patient_interview

“ALS is not for sissies.” – PatientsLikeMe member SuperScout shares about her journey with ALS

ALS / By

That’s what SuperScout likes to tell people when explaining her personal motto. She was diagnosed in 2009, and in a recent interview, she explained how she takes her life one day, and sometimes one hour, at a time. In her interview, she broke down what goes on during a typical visit to her ALS clinic, and shared how technology has been simultaneously frustrating and extremely helpful. Learn about her journey below. When did you first experience symptoms of ALS? In August 2008, I was attending a Girl Scout event. As we recited the Promise, I noticed my fingers weren’t making the sign correctly. Over the next few months, I began to lose the fine motor skills in my right hand. Writing was hard, & I started using my left hand for most things. I thought I had some form of carpal tunnel. I had NO pain, so I wasn’t concerned. In December 2008, I went to my family doctor for my annual check-up. I told him my problems & he sent me for an electroencephalogram (EEG). That began the series of tests that eventually led to my diagnosis in April 2009. How did you feel after being officially diagnosed? And …

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Getting to know our Team of Advisors – Deb

3 Comments / Multiple Sclerosis, Patient Experiences / By

You’ve been introduced to five members of the PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors so far: Karla, Emilie, Becky, Lisa and Dana. This month, meet Deb, a freelance medical writer who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2009. Learn about her journey and what being a part of the Team of Advisors means to her.  About Deb (aka ruby1357): Deb has spent most of her professional life as a freelance medical writer and editor. Over the years, she has worked with many health and medical organizations. Currently she works in cardiac surgery research for a major hospital system in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. Deb’s primary professional interest has always been patient education. She believes that “knowledge is power”―that clear and accurate information can ease patients’ fear and uncertainty when faced with a serious diagnosis, that anyone is capable of understanding even the most complex research if it is presented appropriately, and that information doesn’t have to be dumbed down for patients to understand it. Deb was diagnosed with MS in 2009. Her passion is dressage, and she credits her horse, Gwen, and riding as the most important and effective “treatments” for her MS symptoms. Deb on patient centeredness: “I feel …

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“I am not alone in this” – PatientsLikeMe member Rikwood55 shares his journey with lung cancer

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New member (and New Zealander) Rikwood55 was diagnosed at age 58 with non-small cell lung carcinoma (stage 4), and he said he joined PatientsLikeMe in the hope of connecting with people on the same or similar lung cancer immunotherapy treatments. Rick took part in a clinical trial, and is now tolerating the immunotherapy treatment well. His scans are looking good, and he sums it up this way: “Five rounds of Carboplatin Chemo was hard going, as it is for everyone. Now more stability has returned and with it, hope for the future.” Read Rick’s interview below and share your own experiences. Tell us a little bit about yourself, Rick. I am Rick, and I was diagnosed at age 58 with NSCLC stage 4 metastasis. I am a New Zealand-born resident currently receiving immunotherapy treatment in a clinical trial every 3 weeks at Auckland Hospital. I have received 14 treatments to date. Scan results have been good and I am tolerating the treatment well. I have joined PatientsLikeMe in the hope of connecting with people on the same or similar lung cancer immunotherapy treatments. Please, no clinical specific info, which would in any way compromise study results. Let’s talk about living day to …

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“I am slowly building my self-esteem “ – PatientsLikeMe member SuperChick shares about her journey with PTSD

1 Comment / Mental Health, Patient Experiences / By

PatientsLikeMe member SuperChick is a veteran living with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and her story is one of learning to cope with emotions and frustrations. She’s living proof that things can get better – she’s a loving mother of two, has a great husband and is managing several other mental health conditions. Below, she shared about the sexual abuse she experienced while serving in the military and explained how her previous husband physically assaulted her. Superchick also describes the symptoms of her PTSD and how the community on PatientsLikeMe has been “a huge help” to her. Read about her journey below. Note: SuperChick shares about her story of abuse, which may be triggering. Can you speak a little about your PTSD and what led to your diagnosis in 1986? I was originally diagnosed with PTSD after being raped while I was in the military. I believe I was more susceptible because I had been molested as a child and didn’t have good family support or dynamics. I worked through it, but was diagnosed again in 2007 after leaving a severely abusive marriage, where I was raped multiple times and choked at least twice. I was emotionally abused and didn’t …

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“You can get better” – PatientsLikeMe member jeffperry1134 shares about his journey with PTSD

Mental Health / By

Many veterans are a part of the PTSD community on PatientsLikeMe, and recently, jeffperry1134 spoke about his everyday life after returning home from military service. In his interview, he touched upon his deployment to Somalia in the early 1990s, and how his memories of Africa cause daily symptoms like anxiety, hallucinations and nightmares. But despite everything, Jeff remains upbeat and reminds us that there is always hope. Scroll down to read what he had to say. Note: the account below is graphic, which may be triggering. Can you tell us a little about your military service and your early experiences with PTSD? I entered the military in the Army in July 1990 as a heavy wheeled mechanic. I went through basic training and AIT at Ft. Jackson, SC. I went to my first permanent duty station in December in Mannheim, Germany. I was assigned to a Chinook helicopter unit. My unit was very relaxed and we got along well. As soon as the war broke out we received our deployment orders. We returned home in July from deployment. My PTSD was early onset after returning from Desert Storm. I experienced nightmares, depression, alcohol abuse and drug abuse. At the time …

