Emily Levy was diagnosed with Chronic Neurological Lyme Disease during my sophomore year of college. She needed a long-term IV PICC line that a lot of people get either for antibiotic use, chemotherapy, or nutritional support. Emily was just told to wear a cut sock on my arm, and thought, “This is crazy!”

Her dad, who is in the surfing industry, told her she should put a rashguard over it. So that’s how they got the idea to apply athletic fabric to the medical industry. That’s how Mighty Well started. It was an answer to her needs as a patient.

As COVID-19 and fears around coronavirus spread around the world, many members of our community are at the highest risk for infection. Being immunocompromised during cold and flu season is already stressful enough, and the global spread of a highly infectious virus adds significant anxiety for our Friends in the Fight, as well as the need for further precaution.

If you are feeling additional stress during this uncertain time, Mighty Well and your Friends in the Fight are here to support you as you make decisions about how to best manage your health and wellbeing. If you are looking for support or more tips from our Friends in the Fight community, join our Facebook Group!

Living with chronic illness can significantly impact your confidence levels and change how you look at yourself. It’s common to feel as though your body has ‘let you down’ or ‘is broken’. These beliefs understandably make you feel less confident within yourself.

More than 29 million people live with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in the United States. Managing diabetes can feel like a full time job, and many of our Friends in the Fight are taking time every day to care for their bodies and turn sickness into strength while living with this chronic condition.

If you know someone living with diabetes and are searching for a gift that shows you care, check out this list of the best gifts for diabetes patients

Some days, my relationships seem like a string of transactions and scheduling. Chronic illness ramps up these less-than-sexy aspects of relationships. Being sick requires more planning, more appointments, and often less doing. So how can we maintain and celebrate the truth of our relationships (whether friendships, romantic, family, etc.) without letting illness dominate the routine and conversation?

Right now, we all have someone we feel worried about. At least one person in our lives who is at higher risk from COVID-19. Yet worrying doesn’t necessarily lead to reaching out. We may feel awkward or unsure of how to ask how things are going. Being raised in a society that teaches us to avoid talking about differences, disability, age, health status… Bridging that discomfort doesn’t suddenly go away because of a pandemic.

Even when there’s not a health crisis, reaching out to loved ones who are sick or struggling is not easy. On page 38 of Ilana Jacqueline’s book, Surviving and Thriving With an Invisible Chronic Illness, therapist Dawn Wiggins shares this insight:

The type of support needed will differ from person to person. For those of us with chronic illness (or simply too much on our plate), we may need someone to help with meal prep or safely buying ingredients and holiday decorations. For our Friends struggling to maintain mental health, a genuine “how are you doing?” check-in and time to actually share the answer could make all the difference. For those who cannot be with loved ones during the holidays, thoughtful interactions over video chat or snail mail could bring comfort and community to a lonely time.

Suffering the Silence’s new docu-series, Trust Me, I’m Sick, has a lot to tell us about being an ally to spoonie friends. One of the contributors, Cassandra Rush, hit the nail on the head when she shared what it’s like to be invited out by friends:

Isabelle Edwards is known across the internet as the Diabetes Diva, and if you ever have the privilege of meeting her, you will understand why! Isabelle lives with Type 2 Diabetes, but her enthusiasm for life, her kindness, and her glamour are what you remember after spending time with her. She is a fierce advocate for those living with Type 2 Diabetes and is committed to raising awareness about the disease and about life as a patient.

Erika Young: a 30-year old young professional with Type 1 Diabetes. Her illness didn’t stop her from pushing the boundaries of her physical limits. She has ran marathons around the world, including a 150-mile trek through Turks and Caicos.

Type 2 diabetes is no stranger to stigma, due to fat shaming and misinformation. Yet Halle Berry has proudly and gracefully shared her story with this common disease. She has shown that having diabetes is not something to be ashamed of — it hasn’t stopped her from having a successful career in modeling and acting! As many of our Friends have experienced, having a chronic condition helped her become the incredible woman she is: