Invisible to you. Unavoidable to me. #InvisibleDisabilityAwarenessWeek

Happy #DisabilityPrideMonth ! It’s okay if you aren’t proud about your #disability and it’s okay to have a complicated relationship with your disability (because lord knows I do). While I’m not often proud of my disability, I am disabled and I am proud of myself. #fibromyalgia #adhd #chronicillness

Weekend read: Body Friend by Katherine Brabon. 10/10 would recommend especially if you are trying to understand the experience of a loved one with #chronicillness and #chronicpain or are chronically ill yourself and want a relatable book. #booksky #disability

Just some silly goofy pet pics #dogsky #catsky

Happy Pride! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Had a great time presenting my poster on #gutmicrobiome and #glioma at #SIS2025 hosted by @uvaimmunology.bsky.social

New paper from the McFarland Lab using single cell RNA-sequencing to look at how human gut microbes in humanized microbiome mice influence the glioma immune microenvironment. doi.org/10.1080/1949...

It’s #fibromyalgia awareness month. As a #chronicallyill person in #STEM I mostly talk about the inspirational and hopeful parts of that. But I think it’s important to share the scary and vulnerable aspects too. I love being a #scientist and I never want stop. One of my biggest fears is losing that.

These are my babies: Watson and Selina ❤️. Watson is the lighter brown #coonhound mix (with some German shepherd). Selina is the more red solid colored one. She is the baby of the house and very spoiled. She’s a classic Alabama street mutt (she’s mostly #doberman). #puppies #dogs

I think the drawing says it well enough so I’ll just drop this here. ✌️

My cats: Steve and Walter (didn’t chose their names we took them in at 7 years old because they are retired breeders who needed homes…life as the spouse of a vet tech). Steve is the gray one and Walter is the orange one. They are just grumpy old men who love cuddles and blankets. #sphynxcats

May is Fibromyalgia Awareness Month. I wrote a short blurb earlier today on living with fibromyalgia as a grad student and a friend told me it was too depressing. I haven’t known a pain free day in 6 years…of course it is depressing. #fibromyalgia #chronicillness #chronicpain #disability #spoonie

Framing health as a “patriotic duty” is sickening and terrifying. Many chronic illnesses have strong genetic risk factors. I have asthma, ADHD, and fibromyalgia mostly because my mother has all of those. So, disrespectfully, F*ck “Dr.” Oz. #chronicillness #disability #adhd #fibromyalgia #asthma

Because the illness is not always “seen,” people living with invisible illnesses often face misunderstanding, stigma, and lack of support. Recognizing and validating these experiences is a vital step toward greater empathy, accessibility, and inclusion. #invisibleillness #disability #chronicillness

If I had a nickel for every time someone said “everyone has ADHD nowadays” or (as the old white man that inspired the drawing said) “We live in an ‘ADHD’ society,” then maybe it would’ve paid for the testing that led me to be diagnosed at 21 (still before the average age for women to get diagnosed.)

One very common symptom of fibromyalgia and many neurological and musculoskeletal conditions is brain fog…or as I called it on flare day: Brain Frog. Brain fog is difficulty focusing, concentrating, and thinking clearly. #brainfog #fibromyalgia #disability #chronicpain #chronicillness

Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder that causes widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, brain fog, sleep disturbances, and more. It takes years to get diagnosed, as most labs will come back “normal,” leading to gaslighting and self doubt. Even after diagnosis some doctors may refuse to believe it.😭

Just a chronically ill Ph.D. candidate pissed off about the silencing of scientists, screwing over of individuals with disabilities, and normalization of bigotry.

@standupforscience.bsky.social