Articles
Sjögren's Syndrome: More Than Dry Eyes
Sjögren's syndrome is an autoimmune condition far beyond dry eyes and dry mouth — it can affect joints, lungs, nerves, and kidneys, yet takes years on average to diagnose.
Health Insurance Denied You? How to Fight Back
A health insurance denial is not the final word. Here is the step-by-step process for appealing — internal appeals, external review, and where to get help — so a denied claim doesn't become a denied treatment.
Fibromyalgia Explained: Real Pain, Real Condition
Fibromyalgia causes widespread pain, crushing fatigue, and sleep that never restores — yet there is no blood test to prove it. Here's what the condition really is, how doctors diagnose it, and what living with it looks like.
Lupus Awareness: Beyond the Butterfly Rash
Lupus is one of the most misunderstood autoimmune diseases, mimicking everything from arthritis to exhaustion. Here's what it really is, why it's so hard to diagnose, and how to support the people living with it.
12 People With Type 1 Diabetes, 12 Off Insulin: The Tegoprubart Trial and a Gentler Path for Islet Transplants
An experimental anti-rejection drug called tegoprubart, made by Eledon Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ELDN), helped all 12 patients in a small islet-transplant trial stop insulin — without the harsh side effects of standard transplant drugs.
A Cell Therapy for Type 1 Diabetes That Needs No Immune-Suppressing Drugs: What UP421 Is and Why It Matters
Sana Biotechnology's experimental UP421 therapy transplants gene-edited insulin-producing cells that survived 14 months in a patient with type 1 diabetes — with zero immunosuppression. Here's the science, the results, and the honest caveats.
World Mental Health Day: The Hidden Toll of Chronic Illness
October 10 is World Mental Health Day. For those living with rare and chronic illnesses, mental health challenges are deeply intertwined with physical ones.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Beyond the Pink Ribbon
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Here's what the pink ribbon represents — and what it sometimes misses — for patients and families.
What Is Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome? Understanding the Basics
Ehlers-Danlos syndromes are a group of connective tissue disorders that are more common — and more misunderstood — than many realize.
World Arthritis Day: It's Not Just 'Aches and Pains'
October 12 is World Arthritis Day. Arthritis affects over 350 million people worldwide — including children — and it's far more serious than most people think.
Invisible Disabilities Week: You Can't Always See What's Wrong
The third week of October is Invisible Disabilities Week. Millions live with conditions no one can see — and the disbelief can hurt as much as the symptoms.
What Is MCAS? Understanding Mast Cell Activation Syndrome
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome causes allergy-like reactions across multiple body systems — and it is frequently missed, especially in patients who already have other diagnoses.
Newly Diagnosed? A Practical Guide to Your First Steps
A rare or chronic diagnosis can feel overwhelming. Here are concrete first steps to take control, find support, and build your care team.
ADHD Awareness Month: More Than a Childhood Condition
October is ADHD Awareness Month. ADHD affects millions of adults — and it frequently coexists with the chronic conditions our community knows well.
Understanding POTS: When Standing Up Makes You Sick
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome causes the heart to race upon standing — and it is one of the most common yet underdiagnosed forms of dysautonomia.
How to Be an Effective Patient Advocate — For Yourself or Someone You Love
Patient advocacy can mean fighting for your own care or standing up for someone else. Either way, these skills make a measurable difference in outcomes.
Rare Disease Day May Be Over, But the Fight Is Every Day
Rare Disease Day comes once a year — but for 300 million people worldwide living with rare conditions, every day is rare disease day.