Hello, my name is Karen Vasquez.  In 1994 I was diagnosed with a rare progressive degenerative disease called, scleroderma.  I felt isolated, even in support groups and after the internet became a thing.  I thought no one could possibly understand what I was going through.  In 2007, I was diagnosed with sarcoidosis in addition to scleroderma and that opened my eyes to the similar symptoms experienced by people with different chronic illnesses.  I started talking to people with other chronic illnesses and people who don’t have an ongoing medical stuggle.  I found one thing that connected us all, grief. I may not know exactly how a person with Lupus feels, but I do understand their loss of function and/or abilities.  

Not only did I find grieving loss in common with others who had different symptoms and hard to pronounce names, but I also found grieving loss in common with people who did not have chronic illnesses. Sure, I don’t know what suddenly losing a job after twenty-three years feels like, but I do understand what it’s like to lose my thumb at twenty-five years old.  Yes, they are distinctly different devastating losses, but both trigger overwhelming grief. 
 The Grief Connection  
In college, I was introduced to two books; one in psychology class and the other in philosophy class.  They are The Five Stages of Grief and The Power of Myth.  The Five Stages of Grief,  by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, is based on her studies of death and dying.  The Power of Myth is based on a six-hour conversation between journalist Bill Moyers, and author of The Hero’s Journey, Joseph Cambell at George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch in 1998.