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Living with Scleroderma

Reflections on the Messy Complexity of Chronicity

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gratitude

Hats Off

Evelyn Herwitz · November 8, 2022 · 2 Comments

It’s Election Day here in the U.S. I write this with some trepidation. There is so much misinformation, so much distrust, so much othering of each other. It is also an extremely important Midterm election, with a lot at stake.

But I’m not going to dive down that dark rabbit hole, where I’ve been spending all too much time of late. Instead, I want to express my gratitude to all of the citizens around this country who, despite some significant risks to their personal safety (a tragic and pathetic reality), are staffing election sites today. I have several friends here who are poll workers. They do an incredible public service.

From them, I’ve learned about the meticulous process of counting ballots, recording that data, sorting ballots by ward and precinct, and securely delivering the ballots to the City Clerk’s office. It’s a long, rigorous endeavor that takes many, many hours. To these civic-minded volunteers, I say a heartfelt thank you.

We have a lot to be grateful for in this country. It’s up to each and every one of us to make sure we participate by voting—and by respecting the election volunteers who give of their time and effort to ensure a fair and accurate count of those votes. Without their commitment, especially in times like these, we would be in dire straits, indeed.

Evelyn Herwitz blogs weekly about living fully with chronic disease, the inside of baseballs, turtles and frogs, J.S. Bach, the meaning of life and whatever else she happens to be thinking about at livingwithscleroderma.com. Please view Privacy Policy here.

Image: Elliott Stallion

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Filed Under: Body, Hearing, Mind, Sight, Touch Tagged With: gratitude, mindfulness, resilience

What I’m Grateful For

Evelyn Herwitz · November 23, 2021 · 2 Comments

What a difference a year can make. Last Thanksgiving, our younger daughter couldn’t come home from Philly because of Covid risks. We had a small celebration with our eldest, who lives only an hour away. But the holiday was overshadowed by all the uncertainty and infections and deaths wrought by the pandemic.

This year, we’re looking forward to all four of us being together on Thursday and to seeing extended family over the weekend. We’re all vaccinated and boosted, so I’m much more relaxed about it than I was last November.

So, of all that I’m grateful for this holiday—our family, dear friends, a nice home in a peaceful neighborhood, a supportive community, the ability to work for myself and pursue my own writing, relative good health despite scleroderma, and more—the thing I am most grateful for this Thanksgiving is the Covid vaccine.

It is an absolute miracle. It is worth the temporary side effects. It prevents serious illness. It saves lives. It has protected me for many months, now. I fear how I would have fared during the Delta wave this summer without it. As cases again surge in Europe and here in the U.S., primarily among those who are not vaccinated as colder weather drives us indoors, I profoundly hope that more people will realize the incredible gift of this scientifically sound and safe vaccine, and get protection for themselves and others around them.

This is my 500th post on Living with Scleroderma. I could never have imagined, when I started this blog on January 3, 2012, that I would be writing about surviving a global pandemic nearly ten years later. Just typing that sentence is mind-boggling. We can never know what is coming next. My hope for you, Dear Reader, is that you make the most of each and every day, whatever it brings—and bring your best to it. That’s really all that any of us can ever hope to do.

Be well, and happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate.

Evelyn Herwitz blogs weekly about living fully with chronic disease, the inside of baseballs, turtles and frogs, J.S. Bach, the meaning of life and whatever else she happens to be thinking about at livingwithscleroderma.com. Please view Privacy Policy here.

Image: Eric Tompkins

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Filed Under: Body, Hearing, Mind, Sight, Smell, Taste, Touch Tagged With: body-mind balance, gratitude, managing chronic disease, mindfulness, resilience

Grateful

Evelyn Herwitz · January 1, 2013 · 16 Comments

One year ago, on New Year’s Day, I was sitting with friends in their cabin out in Western Massachusetts, talking about the idea for this blog.

Writers are always advised, “Write what you know.” Well, with three decades’ experience, I certainly know about scleroderma. For several months, I’d toyed with the notion of writing about this disease, possibly as a freelance project. Those plans didn’t materialize, but the idea lingered.

Even still, I was unsure about going public online. It was scary. For many years, I’ve remained mostly silent about having scleroderma, sharing only with Al, our daughters and a few close friends. The disease is relatively rare, hard to explain, and just plain strange. I’ve had trouble accepting my health challenges, even as I’ve lived with the daily consequences for so long. Like everyone else, I just want to be healthy.

But, reality is, I have this disease and a gift for words.

So, with encouragement from friends and family, I decided to go ahead and blog about what it’s like to live, day in and day out, with this most complex and mysterious illness.

I didn’t want this blog to be a harangue about my travails, or a litany of symptoms and doctor’s appointments. Rather, my goal was to explore the experience of living with a chronic illness, how it shapes your daily life and relationships, as well as how you perceive yourself.

It’s been quite a journey, writing every week. I’ve become more comfortable and confident, sharing with all of you, my loyal subscribers and readers, what it’s like to live with scleroderma. I’m no longer embarrassed when a stranger asks about my hands. I’ve found greater self-acceptance.

I’ve also been deeply moved when readers have shared their thoughts and taken inspiration from my words. And I’m so appreciative of both the Scleroderma Foundation and the Scleroderma Research Foundation, for their wonderful work toward finding a cure, and for their encouragement and help in sharing some of the content of this blog.

Some of you have asked if I will turn this blog into a book. My answer: I’m working on it. Will let you know as I explore concepts, formats and options. Meanwhile, I plan to keep posting for another year, and see where it leads.

To all of you, my profound thanks for reading, commenting and sharing this blog. Most of all, for caring. My best wishes for a healthy, healing, prosperous and peaceful 2013.

Evelyn Herwitz blogs weekly about living fully with chronic disease, the inside of baseballs, turtles and frogs, J.S. Bach, the meaning of life and whatever else she happens to be thinking about at livingwithscleroderma.com.

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About the Writer

When not writing about living fully with chronic health challenges, Evelyn Herwitz helps her marketing clients tell great stories about their good works. She would love to win a MacArthur grant and write fiction all day. Read More…

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I am not a doctor . . .

. . . and don’t play one on TV. While I strive for accuracy based on my 40-plus years of living with scleroderma, none of what I write should be taken as medical advice for your specific condition.

Scleroderma manifests uniquely in each individual. Please seek expert medical care. You’ll find websites with links to medical professionals in Resources.

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