Welcome to AIPooja!
My name is Pooja, and I am trying to keep my head above water while balancing disease, wellness, and graduate school. Continually learning and growing, with no end in sight. I hope you find something you can relate to here!
Category Archives: Hidradenitis Suppurativa
Unlocking & Reliving Trauma
Warning: this post has graphic descriptions and imagery of surgical procedures and wounds. Eight years ago, I had one of the most traumatic experiences of my life and my health journey. One of the surgeries I desperately needed at the … Continue reading
Posted in Anecdotes, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, mental health
Tagged autoimmune disease, autoimmune experiences, depression, emotional healing, emotional wounds, healing, health, health trauma, hidradenitis, hidradenitis experience, hidradenitis suppurativa, infection, mental health, posttraumatic stress disorder, scars, seek therapy, surgery, surgical procedures, surgical wound, therapist, therapy, trauma, traumatic, traumatic experience, wound vac
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Caramelized Balsamic Chicken Wings (Paleo, AIP, Whole30)
Posted in AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Food, gluten free, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, Paleo, Recipes, Whole30
Tagged AIP, aip chicken recipe, aip chicken wing recipe, aip chicken wings, aip recipe, balsamic chicken, balsamic chicken recipe, balsamic recipe, balsamic vinegar, chicken drumsticks, chicken drumsticks recipe, chicken marinade, chicken recipe, chicken wing recipe, chicken wings, easy aip recipe, easy chicken marinade, easy summer recipe, fourth of july recipe, gluten free chicken wings, gluten free chicken wings recipe, healthy chicken wing recipe, healthy chicken wings, paleo chicken recipe, paleo chicken wing recipe, paleo chicken wings, paleo recipe, recipes using balsamic, recipes using balsamic vinegar, summer chicken recipe, summer recipe, whole30 chicken recipe, whole30 chicken wing recipe, whole30 chicken wings, whole30 compliant chicken recipe, whole30 compliant chicken wings, whole30 compliant recipe
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Dear Hidradenitis Suppurativa
Dear Hidradenitis Suppurativa, You snatched away my privacy; but you taught me humility. For a time, you took away my ability to walk; but you taught me to cherish the movements of my body. You took away my ability to … Continue reading
Posted in Anecdotes, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, mental health
Tagged autoimmune, autoimmune disease, autoimmune warrior, chronicillness, dear hidradenitis, dear hidradenitis suppurativa, hidradenitis, hidradenitis strength, hidradenitis suppurativa, hidradenitis suppurativa awareness week, hidradenitis suppurativa scars, hidradenitis suppurative awareness, hidradenitis suppurative surgery, letter, letter to hidradenitis, letter to my disease, letter to myself, mental health, mental health awareness, my disease, my story, pain, personal story, reality, story, thank, thank you, thankful, warrior
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Strawberry Mojito Kombucha (Paleo, AIP)
Kombucha has been on my bucket list to attempt for years, but I was always too intimidated by the process to actually go for it. Finally, I was pushed headfirst into the process and had to stop avoiding it when … Continue reading
Posted in AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, DIY, Food, Healthy, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, Paleo, Recipes, Uncategorized, Whole30
Tagged AIP, aip recipe, aip recipes, autoimmune diet, Autoimmune Protocol, autoimmune protocol recipe, autoimmune protocol recipes, chronic illness diet, diy kombucha, gut health, gut health recipes, home brewed kombucha, homemade kombucha, homemade kombucha recipe, homemade kombucha recipes, how to flavor kombucha, how to make your own kombucha flavor, kombucha, kombucha flavoring, kombucha flavors, kombucha recipe, kombucha recipes, paleo, paleo diet, paleo diet recipes, paleo kombucha recipe, paleo recipe, paleo recipes, plant based food, probiotic drink, probiotic recipe, probiotics, strawberry kombucha, strawberry mint lime kombucha, strawberry mojito kombucha, strawberry mojito kombucha recipe
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67 inches
5 feet, 7 inches. My height is 5 feet, 5 inches. The total length of surgical scars on my body is now greater than my height. That means, if I were to stack my scars on top of each other, … Continue reading
Posted in Anecdotes, Healthy, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, mental health