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Getting to know our Team of Advisors – Karla

2 Comments / Fibromyalgia, Patient Experiences / By

This past Monday on the blog, Emile shared about her fibromyalgia and what being a part of the PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors means to her, including how she hopes to help doctors understand that patients need to be treated as individuals, rather than just disease names. Today, we’re featuring Karla. She’s also a member of the Team of Advisors living with fibromyalgia as well. Read below to learn Karla’s views on patient-centeredness, open communication and healthcare in a rural community. About Karla (aka kam-turtle) Karla refers to herself as a Southern Gram, who tries not to let her fibromyalgia get in the way of having fun with her grandkids. Karla served as president of a community college prior to retiring from full-time employment in 2010. She has led volunteer boards and fundraising groups, worked in public relations and advertising, and actively worked in a variety of roles in her church. She continues to work part-time as a grant writer, researcher, and owner of a chicken farm where she has a rooster named Handsome. 🙂 After spending a long time finding treatments that worked for her, Karla is passionate about helping others shorten the time between diagnosis and condition management, and she would like there …

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Getting to know our Team of Advisors – Emilie

1 Comment / Fibromyalgia, Patient Experiences / By

If you’ve been following the blog, you’ve already met three members of the PatientsLikeMe Team of Advisors – Dana who is living with bipolar II, Lisa who is living with Parkinson’s and Becky who is living with epilepsy. Now, we’d like to introduce Emilie, a social worker and therapist who is living with Sjogren’s Syndrome and fibromyalgia. About Emilie (aka Memmie) Emilie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who works with children living with chronic illnesses and their families. She’s also been a therapist for both children and adults with chronic illness and in her work has developed a pediatric diabetes pain management program. Emilie herself has an autoimmune disease, fibromyalgia — and recently had to resign from this work that she loves due to the pain, fatigue, and subsequent emotional strain. She hopes to return to doing similar work once her medical issues are more manageable. Emilie on patient centeredness Emilie believes the question should be asked, “what are the ways your health care provider(s) could be more helpful to you?” to better our understanding of patient centeredness. She believes that doctors need to listen to and respect that their patients know their bodies best. Emilie on being part …

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“The human spirit is more resilient than we think” – PatientsLikeMe member mmsan66 shares her journey with ALS

ALS, Patient Experiences / By

PatientsLikeMe member mmsan66 was diagnosed with ALS back in 2008, but she’s been fortunate to experience an unusually slow progression, which currently affects only her legs. As a college professor, financial planner and ALS advocate, she raises awareness through her work with the Massachusetts Chapter of the ALS Association. She even finds time to visit places like the Grand Canyon, and she shared all about her life in a PatientsLikeMe interview. Read below to learn about her personal journey.  What was your diagnosis experience like? What were some of your initial symptoms? I was diagnosed in 2008 at the age of 66 but, looking back, had definitely exhibited symptoms in 2007 or earlier. I had retired a few years prior, after a long career in Human Resource Management that included positions in the fields of health care, the Federal government, higher education (Northeastern University), and high technology (the former Digital Equipment Corporation).  But, rather than slow down and enjoy retirement, I started a second career in tax and financial planning. I became an IRS Enrolled Agent (EA), earned a Certificate in Financial Planning, and obtained my securities and insurance licenses.  I started my own business as a tax and financial …

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“Strength will come, somehow, from somewhere” – PatientsLikeMe member Glow4life shares her journey with lung cancer

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PatientsLikeMe member Glow4life was diagnosed with lung cancer (adenocarcinoma) this past June, and her story is a testament to never losing hope. She recently shared her experiences in an interview, and she spared no details in describing her challenges. Despite her terminal diagnosis, four rounds of chemotherapy and the sudden loss of her husband, Glow4life has remained positive, and she’s learned to take every day as it comes and live in the moment. Learn about her journey below and how she shares love and hope whenever she can. How did you react after getting diagnosed with lung cancer in 2013? What was the diagnosis process like? I had a routine X-ray in February 2013, after attending A & E with chest pains (which turned out to be nothing). A few days later I received a letter asking me to return in 6 weeks for a follow up X-ray, as there was a suspect area, probably scarring from a previous chest infection but best to check. My general practitioner reassured me it was unlikely to be sinister, if cancer was suspected I’d be looked into immediately. I thought no more about it and returned for the repeat X-ray as scheduled. The following …

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The Patient Voice- MS member Jackie shares her story

7 Comments / Multiple Sclerosis, Patient Experiences / By

  When Jackie was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis after a long, exhausting process, she struggled with a fear of the unknown and had no idea what she would be facing. But then she connected with the thousands of MS members on PatientsLikeMe. Jackie shared with the community about how she felt her current medication was making matters worse instead of better, and others responded with how they had the same experience. They told her about a new medication that seemed to be working for some of them. Jackie’s doctor prescribed it after she mentioned what others had shared, and she’s been having good luck with it ever since. Watch the video to see more of her journey.     Share this post on Twitter and help spread #dataforgood. And don’t forget to check out previous #dataforgood member videos.

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