I write about invisible illness.
@elephantstalk.bsky.social
Harvard trained narrative storyteller. Formerly @Forbes. Author, The Elephant in the Playroom. Every patient has a story a doctor never hears. Tell yours at spikethegame.net
This post is terrifying to think about for chronic illness patients who often resort to asking AI everything under the sun b/c their primary care doctor doesn’t have time to answer their questions in a nuanced way. #chronicillness #harvardradcliffe #science
SMD@anothersmd.bsky.social · 2w agoThis is fucking terrifying
Snapped this photo after yoga class. It’s exactly why I go. It slows my brain down in the best way —and gives me a sense of lightness. I have Long COVID so hot yoga is not the best idea, but I can’t resist. #yoga #pacing #anxietystopper
#wildflowerhour purple tubular pollinators pop up everywhere in my hood. As do #rescuedoodles . Love them both.
As we recall the trauma caused by COVID in 2020, we should not forget COVID continues to harm. Many still suffer from Long COVID, people who mask are often harassed, and we haven’t scaled clean air infrastructure. If we truly acknowledge past harms, we should be working to create a better future.
Snapped this photo after yoga class. It’s exactly why I go. It slows my brain down in the best way —and gives me a sense of lightness. I have Long COVID so hot yoga is not the best idea, but I can’t resist. #yoga #pacing #anxietystopper
New reading on #chronicillness via @juliametraux.bsky.social :
Julia Métraux@juliametraux.bsky.social · 4d agoI'm a 1/4 through this book "Sick Work" by @elimrogers.bsky.social, and it's such a good capture of life with chronic illness, specifically ME/CFS, that I need to take emotional support breaks to think about how historic neglect of this illness leads to my life now. www.dukeupress.edu/sick-work
Let’s be clear here, when scientists say mistakes were made at the start of the pandemic, we DO NOT mean that we did too much. We mean not socially distancing quickly enough, not making tests widely available, and not acknowledging COVID is airborne and distributing N95 masks to everyone.
Peers offer advice on living with chronic illness that no one else can. They have lived experience. One of the few silver linings of being so sick? If you have the energy, you can pass on your knowledge of how to manage life #peersupport #insiderillnesstips #askforhelp
Hot take: the less you interact directly with patients, the lower your pay should be next year. Between 2021 and 2024, @Brigham’s CEO pay shot up 96% acc. to @propublica. If you sit in the C-suite, the risks you take are minimal compared to frontliners. #nursesdeservesupport #nursingstrike
45 patients w/ chronic illness get together to tell stories about their lives based on a deck of images. What they don’t say? Drs. are horrible or I’ll never get better. They say: I won’t give up if I am connected to meaningful talks and joyful moments. We connect peers. 🔗 in bio. #chronicillness
45 patients w/ chronic illness get together to tell stories about their lives based on a deck of images. What they don’t say? Drs. are horrible or I’ll never get better. They say: I won’t give up if I am connected to meaningful talks and joyful moments. We connect peers. 🔗 in bio. #chronicillness
I can’t wait for the day this ⤵️ is updated. 👀
Stephen J.Reid@stereid.bsky.social · 6mo agoMy new pinned post -
👋 Public Health Communicator from Australia here. One of the reasons Australia punches above its weight in sports is that it prioritizes sports science. It's no surprise that Aussie athletes like the swim team have been consistently masking to prevent themselves getting sick before competitions.
Here’s how people who are so sick still look so good—and maddeningly get told all the time ‘but you look great?!” #invisibleillness #butyoulookok www.instagram.com/reel/DaDM1LR...
New on the blog: surprising facts about who does and doesn’t ask for accommodations. Surprising stats and resources included. #stigma #askforhelp #chronicillnessadvice
Excellent point. I do worry that many ADA protections will fade away in the coming years. #section503 #medicaid #healthcarecosts
Mary Beth O'Connor@marybethoconnor.bsky.social · last mo.A reminder that substance use disorder/addiction is a mental health disorder. And some Americans with Disabilities Act protections apply, such as the right to use medication for your SUD and to receive reasonable accommodations for your recovery.
