Bruce Gunn

During high school, my classmates were getting ready to take their driving tests and permits. I really wasn’t focused on that during high school and I knew I wasn’t ready. I have Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa – Herlitz (RDEB-H) and there are a lot of things I wasn’t able to do. My special education teacher said encouragingly that I would be able to drive one of these days and have a car well-equipped with my needs.

It wasn’t until a couple of years later when I was working in a workshop for a non-profit agency for mentally and physically handicapped adults that I finally fulfilled this goal. Being able to drive was a requirement to work outside the workshop and have an opportunity for full time employment. Therefore, I took it on myself to ask a case worker to start the paperwork process to get my first step toward independence.

I knew my dad wouldn’t be able to teach me how to drive because I saw what my two older brothers and twin sister went through and I needed someone with a bit more patience than my dad! In the beginning, my parents had some doubts about whether or not I [...] continue the story

My name is Jon. I am an addict in recovery. I am 24 years old and have just completed the Our House program here in Edmonton, AB. Over the last 10 ½ months I have changed so much. I have found the peace and serenity I have been looking for my whole life. I used to be insane.

I grew up an only child with a lesbian mother. We moved around a lot when I was a kid. I was kind of a loner until I started using drugs. I started drinking when I was 13 and I loved it. I drank until I blacked out. I started smoking pot when I was 14 and I was partying like most teenagers do. I got introduced to cocaine at the age of 16 when I was at the bar. I partied all through high school and graduated as the all-star quarterback with the trophy girlfriend at the age of 17. I had started apprenticing to be a welder out of school and started working all over the map. I got kicked out of bars all over Alberta for fighting. I started realizing I had problems because I couldn’t stop using, gambling [...] continue the story

By: Rahul Bharadwaj, India

On May 31st, World No Tobacco Day (WNTD), no one, except people like me, can understand the significance of this day. Until last year I did not even know when WNTD was, let alone its relevance. My life completely changed 4 months earlier when I was diagnosed with advanced mouth cancer that was a direct result of my habit of chewing Gutka pan Masala. Like several of my college friends, I started taking rupee gutka pouches that were sold just outside my college as mouth fresheners. Those days, little did I know that I am buying death and disability in one rupee. By the time the current text warnings came, I was heavily addicted and could not leave it despite threats by my wife and daughter.

I represent many youth in India who are diagnosed with mouth cancer every year and millions who are languishing because of their habit. I have seen death in very close quarters and no one can understand my pain. I had toxic chemotherapy, deforming surgery and painful radiotherapy. Despite all this, I am still not sure if I will live long enough to be here for my daughter’s next birthday. [...] continue the story

Hear the stories of San Diego Hospice patients, their caregivers, our staff and volunteers, who talk about making the most of each moment for as long as life lasts, while living with a serious illness or terminal illness.

June 30, 2011

November 30, 2011

Being involved in the Twitter community and following numerous others with Crohn’s and like belly troubles I have realized I am not alone when it comes to pain and the great expectations that goes along with having a chronic illness.

I have pain every day. My body hurts. My joints hurt. My belly hurts. My nether regions hurt from going to the bathroom ALL the time. Every now and then I am lucky enough to get my hands on some pain medication which, more often than not, doesn’t really do much to relieve the pain anyway. So sometimes I, like others with Crohn’s, have to go to the ER to get some heavy duty drugs to get a little relief. This isn’t usually met with kindness from the ER staff though. I know I personally have been labeled as “narcotic seeking” for an occurrence when my very own Dr. GI sent me there for pain management. Since three of the four major hospitals share electronic records in my area I am pretty screwed out of going to the ER for pain management now. I am usually immediately told there is nothing they can do for me. And if they [...] continue the story