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Category: chronic illness

Why I’m Matcha Obsessed – Jackie Shea

  It’s all of the buzz right now: We are experiencing a bit of obnoxious “matcha madness” in Los Angeles,  and I’m joining in on the trend. But I’m hoping that as an ex-coffee junkie, my message is more palatable for the masses. Are you confused about what matcha is, WHY matcha is, and how […]

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2. Budd Chiari: How to Live Well with this Rare Liver Disease – Jackie Shea

Budd Chiari: Nick Smoke’s life was overwhelmingly altered the day he found out he had a rare and life-threatening liver disease called Budd Chiari. At 24 years old, he was a working actor with a flourishing career and no reason to be seriously worried about his health —he didn’t drink or smoke, he took good care […]

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Growing out of the Ashes – Jackie Shea

We left early in the morning for Sequoia National Park last Tuesday.  I woke up excited for an adventure—a new place, lots of rocks, big trees, and people I love to share life with. I showered, put on in-the-car clothes, double-checked my suitcase for hiking boots, warm socks, an iPhone charger, and sunscreen. We had […]

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The Curse of Knowing how Healthy Feels – Jackie Shea

I was observing my surroundings. How did I get here? I was lying on a flat table with one needle in my right arm and one in my left—the one in my right drawing dark, heavy, apathetic blood  from my sick body so it could pool in a machine where it got an expensive make-over,  the […]

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Bill Nye Saves the World? – Jackie Shea

That is a mighty declaration Bill Nye makes in his new Netflix show’s title, isn’t it? Especially since his “entertaining” op-ed-esque message in episode two on alternative medicine is mostly destructive. Normally, I wouldn’t be interested in watching anyone try to debunk alternative medical treatments because it is just a way for me to get […]

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While we’re on the Topic of Women: What’s up with our Immune Systems? – Jackie Shea

His teeth moved in his mouth like they weren’t cemented in place—were they dentures or just loose? Was it a twitch he had in his jaw that made his upper teeth push against his lower teeth rocking them forward like that? Was it just his age—will my teeth soften too one day? Jack was in his […]

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Clean Eating: My “Controversial” Diet – Jackie Shea

I gave up booze and drugs at the startling age of 17—the age many (or most?) people are just getting started. Jaws still drop when I mention in passing that I, in fact, do not drink and haven’t in over a decade, but the news doesn’t land with the same deafening impact it did in […]

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Healthy Enough to Feel Like a Lunatic – Jackie Shea

THE PART OF GETTING WELL YOU CAN’T BE PREPARED FOR: I am red and dizzy, hot and overtired sitting at LAX waiting to board a flight to NYC. It’s my first time solo in an airport without wheelchair assistance in almost 2 years. It’s a flight that I’ve diligently avoided for over 2 years- unable […]

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Just Keep Swimming – Jackie Shea

I said, “I am down, lonely and afraid.” To better help you understand how I’ve felt over the last couple years, I used the analogy of a person laid out on the concrete, getting their face bashed in. I asked all of you to meet me down there, hold me, ask me where it hurts, […]

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