Reading my own story, written in the first-person, but in someone else’s voice was destabilizing for someone so early in their recovery. I felt violated, vulnerable, and unsure of myself in life at that time, and the way the narrative was drawn, I felt disempowered.

To help people in pain, it's crucial for practitioners and policymakers to talk about opioids in a way that doesn't stigmatize those who do or did use them, and in a way that's empathetic to the fear and experience of pain.

My first trauma-informed pelvic exam. It melted my fears and alleviated my need to feel on-guard or like I needed to remain an alert advocate for myself while being examined. She was so, so wonderful, and I never felt vulnerable.

OHSS. A few friends have asked me recently what the deal is with the fact that I'm *still* recovering from my last bout of IVF. They've been kind and curious, and I don't mind the questions. But here's what's up.

I've felt judged by other women when I share that the goal of our IVF journey is to have our children via surrogate. When faced with it, I've found myself nervously rattling off all the reasons why we need to do it this way when people say how "nice" it must be to take the "easy way out" and avoid birth or, conversely, who comment about how "difficult" it must be to think about another woman being the one to carry my children and how I must feel "so, like, out-of-control!".