Hi, I'm Heather.
I'm so glad you found this site.
I am a mother of wonderful spirited 6 year old boy and a wife to my amazing and supportive husband Marc.
Most days you can find me in comfortable clothes cuddling with my cats.
With the help of my support systems, I work on creating content and resources for this website.
I enjoy helping people, and this is one way I am able to help the chronic illness community.
I have had a turbulent, yet not uncommon, experience with Sjogren's Disease. I had early juvenile Sjogren's symptoms which went un-recognized and un-diagnosed.
At age 20 I started looking for answers to my ill health, which lead to 8 years of searching. I was finally diagnosed with Sjogren's at age 28.
I've now been living with the disease for 6 years. Most of those years have been a blessing with remission and minor flare ups, but recent years have been dreadful disease progression and unmanageable symptoms.
This website and blog project started out as a small passion project, to keep me busy when I was in pain, in bed, and unable to work.
I will admit, the majority of my posts are geared towards Sjogren's.
Why? you might ask.
Well for one, Sjogren's was what I struggled with the most day to day.
I also found that there is a significant need for understanding nd awareness for Sjogren's.
Lastly, I know that others out there are looking for support, information, and resources to help them take an active role in their health.
Because of all that, I decided to start this website.
This site has transformed into a place to help readers figure out how to manage their illness. Topics include:
- Sjogren's, lupus and other rheumatic illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis, etc.
- Mental health, including the management of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and stress management
- Chronic illness and chronic pain management
- Family life including parenting with a disability