I'm participating in WEGO Health's Health Activist Writer's Month Challenge (HAWMC) in April.
Today's challenge is to respond to this prompt: "I write about my health because..."
There are several different reasons why I write about my health, and specifically why I've chosen to begin writing about it in an online blog format.
Writing has always been very cathartic for me. It's a way for me to work through my thoughts and emotions. I've struggled so much, especially since my car accident. It was a huge step to get to a place where I could write any of it down at all... it actually made it more real or something.
One of the reasons I started writing on the computer was that I simply wasn't able to hand-write in a journal like I had been doing before. My injuries from my accident included problems with my neck and shoulder, so there was just too much pain. Typing wasn't a whole lot better/easier, but I've been able to do it for longer periods of time and get my thoughts out quicker (even though I'd still prefer to write in an old-fashioned journal).
I started a blog as an online journal. I've always enjoyed being able to be there for others and help them through tough times. I thought that maybe by sharing what I was learning about my illness and by sharing my experiences... that others might be able to learn something and be helped in some small way.