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!
Tag 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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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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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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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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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
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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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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
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The Paleo Diet and Hidradenitis Suppurativa: My Paleo Essentials
One of the major reasons I decided to give the Paleo diet another go was to share more about it on here, and I realize that I haven’t exactly upheld that promise. I am going to start a segment called … Continue reading
Posted in Food, Healthy, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, Paleo, Uncategorized
Tagged advice, change, cheating, diet, essential, food, fridge, fruits, grocery list, health, healthy, hidradenitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, paleo, paleo diet, pantry, recommendation, vegetables
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AIPooja: Seeking Wellness through Disease 