Oct 22, 2019
In this episode of This Is Not
What I Ordered, I’m joined by Sheryl Chan — a web developer,
writer, and travel enthusiast living with multiple chronic
illnesses. Suffering from a mild stroke at the age of 14, Sheryl
was diagnosed with a rare blood clotting syndrome that set off a
chain reaction of other autoimmune disorders including lupus,
epilepsy, Sjögren’s syndrome, and a heart rhythm disorder. In the
midst of her health challenges, Sheryl embraced her love of writing
and started using blogs as a cathartic outlet. This eventually led
to the creation of A Chronic Voice, where she’s able to raise
awareness of silent disabilities and give other people with chronic
illness a space to share their perspectives.
By
accepting her health challenges and freely sharing them with the
world, Sheryl has taken the power away from her illness and
reclaimed it as her own. She reminds us that acceptance doesn’t
mean you’re giving up — it can be a powerful opportunity for
transformation and inner growth.
During our time together, Sheryl offers up her
thoughts on why it’s so important to normalize chronic illness and
gain different perspectives. She also opens up about the identity
struggles that accompany chronic illness, how it taught her to
respect her body, and how having a sense of wonder about the body
has helped her cope.