Community

“When people hear the word ‘epilepsy,’ they often think of dramatic convulsions or flashing lights. But what they don’t see—the part that lives in silence and shadow—is the reality of living with an invisible illness. For the last 15 years, I’ve lived with epilepsy. On the outside, I may look like I’m doing just fine….

“My name is Heather Bickel Stevenson and I am an RN/counselor/coach and Spiritual director. I wanted to share my story with chronic illness in a nutshell, if that is possible.  I had a TBI when I was a freshman in college and that damaged my ability to sleep at all. That severely compromised my immune…

“I didn’t think it would be so difficult to write this, but as the words come out it almost feels like I am writing about someone else. Do you ever ask yourself, ‘How did I end up here?‘ In the good and the bad moments, I now ask myself this question almost every day.  I…

“I have the urge to share my journey with as many people as possible. To raise awareness, to educate, and to help others so they don’t ever feel alone like I did in the beginning of my journey. My story has been long, like many others, but it’s also full of hope and gratitude. My husband and…

“I believe I have been one of the very few women in the world breastfeeding in menopause. I am 36 years old and in October 2022 I had to remove my uterus, cervix, ovaries and tubes. At that time my baby was 5 months old and choosing to do the surgery was the hardest decision…

“When I was 11 years old, a psychiatrist asked me if I blamed myself for having a disease. I am pretty sure I had a bit of side-eye at that question, but then looked her in the eyes and responded, ‘Not at all. I don’t wonder why this happened to me or blame anyone, of…