Invisible Illness / Visible Worth Interviews
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Q&A with Katerina: “Even if you feel alone, God will always be by your side.”
Today I get to introduce you to Katerina, who is a dancer and teacher, as well as a college student working towards a bachelors degree in psychology.
Last year she started a blog called Beauty in the Pain to share her journey with the neuromuscular disease CMT and encourage those who struggle with chronic pain.
I’m so glad she reached out for an interview because I’ve been so blessed to read how she is adapting her passion for dance and seeing God’s faithfulness in the midst of chronic illness.
I hope you’re encouraged by this conversation with Katerina on chronic illness, faith, and perseverance.
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Q&A with Lauren Watt: “I’ve had to learn to find contentment in my difficult circumstances.”
I’m thrilled I get to introduce you to Lauren Watt, an artist and blogger who is going to share some of her story and how she finds contentment in chronic illness.
Lauren is the youngest interviewee I’ve featured on the blog so far, and she writes with wisdom and clarity about her chronic illness journey, which began when she was just 14.
I’ve really enjoyed reading her blog after we connected online, and I hope you’ll check out her artwork and blog on her website, Lauren’s Easel.
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Q&A with Leah: “It’s okay to feel different and talk about it.”
I’m excited to introduce you all to my friend Leah in this invisible illness Q&A. We’ve been friends as well as pen pals for over half my life.
Leah and I quickly bonded over our love for animals and books as kids, and we’ve encouraged each other in our faith, especially when we’ve both faced health challenges. Leah is one of the most kind-hearted people you will ever meet, and my hope is that you will take encouragement from her story.
I love getting to do this interview project—it’s wonderful to connect with other bloggers and it’s also such a privilege to provide a platform for people like Leah who do not have a blog. I’m passionate about helping people with chronic illness share their insights and hard-earned wisdom, both so they feel heard and also so they can make a difference by sharing what they know. You can find out more about being interviewed here.
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Q&A with Carole Griffitts: “Our passion is to help people know they can thrive” with invisible disability
I’m excited to introduce you to author and blogger Carole Griffitts, who just coauthored a book about chronic illness and invisible disability with her husband Joe. Their book Sunbreaks in Unending Storms, based on their story and the stories of three other families, shares encouragement and information about living with invisible disabilities.
I so appreciate when sisters in Christ with more life experience than me are willing to share their hard-earned wisdom. Carole has lived with chronic health conditions for more than 40 years, and she and her husband have been married for (almost!) 55 years. “Connected Carole” also runs the blog Navigating the Storms for people living with invisible disability, their families, and their caregivers.
I hope you’re encouraged by this conversation with Carole on chronic illness, faith, and perseverance.
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Q&A on chronic illness: “Opening up to friends about my health problems was scary but so worth it.”
What I love most about this invisible illness interview is how it illustrates that when chronic illness takes something away from us, God can still provide new and amazing opportunities.
Cam is a 20-something with chronic pelvic pain, PCOS, Scoliosis, and other conditions. She shares how an unexpected and painful diagnosis led her and her husband to pursue a ministry they hadn’t previously considered—becoming foster parents to kids and teens.
Did you know pelvic floor disorders affect about 1 in 4 women in the US? (x) And 1 in 10 women have polycystic ovarian syndrome, aka PCOS. (x) Unfortunately it’s often considered taboo to talk about health issues that only impact women, but, as Cam points out, they’re more common than many people realize.
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Q&A with Olivia Wolfertz: “I would encourage someone going through a chronic illness to see themselves as valuable and brave even despite their limits.”
Olivia Wolfertz runs the blog Unpolished Ponderings, where she shares her love of Jesus and creativity, plus a hopeful outlook on life with chronic illness. I feel so blessed that this Invisible Illness, Visible Worth interview project continues to let me connect with kindred spirits who love stories, creating, and writing!
Olivia created her blogging platform a few years ago as a way to document and cope with her illnesses, including Lyme disease. It’s grown into an outlet where she loves to share what she’s been making lately and what’s encouraging her.
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Q&A with Beth Madison: “You are more than your disease. You can be defined by your disease or you can be defined by trusting God with your disease.”
Beth Madison teaches biology at Union University and is a patient advocate through Global Healthy Living Foundation. Over the last eight years, her health journey has included rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, as well as other chronic illness.
I love the story Beth shares in this interview about friends who are wonderful examples of what it looks like to faithfully support someone with invisible illness, as well as her examples of how God proves Himself trustworthy over and over again.
I hope you’re encouraged by this conversation with Beth on chronic illness, faith, and perseverance.
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Q&A with author Daphne Self: “Never give up. There is always someone out there that understands.”
Daphne Self is an author whose books include fiction, a devotional, and soon, a book about living well with chronic illness. In this interview, Daphne shares how she uses her love of writing to encourage others and point them to Jesus, all while dealing with one of the worst cases of fibromyalgia pain her doctor has seen.
Daphne’s fourth book was just released this June. You can check out Alabama Days, the second book in a series, here. The book follows a paramedic, who has seen too much suffering to believe God can be good, and a reporter who both get caught up investigating a series of suspicious accidents.
Her nonfiction book on chronic illness will be available this fall—it will chronicle the ups and downs she went through when she was first diagnosed with fibromyalgia and chronic pain.
I hope you’re encouraged by this conversation with Daphne on chronic illness, faith, and perseverance.
