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: Misc
To the Person Who Didn’t Believe in Me
I’m going to be honest. This post is a difficult one for me. It is something I have wanted to share for quite a while, but I allowed myself time to develop the courage to share this. It’s extremely personal … Continue reading
Posted in Anecdotes, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, Misc, Uncategorized
3 Comments
Living in Fear
Here’s a not-so-secret: Classes start today. Here’s a secret: I’m terrified. I’m not terrified of school, of course. I love learning, being actively engaged in class (I’m the annoying student who always sits near the front row and asks a … Continue reading
Posted in Anecdotes, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, Marathon Mondays, Misc
Tagged afraid, being sick, class, classes, college, disease, emotional, fear, future children, graduate, health, hidradenitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, honesty, marathon, psychology, scared, school, semester, sickness, start, story, terrified, undergrad, undergraduate
6 Comments
Daddy’s Girl
I can sum up my relationship with my dad with one story. A story that still brings me to tears when I think about it: May 1st, 2011 was the day of my first full marathon. It was also my … Continue reading
Posted in Anecdotes, Fitness, Marathon Mondays, Misc, Running
Tagged birthday, compassion, dad, dad's birthday, daddy, daddy's girl, emotional, father, father's day, health, love, marathon, motivation, perseverance, run, running, senior prom, strength, support
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That Oklahoma Soul
One of my favorite Oklahoma stories takes place in Chicago: I visited Chicago a few times while I was in high school. One time, I was walking around in downtown Chicago, just absorbing the sights and loving life, when I … Continue reading
Posted in Anecdotes, Misc
Tagged chicago, compassion, devastation, emotional, family, lesson, lessons, love, moore, moore tornado, oklahoma, oklahoma soul, oklahoma tornado, oklahoman, perseverance, pray, rebuild, soul, strength, strong, support, tears, tornado, tragedy, wordsworth
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Managing Stress
I can control everything I eat, keep track of every ingredient of every food, resist every temptation to eat something with even the slightest hint of a nightshade, but if I am stressed out, the effort all goes out the … Continue reading
Posted in Fitness, Healthy, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, Misc
Tagged advice, change, doctor, doctor recommended, health, hidradenitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, managing stress, meditation, music, read, seinfeld, serenity, simple, stress, trigger, yoga
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“Look for the Rainbow”
Today I’m going to share something with you that is very special and empowering to me. Recently, a close childhood friend of my mom’s shared my pain and wrote a beautiful poem about finding the hope in pain and sorrow … Continue reading
Posted in Anecdotes, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, Misc, Uncategorized
Tagged beautiful, being sick, change, compassion, courage, discouragement, disease, emotional, empower, empowering, friend, health, hidradenitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, honesty, lend a hand, love, motivation, pain, perseverance, poem, share, sickness, story, strength, support, truth
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Stuck in “One Year Ago” Land
I haven’t blogged in a while because I’m in a bit of a rut. I feel like I’m trapped inside my own head and I’m not sure how to reach out about it. Lately, I’ve been stuck in what I … Continue reading
Posted in Anecdotes, Healthy, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, Misc, Uncategorized
Tagged advice, anniversary, being sick, change, discouragement, disease, emotional, health, healthy, hidradenitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, honesty, mental health, motivation, perseverance, physical health, sickness, story, therapy
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My Running Playlist “Must Haves”
One thing that is extremely important to me when I run is the music playing in my ears. It boosts my mood and keeps me going, providing motivation when necessary as well! I have a variety of playlists–one for running … Continue reading
Monster Cookies (AKA “Forgive Me” Cookies)
So…funny story. For over a month, I had something that belonged to my close friend Buzz. I kept meaning to mail it to him (as I had promised), but it repeatedly slipped my mind until I became the mayor of … Continue reading
Posted in Anecdotes, Food, Misc, Recipes
Tagged chocolate, chocolate chip, cookie, cookies, delicious, dessert, easy, food, forgiveness, forgiveness cookies, m&ms, monster, monster cookies, oatmeal, peanut butter, recipe, recipes
1 Comment
Happy Birthday, Mom
Today is a very special day. Why? Because today is my mom’s birthday. Let me tell you a bit about my mom: This is the woman who dedicated her life to making me feel less lonely. Last year, when my … Continue reading
Posted in Anecdotes, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, Misc, Uncategorized
Tagged being sick, birthday, compassion, discouragement, emotional, health, hidradenitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, love, mom, mommy, sickness, story, strength, support
6 Comments
AIPooja: Seeking Wellness through Disease 