You Are Not Alone … Millions of People Have Trouble Swallowing

You Are Not Alone … Millions of People Have Trouble Swallowing

June is Dysphagia Awareness Month. Dysphagia is defined as difficulty swallowing, when food or drink takes more time and effort to move from your mouth to your stomach. For many people, this is annoying or even painful, for others it can be impossible to swallow.

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I Was Having Trouble Swallowing and Now I’m Waiting to Find Out if I Have Esophageal Cancer

I Was Having Trouble Swallowing and Now I’m Waiting to Find Out if I have Esophageal Cancer

Like many of us, I never gave much thought to esophageal cancer. It didn’t impact me or anyone I knew. Then, all of that changed when I had to go in for testing and get biopsies done to see why I was having pain and trouble swallowing. I started doing research on what some of the issues could be and what I could possibly be facing.

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Having a Rare Disease is Hard Enough Without Having to Worry About Swallowing Medications

Having a Rare Disease is Hard Enough Without Having to Worry About Swallowing Medications

February 28, 2022 is Rare Disease Day!

According to rarediseaseday.org, rare diseases impact more than 300-million people worldwide. By raising awareness, those with rare diseases are hoping to work towards equity in social opportunity, healthcare, and access to diagnosis and therapies.

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2022 … Help Me Out! I Can’t Squeeze into My Pants and I’m Choking on My Weight Loss Supplements!

2022 … Help Me Out! I Can’t Squeeze into My Pants and I’m Choking on My Weight Loss Supplements!

Let’s face it, the past couple of years have been hard and have led to a number of challenges. I don’t know about you, but my biggest challenge is getting rid of the weight I put on. I mean, what was there to do while being stuck at home … workout or sit in front of the TV and eat? I opted for sitting around and eating. And when things opened back up, I was so set in my routine of sitting around and eating, that I kept doing it. Not the smartest decision 🤦‍♀️.

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‘Tis the Season for Family, Friends, Food, Parties … and Anxiety!

‘Tis the Season for Family, Friends, Food, Parties … and Anxiety!

“Happy Holidays,” I say with a Cheshire Cat grin plastered on my face while internally just wanting to crawl into bed and sleep until January 2nd.

For most people the holidays are all about spending time with and celebrating family and friends. For others, the holidays can be extremely stressful as they juggle the end of the year work commitments, holiday parties, their children’s holiday events, buying gifts, making holiday dinners and more. For me, the holidays used to be fun but also stressful as my parents ran around getting ready to host family but now it’s a sad time of year, a time when I lost my mom, and the holidays are a reminder of that loss.

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In the Fight Against Breast Cancer, You Shouldn’t Also Have to Fight to Swallow Your Pain Pills

Due to privacy rights, this is not the actual patient.

In the Fight Against Breast Cancer, You Shouldn’t Also Have to Fight to Swallow Your Pain Pills

July 2021: “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but your mother has breast cancer. It’s a very rare type of breast cancer and I suggest we start treatments immediately.”
August 2021: Mother undergoes double mastectomy.
September 2021: Chemotherapy treatments begin.

This is how the past few months have gone for one of my coworker’s friends. Her friend’s life was jolted when she learned of her mother’s diagnosis. Nothing can prepare you for hearing that news, and nothing can prepare you for what happens next.

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