Wilma Rudolph lived with disability and sickness from the very beginning. She’s born into this world way too early. There’s no treatment for babies two months premature. Most babies weighing four pounds at birth don’t make it, but she did. The odds are stacked against her. She’s the 20th of 22 children and her parents…Continue reading How Wilma Rudolph survived polio and became the fastest woman in the world
How opioid hysteria and moral panic worsened the opioid crisis
A moral panic is happening in the United States right now, and it’s the so-called “opioid crisis” or “opioid epidemic” that pops up daily in the news. Reporters can be heard lamenting that the sky is falling and that anyone and everyone is addicted to prescription drugs. Of course, we know that isn’t true, but…Continue reading How opioid hysteria and moral panic worsened the opioid crisis
Disabled Women in History: Fannie Lou Hamer and the Civil Rights Movement
Fannie Lou Hamer grew up as a sharecropper, earned the nickname “the First Lady of Civil Rights”, became the co-founder of the Mississippi Freedom Party and the co-founder of the National Women’s Political Caucus, and she lived with a disability. Fannie had a gift for captivating audiences with her forceful personality. She dealt with violence…Continue reading Disabled Women in History: Fannie Lou Hamer and the Civil Rights Movement
How racism in pain management endangers the lives of Black Americans
Racism in pain management has been around since the beginning of medical care, but thanks to the opioid crisis, it’s really ramped up in the last few years. It’s become so prevalent that now doctors are patting themselves on the back because they’re “saving” Black people from the opioid crisis by being racist. Doctors racist…Continue reading How racism in pain management endangers the lives of Black Americans
Disabled Women in History: Frida Kahlo and life with chronic pain
This week’s disabled woman in history features the incomparable Frida Kahlo who lived with chronic pain. From the beginning of her life to the end, Frida was a force. I enjoyed every single minute of my research on her. I felt her physical pain, her emotional sorrows, and her triumphs. Frida was someone with lots…Continue reading Disabled Women in History: Frida Kahlo and life with chronic pain
The ultimate guide to Fibromyalgia and how to treat it
Receiving a Fibromyalgia diagnosis can be overwhelming, but don’t worry, while there is no cure there are Fibromyalgia treatment options. I’m fairly confident that in the last ten years I’ve tried most of them! Some work better than others, and each answer is individual, but a Fibromyalgia diagnosis is not a death sentence. So here’s…Continue reading The ultimate guide to Fibromyalgia and how to treat it
6 influential women with disability from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME
There are so many women in history who lived with disability and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). Unfortunately, there is little information about them available so they can’t individually be a part of my Disabled Women in History series. However, in honor of chronic fatigue syndrome / myalgic encephalomyelitis awareness month and…Continue reading 6 influential women with disability from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME
Disabled Women in History: Florence Nightingale and Fibromyalgia
Florence Nightingale and Fibromyalgia seem like an unusual parring, but May is Fibromyalgia Awareness Month and it’s time to raise awareness of Florences’ Fibromyalgia like symptoms that disabled her for most of her life. She was a hero and inspiration to many women through nursing, but no matter how hard she worked, doctors still said…Continue reading Disabled Women in History: Florence Nightingale and Fibromyalgia
15 Top recommendations for living with fibromyalgia by those who know
Living with Fibromyalgia is a delicate dance, which is why May’s Fibromyalgia Awareness Month is so important. The bloggers at the Fibro Blogger Directory got together to provide the ultimate post for Fibromyalgia recommendations. Each blogger has a link with the rest of the blog post, so definitely head over to other blogs to read…Continue reading 15 Top recommendations for living with fibromyalgia by those who know
Disabled Women in History: Noor Inayat Khan WWII Spy and Indian Princess
Midnight December 13th, 1944 disabled spy Noor Inayat Khan entered Dachau, the first-ever concentration camp built by Hitler. Like so many others Noor and the other prisoners walked underneath the sign Arbeit Macht Frei, but there would be no work for Noor in Dachau. As they were locked into cells that night, Noor and her…Continue reading Disabled Women in History: Noor Inayat Khan WWII Spy and Indian Princess