“I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.” I wish I could claim credit for that statement, but it belongs to an individual named Flannery O’Conner (if that ain’t Irish for you…) But those words sum up the main reason I decided to start a blog. I have things to say. In fact, sometimes I have lots of things to say. But it’s often hard for me to sort through the words in my heads until I’ve written them down. So that’s what I intend to do.

What will I write about, you ask? Well, the name of my blog, ribbonrx, gives a clue. The easy part of the riddle is paying homage to my chosen profession. No, I am not one of those crazy flexible ribbon-twirling gymnasts in a snazzy leotard (although I was a dancer back in my youth). Alas, no. I am a pharmacist, working in a large medical institution in northeast Ohio. Hence, the rx.

But what on earth am I talking about when it comes to ribbons? You see, I have the misfortune of being an individual with multiple chronic illnesses. Pretty much any and all illnesses out there have associated awareness ribbons of various colors (with much overlap, given there are only so many colors in the rainbow). Some of those colors mean a lot to me because they represent disease states that make my life the complicated mess it is. You will see yellow for endometriosis. You will see green for mental health awareness AND celiac disease. You will see gray for brain tumors. You will see pink and blue for infertility. And before long, you may see blue for rheumatoid arthritis if my body insists on further misbehaving itself.

ribbonrx. I am here to write about these illnesses that mean so much to me because they have such a, shall we say destructive, impact on my life. And some of these diseases people don’t like to talk about or just plain don’t know anything about. But that’s ok. That’s what I’m here for! And I will occasionally drop in bits and pieces of other, happier things. Like my cats.

Please don’t ever hesitate to ask me questions about anything you read on my blog. I’m here to help!

?ribbonrx