One of the great things about being a chronic illness patient now – in 2017 – is the community you can be a part of even if you don’t know anyone in person who has a chronic illness. It’s so easy to feel alone when you live with a chronic illness, especially if you spend most of your time in your house or live in a small town. That’s why the Internet is so great! You can connect with so many different people, all over the world, and be a part of that community. Whether you’re just starting out and looking for people to follow or you’re already a part and are looking for new people to check out, here are some great chronic illness people.
A lot of that have arthritis or related conditions because that’s what I have and what my focus has been, but most of them have other conditions as well OR are just great resources for the chronic illness life as a whole. What’s really great is that these people have awesome blogs but also have wonderful social media presences, so check them out and follow them. They can also connect you to other people if you’re looking for people with a specific condition!
Hurt Blogger – Britt
Diagnoses: rheumatoid arthritis, spondylitis, Behcet’s disease, Sjogren’s disease
Why she’s great: Fighting through ridiculous situations and shows great perspectives of working, being an athlete, managing the chronic illness life, and more.
Six Hips & Counting – Anna
Diagnoses: systemic juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, pericarditis
Why she’s great: She’s a freaking badass (talking several hip replacements and other surgeries) and also an athlete and an awesome advocate.
Not Standing Still’s Disease – Grayson
Diagnoses: system juvenile idiopathic arthritis, fibromyalgia, psoriasis, anemia, depression, anxiety, PTSD, migraines, asthma, allergies,
Why he’s great: Constantly teaching people about chronic illnesses, doesn’t take crap from anyone, actively works to educate people on love with chronic illness (physical and emotional)
Find here: Chronic Sex, Twitter, Instagram
It’s Just a Bad Day – Julie
Diagnoses: avascular necrosis, psoriatic arthritis, complex regional pain syndrome, Prothrombin Thrombophilia, depression, anxiety, Melanoma in Situ.
Why she’s great: She takes medications, but she also focuses a lot on the holistic things to help treat her arthritis. Also, she had a stem cell treatment done to her knee, so you can learn a lot about that!
Life According to Kenz – Kenzie
Diagnoses: rheumatoid arthritis, depression, anxiety, fibromyalgia, unspecified inflammatory bowel disease, cervical dystonia, endometriosis
Why she’s great: With so many health conditions (and so many events that have happened over the last few years), she has been through the ringer. But she keeps a smile on most days and works hard to have an exceptional life regardless. Kenzie is honestly one of the nicest people I have ever met in my life.
Find here: Twitter, Instagram
Illness to Wellness – Emmie
Diagnoses: fibromyalgia, postural orthostatic tachychardia syndrome, bipolar disorder type II, irritable bowel syndrome, subclinical PTSD, and anxiety
Why she’s great: Emmie works so hard to help people and she’s so sweet and kind and also such a hard worker. (I have the privilege of meeting her at undergrad and adopting her as my choir little, so I know this better than most people on the Internet.) She shares her story, the story of other people, and educate her followers.
Find here: Twitter
Who are your favorite chronic illness blogs or people?
Like this post? Check out:
Accepting Your Body with Chronic Illness, How To Become an Advocate for Patients, Resources for People with Arthritis
Kate Mitchell is a blogger, chronic illness patient, and advocate who helps people understand chronic illness and helps chronic illness patients live their best lives.
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