Lemonade, My Chronic Illness Story

My inspiration for this series, titled, “Lemonade,” comes from shared (and almost identical) stories from women suffering from chronic illnesses and disabilities similar to mine. Our culture has very strong ideas on how I should look having a disability, how I should behave, what I should do about my health… if I should exist at all. There is an overwhelming amount of discrimination, medical gaslighting, misogyny, and dismissal of women with chronic illnesses and disabilities. I want to expose that. And I want to chip away at the stereotypes surrounding disabilities… that I am out to get something for free. That I am faking my ill health to gain some sort of perceived systemic benefit. The truth is, I AM faking it. I am faking WELLNESS. To do anything less leaves me vulnerable, dismissed, discarded... and possibly my very life in danger. I would like to show that there is still beauty here, and power, and fight. That I have much yet to offer. I aim to bring into the light that duality.