Walking On Water
— Shalana Jordan

“How long has this been here?” the doctor asked about a huge purple bruise on my left calf muscle he spotted while checking my legs, ankles, and feet for swelling and pitting. I’d been dealing with runaway edema for weeks, so I hadn’t given it much thought. I live with…

Swelling, swelling everywhere. I can’t find a reason for it, but it’s resulting in multiple issues for me. In the fall of 2020, I nearly died from an ultra-rare disease called atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), an autoimmune disease in which my immune system attacks and destroys my red…

I’ve come a long way since that fateful day in September 2020 when I dragged myself into the emergency room with my 4-year-old on my hip and my 5-year-old trailing behind me. Nearly six years later, life with a permanent illness is like riding a roller coaster. One minute…

This week marks the five-year anniversary of my hysterectomy, which I unfortunately had to have at only age 37. It was a huge, life-changing decision that would affect any plans to expand my family and could be dangerous if there were complications. This happened 10 months after I nearly died…

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with vitamins and supplements. Not everyone will have the same response. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a dietary supplement. The global vitamin and dietary supplement market is ever-expanding, expected to be valued at over $230 billion in 2026. People…