Hi, I’m Hannah, and I’m a recovering germaphobe. When I was a kid, I worried about catching diseases from touching other kids’ toys and locker doors. I washed (and still wash!) my hands diligently and thoroughly. I took every single one of my vitamins. For me, this was… Read More

I’m writing this from my doctor’s office. While I’d rather be anywhere but here, I’m thankful I have a doctor I can go to when I’m sick. But I’m not thankful for all the money and time spent talking to doctors with dead ends. I’m not thankful for the… Read More

It all started with a phone call that caught me off guard. “Dad’s in the hospital,” my sister said. “What’s wrong with him?” I asked. “We don’t know. He just wasn’t feeling right. I’ll keep you updated.” I wish I could’ve said, “I’m getting in my car. Read More

You’re busily going throughout your day when you feel it coming on: a tickle in the back of your throat, a wave of nausea, the kind of lethargy only sickness gives. You try to ignore the feeling, telling yourself you have too much to do today. This is the worst… Read More

I said I was fine, but I wasn’t really. I had trouble focusing and felt nauseated all the time. At first, I wasn’t even sure what was going on, I just knew that I felt awful. It turns out that a virus I didn’t even know I had… Read More

As flu and cold season creeps upon us with its curse of coughing and runny noses, I seriously contemplate taking up the age-old practice of hibernation. Can’t get sick if I hide under my bed covers for five months, right? Unfortunately, hibernation isn’t an option for me. So I’ll protect… Read More

You anxiously turn the doorknob, hoping that things will be better today. The door now open, you notice the half-eaten food, the water that is so hard to swallow. You study your loved one’s face, looking for signs of vitality in sallow skin. You struggle to maintain your smile as… Read More

The experience of caring for a sick loved one can feel all-consuming. Run to the store. Pick up snacks. Pick up flowers. Take the kids to soccer practice. Get back to the hospital by 5:00. Drive home and put the kids to bed. In the craziness of caring… Read More

Fear felt like my only option. The medical tests I had taken weeks before held the answers to my future—and I felt so fragile, like I could shatter into a million pieces. My eyes kept filling up with tears every time I thought about the results. Would the… Read More