I am not a doctor. I don’t want to be one. But one year at @harvardmed.bsky.social taught me how to advocate for my own care: Be curious. Tell your story in a linear format clinicians can understand. Don’t settle for fragmented care. #chronicillness #medsky
New on the blog: surprising facts about who does and doesn’t ask for accommodations. Surprising stats and resources included. #stigma #askforhelp #chronicillnessadvice
I am not a doctor. I don’t want to be one. But one year at @harvardmed.bsky.social taught me how to advocate for my own care: Be curious. Tell your story in a linear format clinicians can understand. Don’t settle for fragmented care. #chronicillness #medsky
The two types of dogs: 🔊 #AGoodPlace Source: www.reddit.com/r/humor/s/b1...
Every patient with a chronic illness has a story worth hearing, especially if you are a a clinician. Tell your doctor what you want them to know—good or bad. Play spikethegame.net and help collect stories doctors need to hear. #patientvoices #disabilityvisibility
Hot take: the less you interact directly with patients, the lower your pay should be next year. Between 2021 and 2024, @Brigham’s CEO pay shot up 96% acc. to @propublica. If you sit in the C-suite, the risks you take are minimal compared to frontliners. #nursesdeservesupport #nursingstrike
#disabilityawareness includes talking to real people with chronic illness about their lives. The more stories, the more care, understanding, community and connections. It’s kinda like a ‘touch grass’ moment but well, actually more like “get in touch”
#truth I am often so surprised that one semi-active day at work can creep up and ruin my entire weekend. It’s like living in a game of Chutes and Ladders #chronicillness
Chronic Illness Humor@chronicillness.bsky.social · last mo.
I can’t recommend this podcast episode with #katebowler enough. She talks about joy during illness—and her awesome stories about one doctor in particular who really bugged her are hilarious and so smart. What a great mind. #chronicillness #patientstories #podcast
Kate Bowler: Is Joy Possible When Things Are Difficult?
Podcast Episode · Staying Human with Dr. Vivek Murthy · May 26 · 1h 14m
podcasts.apple.com
#booksky Thanks for promoting writing about and by disabled talent this July. Here’s a great list from Association of Writers & Writing Programs disability pride reading list www.awpwriter.org/AWP/Magazine... Plus a thank you to all who have supported my work! #booksky #disabledwritersonbluesky
Celebrate Disability Pride Month This July!
Every July, AWP recognizes Disability Pride Month to highlight the importance of working toward a more accessible and inclusive world. Below, find articles from The Writer’s Chronicle, past AWP events...
awpwriter.org
I write about invisible illness.@elephantstalk.bsky.social · 2mo agoThank you to all the teachers, grandparents and parents still buying this pioneering set of essays! www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/298966... #disability #children #pediatricians #books
Reading this for July book club! #isaacfitzgerald It’s making me want to sit at a bar and just listen to people’s stories for a week. #mentalhealth #greatreads
@nancyadairb.bsky.social · 3mo ago#sundaysentence Capitalism seems especially adept at taking a complex issue—often one with underlying brutality—and turning it into a T-shirt. Or a park. #americanrambler @aaknopf.bsky.social #isaacfitzgerald
Walked by my first robotic assistant last week at a hospital in Boston, beep-beeping its way around the corner to radiology. Then watched The Pitt later that night. #weirdworld #medicine
Dr. Robby from The Pitt
Alt: Dr. Robby from The Pitt wipes his face with hands in effort to clear his mind
static.klipy.com
Billy Joe Stratton@billyjstratton.bsky.social · 2mo agoFortune is absolutely killing it with their inhuman vibes. Love* this story about mechanizing food service! Why not also innovate the dining experience by having customers lay on a conveyor so food can be pumped in! One robot server could easily handle 500 diners an hour! fortune.com/2026/06/09/m...
