Author: Briana Banos
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CTSD
On my tram ride home last night, I found a post on social media that really summed up the tightness in my chest. I’ve been battling with persistently worsening eye and neck skin issues for the past two to three weeks, not knowing when it will end or why it’s even rampant in the first…
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Steady Love
I think chronic illness can be a lot like waiting for the other shoe to drop. We are constantly on the watch for the next tidal wave as we sit waiting in crystal clear waters. There is an anxiety present. We know a great white is lurking below. And as much as this near decade…
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The Bifurcation
Since moving to Edinburgh and starting my masters, I’ve enjoyed so much of it. My feet float around the city, my heart clinging to every building and statue. It’s such a remarkable space in the world. I feel at home, which is strange to admit since I am thousands of miles away from family and…
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Not There Anymore
If nothing else, this first week of my post graduate masters in Edinburgh has solidified one thing — I made the right choice. For months, I’ve run through an obscene amount of scenarios in my head. Each one is of myself debating the pros and cons list of moving my entire life to a new…
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Limpet Syndrome
It’s funny. Sadistically speaking. For a full two months, I was traveling non-stop, navigating time changes and cancellations, suffocating my emotional unrest, and even taming the self-imposed responsibility that I must do justice towards the TSW community. A lot on the shoulders; a lot on the mind. In all of that, my health barely wavered.…
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Ace of Wands
I’ve barely had time to sit and think this past month, at least not about myself. Between interviews and travels, to notes and organization, to schedule conflicts, cancellations, and plain bad luck, having a moment to just breathe has turned into a luxury. This past week, especially, has felt heavy. I wake up every morning…
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Second Time Around
I’m sitting in an airport while writing this. To say I am exhausted is an understatement. At Day 10 of this trip, I didn’t expect to feel this way. I knew the fatigue would set in, but not this feeling of anxiety and worry. I remember feeling this intense purpose while on my first trip.…
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Breathing
I stumbled across a quote yesterday that said “I want somebody to love me.” I immediately thought about Josephine March from Little Women. It’s the scene where she is pacing in the attic of her childhood home, her mother watching. Upon learning that Laurie is accompanying her sister back home, Jo clings to her loneliness…
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Jess’s TSW Journey
We all may be walking beside each other, but our stories are never the same. Name: Jess Age: 46 Work: Programme Manager Date of Withdrawal: January 2022 What type(s) of steroids did you use? Hydrocortisone, Dermovate, Prednisolone (oral steroid) Are you on any other medication? No Do you have a supportive doctor? Yes, but they…
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Agi’s T.S.W. Journey
We all may be walking beside each other, but our stories are never the same. Name: Agi Age: 35 Work: Customer Care Agent Date of Withdrawal: October 18, 2021 What type(s) of steroids did you use? Hydracortisone, Betamethasone, Clobetasol, Prednisone Are you on any other medication? Thyroid tablets Do you have a supportive doctor? No…