Ava Meena

"I asked the doctor, “How could I have such extreme dryness and not have Sjögren’s?” He said there are many people like me. People who have the symptoms but not the disease. I left his office that day unable to fully process my disappointment." #sjogrens mymeenalife.com/sjogrens-lip…

"I’ve found that I have 4 different kinds of #lupus flare-ups. However, it doesn't feel like I’m in charge. Sometimes one type of flare will morph into another kind, and who knows when my lupus might decide to add a new variation to the mix." lupus.net/living/lupus-flare…

"Each week, I find myself getting irritated when it’s time for me to read... I know it’s going to be a miserable, dry, blinking, squinting, and sometimes guessing at words experience. I hate that I can't simply sit down to complete the task." #dryeye chronicdryeye.net/living/try…

"I was blown away by the way his humility led to a wealth of other characteristics that helped me and made me feel respected as a person with chronic illnesses... I found that a humble doctor made me feel like a person instead of just a patient." lupus.net/video/humble-docto…

"But you don’t need a fibromyalgia diagnosis to be blown off by medical professionals - it can happen for any reason at any time. If a doctor underestimates your symptoms it can lead to delays, complications in care, and possibly more pain." #ChronicPain lupus.net/living/years-of-ch…

Just for clarity, I'm not disappointed that I tested negative for the disease - I'm disappointed that there's no explanation for my symptoms or treatment. It's all explained in the post.

"Know that you’re not alone if your flare-up has been a dark place. It might feel like you’re holding onto a telephone pole in hurricane winds, but just keep holding on. When you make it through to the other side, you can start picking up the pieces again. lupus.net/living/dark-flare

"I found myself unable to tolerate several anti-depressants because they worsened my already severe dryness from #lupus and Sjögren’s. I hit some scary lows with my depression and decided to try using low-dose ketamine." #depression lupus.net/video/ketamine-dep…

When a body part starts acting up but you already have a routine appointment with said body part doctor next week.

"This past year I was gifted a new period problem: migraines. I started keeping a headache & migraine diary, which helped me see how my migraines are often intertwined with my hormones... I noticed my lupus joint pain flared up around this time as well." lupus.net/living/migraines-m…

Here are a few situations where my dry eyes made life a little awkward for me: chronicdryeye.net/video/awkw… Has a chronic condition ever made things awkward for you? #chronicillness

"Sometimes, I’m just sick of being the adult in this lupus relationship." #lupus #chronicillness lupus.net/living/depression

I can go from 330 words - wondering how to write more without meaningless filler - to 930 words - wondering how to edit without adding more - in, oh, about 10 minutes. #amwriting #longwinded

Me finally making 3 out of 12 super overdue medical phone calls that I've been struggling to make. #chronicillness #babysteps #whycantidoitallonline