May 24, 2026
Our two golden retrievers, Autumn and Winston.
My first “lately” entry feels intimidating. Blank pages tend to stress me out because I want each one to be perfect. I used to think perfection was attainable, that if I worked hard enough and was smart enough and was talented enough, I could be perfect. But I now know that’s simply setting myself up for failure - nobody and nothing on this earth is perfect.
So anyway, no perfectionistic goals are being set here. Just raw, honest thoughts that hopefully resonate with others so that we can be part of a larger community bonded by shared experiences.
If you looked at the “About” page, you may have read that I have multiple autoimmune diseases and am a cancer survivor. I’m not a victim here, just laying out my problems. I’m here to share my life experiences and, hopefully, make a positive impact on at least one person who needs to feel part of something bigger.
My promise to anyone reading this site is that I will tell the truth as carefully and honestly as I know how. I won’t pretend to have everything figured out. That there will always be room here for grief, hope, humor, and support.
I first began feeling unwell when I was 16 years old (I’m 60 now) when I came down with an undiagnosed illness that kept me in the hospital for a week. Fast forward to today - I have 3 autoimmune diseases (Crohn’s Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Primary Biliary Cholangitis). I also have Limited Scleroderma and Paget’s Disease. Three years ago, I was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer in my small bowel (neuroendocrine tumors, Stage IV) and had surgery to remove the cancer.
The cancer has not come back, and luckily for me, it’s a slow-growing cancer, so I am under the care of an oncologist who sees me once a quarter to make sure it’s all going okay. For me, that’s everything I need right now - just peace of mind that if anything pops up, I’ll be ahead of the game.
Take care, see you soon!
My “Wellness Hub” where I keep track of all my symptoms, medical appointments, test results, and so much more.
June 3, 2026
What The Page Gives Back
The Hobonichi A5 2026 Cousin planner. My husband thinks this sounds like a foreign language when I talk about my love for this thing. Ha! He does not fully understand how a simple book like this can be so incredibly important to me.
And he’s not totally wrong. The book is simply the tool that helps me get my thoughts out of my head so I can make room for more important things like remembering to drop off a package or calling the dentist back.
Honestly, my memory isn’t nearly as good as it used to be. Some say that’s just part of aging - and that may be true. But I also think my brain only has so much capacity, and eventually stuff has to tumble out to make room for more stuff.
The reason this particular Hobonichi A5 Cousin is important to me is for one simple reason - it houses my daily routine, what I’ve eaten, how I’m feeling, what’s made me feel good, bad, and in between. Because when you have illnesses that become all-consuming, you can start to become fixated on getting through the week, then just through the day, and some days you gotta get through hour by hour. I’m not saying any of this to be dramatic; I’m just saying when you get too far into the weeds at the daily level, you tend to lose sight of the bigger picture. That’s what’s happened to me in the past.
This book is called my “Wellness Hub,” and it’s a way to gather all the information I need to notice patterns of symptoms, how long they last, how frequently, which ones cluster together, and on and on. It’s super helpful when I visit one of my doctors, and they start asking really detailed questions about who, what, when, why, where, and I feel like I’m sitting across from a detective in an interrogation room - hot light shining on my face. Just kidding. They’re much kinder than that.
I see seven different specialists, and even I get confused about who knows what. It doesn’t help that all my current doctors have less than 3 years of experience with me, since we’ve moved around a lot before we landed here. So, they’re playing catch-up with my disease history.
Recently, one of my doctors gave me a compliment that made it seem like all this tracking is totally worth it. She said, “You’re a great medical historian.” Aw, shucks, you didn’t have to say that, but thanks; I try.
My point in telling you all this is that there have been countless times when a doctor and I have been trying to figure something out, and this planner has come in handy for going back in time to find patterns that may or may not make sense. It’s a place to start, and that’s worth something.
If you’re interested in learning more about symptom tracking and my methodology, shoot me a note, and I’ll be happy to share.
Talk soon!