James Baldwin said “Know from whence you came. If you know whence you came, there are absolutely no limitations to where you can go.”
I can’t forget how hard I’ve fought to stay alive. It’s been a struggle to eat, walk, to just exist without pain. But, the decades of chronic illness have also shown me the depths of faith, love and resilience. It’s driven me to use what I’ve learned to help others; to change the world’s perception about people like me (Sick, African American, women, disabled, etc…). And, Baldwin and my soul tell me I can make a difference.
I’m using everything I have to accomplish my goal. I’ve shared my road to diagnosis in my first memoir and now I’m working on a second one about the coping skills I’ve developed. I’ve also stared speaking publicly again. Most recently, I addressed a public forum hosted by the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association in Michigan on 12/9. Here’s are two snippets from my speech.
What you need to know about autoimmune disease
Search for disease beyond the surface
#autoimmunedisease #invisibleillness #chronicillness #chronicpain #igg4 #disability #detroit #spoonie #africanamerican #women #jamesbaldwin
