Finding (And Keeping) A Friend Who Understands Chronic Illness

I was used to being the new kid, but this was untrod territory. With five moves under my belt by the time I was fifteen, I thought I’d become an expert in building quick friendships (and adopting grandparents everywhere). The library and church were go-to places to find my people.

The difference in this move to Arizona’s varying shades of brown was that this time, I was chronically ill. As a bedridden teenager, there was no way for me to meet anyone new. Chronic illness limits accessible social ...