I'm Not Always Me — Kalyn Shelton

Growing up, whenever I’d go to the doctor with my mom, she’d inform them that she had porphyria. But even though the condition has affected several generations on her side of the family,…

My rare disorder, acute intermittent porphyria (AIP), is pronounced pohr-fear-ee-uh, and it puts fear in my life. In July of 2020, I started having mood swings, severe pain on the right side of…

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with various medications, including Cymbalta (duloxetine) and Abilify (aripiprazole). Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a…

I’m a fifth-generation porphyria warrior, and the generational curse ended with me in February 2021. That month, I had what’s called a bilateral salpingectomy, the surgical removal of my fallopian tubes, to prevent…

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with etonogestrel implantation. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. My arm was laid…

I was a few weeks into a common cold, and late one evening I needed to lie down. My husband, Daniel, was already in the bed, so I made myself comfortable beside him by…

To whom it may concern, I, Kalyn Shelton, wish to return my body as well as my mind because of chronic fatigue, nausea, pain, anxiety, depression, and more. I received this item a little…

My alarm rang promptly at 8 a.m. so I could make it to work by 10. I still wasn’t feeling my best, but I found the strength to get out of bed and gather…

Imagine being a little kid and your parent gives you a quarter for the machine at the store so you can get the shiny ball you’ve been eyeing since you arrived. You put in…

“In sickness and in health, until death do us part.” On April 27, 2019, my husband, Daniel, and I made the biggest commitment of our lives. Little did he know that less than two…

The pain of an acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) attack is almost unbearable. It feels like someone is squeezing my right side with their fingernails, and it won’t stop. It has to stop. I…