It’s like it just lies in wait 🎗️ (fb)

One month ago, beneath the glowing lights of The Charleston Music Hall and before a crowd that filled every seat, I delivered a TED Talk that had been quietly forming in my soul for over two decades. It was not born from overnight inspiration, but from persistence—unyielding and stubborn in the best of ways. For ten years, I submitted my application and was told no. But something in me refused to let go. Not because I needed the stage—but because the story needed to be heard. It was never just my story. It was, and is, the story of countless others, a chorus of unheard voices—hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions—who suffer in silence, who are dismissed, overlooked, and unseen. It is a story that dares to ask the world to be curious, not judgmental. To pause and wonder what shaped a person, rather than turning away because their truth feels unfamiliar. This message—this plea—is especially for those within the medical community. Because we, your patients, come to you hoping for care, for comfort, for answers. Not to be ignored. Not to be questioned into silence. Not to be left waiting while our bodies speak in pain. “Do no harm”—it is more than a phrase; it is a sacred trust. And when our words are doubted, when our knowledge of our own bodies is dismissed, harm is exactly what happens. I believe the greatest gift we can offer one another in this life is love. To be kind. To truly hear someone. To sit beside them—not always with solutions, but with belief. Sometimes the most healing words are the simplest: “I believe you. I’m here.” My talk, When Illness is Invisible, Let Curiosity Lead will be online soon at @tedx_official YouTube @ted @tedxcharleston @lupusfoundationnewengland #lupus #spoonie #autoimmune #chronicillness #lupuschick #publicspeaking #story #heal #healing #gaslight #gaslighting #chronicpain #mentalhealthawareness (fb)