I trudged into work for snow coverage despite being told by the doctors at the NY Bone and Joint Specialist Center that I may have a hip labral tear and autoimmune arthritis.  If you’re wondering why I did so, it’s because I enjoy sharing information with others that I believe might save a life or just entertain people on a dreary day.

Besides, working makes me feel as capable as everyone else on the planet and it pays the bills.  So, I threw on my boots, three layers of clothes and a hood and made it to my office in the middle of Manhattan.

I passed empty stores on desolate streets to get there, battling strong winds and drifting snow. Still, I was pleased with myself. I had done something hundreds of people, not suffering from a chronic illness, had not. I’d found a way to get to my job with luggage on my shoulder despite bitter temperatures, slick slush coating the ground, no cabs, no trains and no buses on the road.

My joy was short lived when I realized we were doing continuous coverage again; that meant no time to eat or go to the bathroom until there was a pause in the “action.” Twenty years in the television industry didn’t make this reality any easier.

After sifting through all the notes on my desk and the video feeds in, I saw little evidence of neither #snowmaggedeon2015 nor a #blizzardof2015 crippling New York City in any way other than causing panic.  I wondered if I’d given up two days of my life for a “non-event.” Then, I went through my email inbox and found something unexpected.  It was a testimonial from someone who’d pass the snowy day, as I suggested, by reading memoir, Misdiagnosed: The Search for Dr. House; that alone was the trek in.

Here it is:

“I just finished reading Misdiagnosed, which I powered through in one sitting during yet another night of insomnia. Your story really spoke to me, as I am currently in the midst of my own diagnosis. I am 25 and only 2 years into my illness, and reading stories like yours gives me so much hope that I can get through this and still live a good life. Thank you for being so open and honest and for sharing your experience. I look forward to reading some of your other work. I hope you are doing as well as possible!”  — Heather B.