BeWell Blog

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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Spring Cleaning as a Spoonie

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

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

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

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

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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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...

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Life is Short: Use the Markers

Life is Short: Use the Markers

Growing up, I had this habit that I now recognize in so many others living with chronic illness - saving the "good stuff" for some perfect future moment that never quite arrives. The Story Behind the Markers I remember the...

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Sweet Reminder: The Hidden Powers of Chocolate

Sweet Reminder: The Hidden Powers of Chocolate

Living with chronic illness means being on the eternal quest for symptom-soothing options via natural remedies. In my personal journey with an autoimmune disease, I read so much about therapeutic foods-and chocolate keeps popping up as this really interesting ally....

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Beyond Roses and Chocolates: Valentine's Gifts That Show Real Understanding

Beyond Roses and Chocolates: Valentine's Gifts That Show Real Understanding

Finding the perfect Valentine's Day gift gets complicated when your loved one lives with chronic illness. After years of navigating this journey alongside warriors in our community, I've learned that the most meaningful gifts aren't just thoughtful – they make...

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