When Heather Foisy was diagnosed with an autoimmune illness called Sjogren's Syndrome, she felt her world was falling apart. The disease had already been making her nauseous at every meal, and had caused such bad abdominal pain that even walking down the hallway could bring her to tears. But now, with the diagnosis, depression and loneliness set in. At the same time, however,  so did a measure of denial. Heather, intent on distracting herself, continued to go out frequently with her hard-partying friends. That is, of course, until her body crashed and she realized she had to retool her life, all the way down to the way she socialized and made friends.  In this episode Heather describes what she learned in forging a supportive network of friends and family in the wake of chronic illness.

Related Links:

Heather Foisy's advocacy blog: Phoenix Soul Warrior 

Heather on TikTok: @PhoenixSoulWarrior   

Free Prepping For Your Rheumatologist Appointment Worksheet: https://www.phoenixsoulwarrior.com/resources-1

Facebook Online Support Group

Sjogren's Foundation 

Butyoudontlooksick.com: The Spoon Theory 

The New York Times: Five Things I wish I'd known before my Chronic Illness

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Music for The Patient Is In courtesy of Blue Dot Sessions.