My Several Worlds - Chronic Pain and Disability Awareness

My Several Worlds - Chronic Pain and Disability Awareness MySeveralWorlds.com supports people living with chronic illness, chronic pain, & disability. My name is Carrie and I'm a chronically ill Canadian in Asia.

My Several Worlds - Chronic Pain and Disability Awareness by Carrie Kellenberger

➡️ I write so you can better understand life with disability related to Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Spondylitis, MECFS, and more.
➡️ Former world traveler
➡️ Veteran patient advocate

Hello, beautiful warriors and friends! I've lived here since 2003 and I've called Taiwan 'home' since early 2006. I've suffered from chronic pain for over two decades. I'm 49 years old and disabled. I've been using a wheelchair and cane to get around since 2009. At 34 years of age, after suffering from really odd joint problems and pain for many years, I was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis in February 2009. Now more commonly referred to as Axial Spondyloarthritis, my inflammatory arthritis attacks my joints and everything else in my body. My central nervous system is a mess. I suffer from several kinds of arthritis: axSpA, PsA and OA. Additional diagnoses: fibromyaglia, ME, APS, chronic primary insomnia since age 24, multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome, MCAS, migraine, skin rashes, mouth ulcers, otitis media, depression, anxiety, and more. I'm touching the tip of the iceberg here to give you an idea of my messy and uncool body! I grew up in a small town called Carleton Place in Ontario, Canada. I got a law and anthropology degree, then got my ESL teaching certificate, and moved to Asia. At that time, I had pain, but was able to convince myself it was from running and working out. Many patients normalize their pain and strange symptoms because they think everyone feels that way. When you're a sick teen, you're often not believed as well and that is what happened to me. Like most of you, I woke up one morning and things weren't working right. I couldn't put weight on my left foot; my right shoulder was frozen, I felt like I had the flu all the time; I had extreme muscle weakness and my back was on fire. The fatigue was crushing me, and my joints were not happy. It wasn't uncommon for me to wake up with knees the size of bowling balls. Once it affected my ability to stand, we had to seek medical attention and voila - 'You have AS, Carrie!' My first thought was, 'Thank goodness it's not Rheumatoid Arthritis!' I had no idea that Spondyloarthritis is just as bad as RA if not worse. It has completely derailed my life. In 2014, after having more health problems crop up, I received fibromyalgia and MECFS diagnoses. I'm told autoimmune diseases LOVE to party together. It turns out I am also a chronic EBV patient and all of it stems from recurring mono infections. I've also been treated for CRPS and myofascial pain syndrome. I started blogging about our life abroad in early 2007. What you see here on MSW is more than two decades of research and writing. This page supports chronically ill and disabled patients who are looking for research and citations. Ask questions. Make new friends. Welcome to My Several Worlds. Chronically yours,
Carrie

PS: I'm not a medical professional and none of the information I provide on my website or on this page should be taken as professional advice. Please consult your doctor on health matters and medical care. PROFESSIONAL BIO:

Created in January 2007, My Several Worlds is a health website for chronically ill patients in Asia and around the world. I write so you can better understand life with disability related to Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Spondylitis, MECFS, and more.

*MSW provides much needed health resources and information in English.
*2022 Support Fibromyalgia Legacy Winner
*Best Blog for Fibromyalgia with Healthline in 2018, 2019, and 2020
*Finalist for WEGO Health Awards 2020 for Lifetime Achievement Award in health advocacy
*I work with several non profit organizations to help disperse up to date information and research to patients all over the world
*930+ articles on this site covering a range of health topics and travel options in Asia for readers to enjoy.
*I'm an experienced public speaker and content creator for health topics.
*If you're interested in hiring me, please feel free to get in touch. I'd love to hear from you!

Art Therapy Interview with Author/Artist Cameron B. Auxer"I started the Pajama Daze website in 2012 while I was pretty m...
12/20/2025

Art Therapy Interview with Author/Artist Cameron B. Auxer

"I started the Pajama Daze website in 2012 while I was pretty much housebound with chronic fatigue syndrome and other chronic illnesses. One of my illnesses is fairly rare – Fibromuscular Dysplasia, which is visible in my carotid, vertebral and mesenteric arteries, making them appear like a string of beads, and it is systemic, so it impacts all of my connective tissue. I get subluxations in some joints."

Learn how Cameron uses art as a coping technique for . Don't forget to check out her new book too!
🔗 https://www.myseveralworlds.com/2021/03/30/art-therapy-interview-cameron-b-auxer/

"Chronic illness is wild cause you have a fraction of the amount of energy everyone else has but you have to somehow be ...
12/20/2025

"Chronic illness is wild cause you have a fraction of the amount of energy everyone else has but you have to somehow be ill 24/7, make and attend appointments, chase up medical stuff, advocate for yourself, fight for basic support AND somehow rest enough so you can function enough to get all these things done, all the usual life stuff done and work if you can on top of it all."

