental Health, Fibromyalgia, Ehlers-Danlos & IBD Awareness

Why May Matters: Lupus, Arthritis, Mental Health, Fibromyalgia, Ehlers-Danlos & IBD Awareness

The flowers are blooming, the allergies are starting, and now all of a sudden my social media timeline is filled with colored ribbons and hashtags. May isn't just about spring blooms and Mother's Day brunches - it's when most chronic...

Read more

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...

Read more

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...

Read more

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

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...

Read more

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

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...

Read more

Why Rare Disease Awareness Matters: How It Benefits the Whole Chronic Illness Community

Why Rare Disease Awareness Matters: How It Benefits the Whole Chronic Illness Community

I'll never forget the day my doctor finally put a name to what was happening to my body. After years of being told it was "just constipation/gas" or "all in my head," having a diagnosis – even not a rare...

Read more