Tagged arm tattoos, autoimmune disease, autoimmune disease scars, autoimmune disease surgery, autoimmune warrior, body acceptance, chronic illness, chronic illness scars, chronic illness surgery, cognitive reframing, hidradenitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, hidradenitis suppurativa scars, hidradenitis suppurative awareness, hidradenitis suppurative surgery, mental health, scars, scars from surgery, surgical scars, tattoo, tattoos, warrior, warrior tattoo
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Roasted Beets with Mint (Paleo, AIP, Whole30)
Posted in AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Food, Healthy, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, Paleo, Recipes, Whole30
Tagged AIP, aip recipes, autoimmune diet, autoimmune disease, Autoimmune Protocol, autoimmune protocol recipes, beets, beets with mint, dairy free, eating to heal, gluten free, gluten free recipes, golden beets, grain free, grain free recipes, healing foods, how to cook beets, how to cook vegetables, mint, nightshade free, nightshade free recipes, nut free, nutrient dense food, nutrient density, paleo, paleo diet, paleo food, paleo recipe, paleo recipes, plant based food, roasted beets, roasted beets with mint, roasted golden beets, roasted vegetables, soy free, vegan, vegetable, vegetables, Whole30, whole30 recipe, whole30 recipes
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Dear Mom, You Don’t Have to Hide the Pills Anymore
A year ago this month, my psychiatric provider asked me whether I was experiencing thoughts of suicide, and I said yes. In the months prior, I had been diagnosed with PTSD for the trauma I had experienced regarding health and … Continue reading
Posted in AIP, Anecdotes, Autoimmune Protocol, Healthy, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, mental health, Paleo, Uncategorized
Tagged AIP, anxiety, autoimmuneprotocol, chronic illness, depression, education, family, friends, health, hidradenitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, life, mental health, mental health education, mental illness, people, posttraumatic stress disorder, ptsd, suicidal, suicidal feelings, suicidal ideation, suicidal thoughts, suicide awareness, suicide prevention, support, trauma, truth
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Baked Sweet Potatoes with Slow Cooker Carnitas and Lazy Guacamole (Paleo, AIP, Whole30)
It can be difficult to maintain a social life while on the autoimmune protocol. My friend Kelsi started a conversation on her Instagram post last night that reflected one of the major struggles many of us face who are on … Continue reading
Posted in AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Food, Healthy, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, Paleo, Recipes, Uncategorized, Whole30
Tagged AIP, aippaleo, autoimmunediet, autoimmunepaleo, autoimmuneprotocol, avocado, baked sweet potato, baked sweet potatoes, carnitas, crispycarnitas, crockpotcarnitas, crockpotpork, dairyfree, food, glutenfree, grainfree, guacamole, lazy guacamole, nightshadefree, nightshadefreecarnitas, nutfree, paleo, paleocrockpotrecipes, paleodiet, paleoslowcookerrecipes, pork, porkbutt, porkshoulder, recipe, recipes, slow cooker carnitas, slowcookerpork, soyfree, sweet potato, sweet potatoes, Whole30, whole30 recipe, whole30 recipes
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Chicken Green Bean Casserole (Paleo, AIP)
I started the autoimmune protocol recently, and I’ve realized that for me the biggest challenge is convenience. Cooking for yourself for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day is NOT convenient. It’s exhausting. I initially found myself skipping meals just because … Continue reading
Posted in AIP, Food, Healthy, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, Paleo, Recipes
Tagged AIP, aip casserole, aip meal prep, autoimmunepaleo, autoimmuneprotocol, batch cook, casserole, chicken, chicken green bean casserole, coconut milk, dairy free, gluten free, grain free, green beans, meal prep, mushrooms, nightshade free, nut free, paleo, paleo casserole, paleo meal prep, paleodiet
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Fighting for Your Life Physically vs. Fighting Mentally/Emotionally
It just so happens that fighting for your life physically and fighting for your life mentally and emotionally are completely different. Continue reading
Posted in Healthy, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, mental health, Uncategorized
Tagged depression, family, friends, health, life, mental health, pain, share, suicidal ideation, truth
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