Resiliently Rachel

For years I’ve wanted to get footage of me running and looking healthy, but the snag was that I’ve never been healthy enough to actually run. After years of waiting, the moment finally presented itself. This video shows this past year, and all my treatments and struggles…but it cuts back every once in a while to me now. Running. Happy. Thriving. I absolutely LOVE being able to share my experience–and show people who are going through similar situations that it can be possible to get better. I’m proof of that. My wish is that this can give hope to someone out there dealing with mold treatment. Things can get better—you just can’t let go of that desire to one day be able to film yourself running.

You can view the video here

Continue reading “Most Memorable Year: Treating Toxic Mold Exposure” →

When people hear my story and learn how far I’ve come, they want to know my secret. What did I do to go from being a bedridden teen in constant pain, with no hope of ever having a normal life—to having what looks on the outside like a normal life. I wish Continue reading “First blog post: Keep Swimming” →

My story starts back when I was thirteen and I was diagnosed with Lyme disease. I was a healthy, athletic child who suddenly found herself in a wheelchair and in constant body-wide pain. For the next three years I couldn’t walk, and much of that time was spent in bed, out of school, and desperately fighting for my health. Continue reading “Background” →

Going to my mold specialist is always overwhelming. It’s an hour of being told so much information at such a fast pace that I don’t have enough time to process what is happening. That being said, I’ve come up with a system that has worked out very nicely. Continue reading “Doctors Appointments” →

Growing up with Lyme disease, I thought I knew what it was like to take a lot of medicine, but it wasn’t until my mold diagnosis that I learned the true meaning of “a lot”. For me, it isn’t the amount of pills I take a day that matters—it’s the number of times I have to do it. At the time of writing this, I get reminded 47 times a day to take medication. Sometimes a reminder is 15 pills, other times it’s just one. But 47 times… That’s a lot. Continue reading “Dealing With Medication” →

When I first got the news that I’d be stuck at home for at least the next 9 months, I was devastated on a number of levels. First and foremost because it meant I couldn’t return to the job I loved. I also couldn’t imagine being unable to go to the grocery store for that long! Or a restaurant to meet up with friends! How could I stay at home for 9 months without going completely insane? Continue reading “Ways To Fill Up Time” →

Many people with chronic illnesses develop food allergies. I am one of them. Two years ago I developed an allergy to nearly every fruit and most vegetables, which made my diet very limited. Unfortunately, when one eats the same foods over and over, it increases the likelihood of developing a sensitivity to that specific food, so over the past year I have rapidly developed sensitivities to nearly every food I have introduced into my diet. It’s hard enough to be sick, but then to have all the foods you like get ripped away from you one by one… Feels like a punch to the stomach every time. Continue reading “Food Allergies” →

Throughout my mold treatment a few things have stuck out as being truly helpful. The first being Amazon Prime. With me not able to go inside a grocery store, that makes it so all of my shopping has to be done by my boyfriend, who is a full-time student, has a job, and is a busy guy. So I have become very dependent on Amazon Prime’s free two-day shipping. Amazon has everything from clothes to kitchen supplies to food! With guaranteed two-day shipping, I can plan ahead and have everything delivered right to my door. Continue reading “Things That Have Been Lifesavers” →

For me it all started with an offhand comment I made to one of my health practitioners about how I wasn’t going to hold my breath for one of my various treatments to work. I wasn’t in a bad mood. I wasn’t trying to be negative. I was, in my view, being realistic. I’ve been battling multiple chronic illnesses for over 10 years now. I’ve learned that I only have so much control, and sometimes I have to just ride the rollercoaster I’ve been placed on, whether I want to or not. I do try to be positive, and actually, I’m often complimented on my happy outlook on life, but sometimes things just slip through. This time, however, it ended up leading to a wonderful conversation about gratitude, and it completely changed the way I look at things. Continue reading “Being Grateful” →