Credit: _philayana

on those dayswhen you miss someone the most as though memories are sharp enough to slice through skin and boneremember h...
12/19/2025

on those days
when you miss someone the most
as though memories are sharp enough to slice through skin and bone
remember how they loved you remember how they loved you and do that for yourself
in their name, in their honour love yourself as they loved you
they would like that
on those days
when you miss someone the most
love yourself harder.
~ Donna Ashworth

Red Light Therapy for and InflammationRight Light Therapy is an alternative treatment for pain that uses low-intensity...
12/19/2025

Red Light Therapy for and Inflammation

Right Light Therapy is an alternative treatment for pain that uses low-intensity red light to reduce inflammation.

I've included five studies about RLT which are linked to 2023 research on Science Direct, National Library of Medicine, & Research Gate that outline the thought processes behind it.

Learn how I've used RLT to help with my face (since 2011) and with painful joints and muscles due to and . There are new articles coming on this topic with further research as I move deeper into exploring the latest research on light therapy. Hope you like it.

Read it: https://www.myseveralworlds.com/2023/09/08/red-light-therapy-for-pain-and-inflammation/

HOW ANXIETY MAKES YOU SEE YOURSELFYour weaknessesHOW OTHERS SEE YOUYour kindness Your ability to growYour loyalty Your p...
12/19/2025

HOW ANXIETY MAKES YOU SEE YOURSELF
Your weaknesses

HOW OTHERS SEE YOU

Your kindness
Your ability to grow
Your loyalty
Your patience
Your sense of humor
Your resilience

Credit: LIZ FOSSLIEN

My Experiences With Filthy Medical Labs in Taiwan I've tried hard to forget this happened but my monthly blood draw at m...
12/19/2025

My Experiences With Filthy Medical Labs in Taiwan

I've tried hard to forget this happened but my monthly blood draw at my hospital makes this memory slam back into me. It was so bad, my husband now comes into my blood draw appointments with me. A few weeks ago he stopped a tech from slapping my arm again.

At this point, we now wait for my favorite tech who is the most gentle person I've ever met. I had a chance to ask him last week about why some techs do this in Taiwan. He said they have bad training and no patient should ever be slapped because a tech can't find a vein.

The other thing we chatted about is old and outdated medical 'labs' in Taiwan. He thinks there are not many left and he was shocked when I showed him the photos in my post.

Read more about having to visit someone's home blood lab for NIH coverage for my extremely disabling . The people who run this DNA lab live upstairs. Their upstairs living situation is also visible downstairs in their cluttered, dusty, and chaotic health lab with no PPE or sterilizing cotton in place.

I’ve never been afraid of needles or blood draws until these past two years with three experiences at these NIH labs. Apparently they are still in use because they are cheap. I'd rather pay more to have a fast and painless draw in a sterile lab.

You've been warned. The photos will make you queasy!
🔗
https://www.myseveralworlds.com/2025/04/03/my-experiences-with-filthy-medical-labs-in-taiwan/

I've got a rarecondition calledgarbage bodyCredit: Unknown
12/18/2025

I've got a rare
condition called
garbage body

Credit: Unknown

The holiday season is stressful on those of us who have limited energy and suffer from pain. We have to manage our healt...
12/18/2025

The holiday season is stressful on those of us who have limited energy and suffer from pain.

We have to manage our health while getting through shopping, cooking, winter events, socializing, travel, and much more.

Here are some tips on surviving the holidays with and without (hopefully) flaring and making yourself worse.

I don't know what the holidays are like for you, but they are unbearably hard for me. This year I have not been able to do a single thing and I just have to hope loved ones understand that illness and pain have had all my effort and attention for years.
🔗
https://www.myseveralworlds.com/2018/12/02/surviving-the-holidays-with-chronic-illness/

Friends, I'm usually trying to shut things down for December because this time of year is really hard when you're sick a...
12/17/2025

Friends, I'm usually trying to shut things down for December because this time of year is really hard when you're sick and disabled. However, the world continues to show me when voices need to be heard. Ria approached me online with inquires about the process for getting a disability certificate in Taiwan.

After I sent her every scrap of info I had, she told me her story. Since she is in the hospital or in full-time care and she's in desperate need of assistance, I asked if she might be willing to share more of her story. It turns out she's also a gifted artist and I believe that people like Ria and I are meant to cross paths.

Please read her interview about her battle with an extremely rare form of vascular cancer called Epitheloid hemangioendiothelioma (EHE).

In this interview, she reveals how she had to undergo surgeries to help with tumors pressing against her spine and how she is in care since losing the ability to walk this fall.

PLEASE HELP HER IF YOU CAN. LINK IN COMMENTS BUT PLEASE READ HER STORY!

🎨 An Art Therapy Interview with Ria in Taiwan

Ria is chronically ill and disabled and she's a permanent resident of Taiwan. In this interview, she talks about how art therapy helps her cope with losing the ability to walk and how her illness has affected her life in Taiwan.
🔗
https://www.myseveralworlds.com/2025/12/04/ria-in-taiwan-an-art-therapy-interview-for-disability-awareness/

“Living with the limitations of fibromyalgia is a fine balancing act.”[July 2016 – Updated 2025] Hi! My name is Carrie a...
12/17/2025

“Living with the limitations of fibromyalgia is a fine balancing act.”

[July 2016 – Updated 2025]

Hi! My name is Carrie and I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2014 after receiving a primary diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondylitis in February 2009. I was doing well for my first few years with AS until fibromyalgia hit me like a freight train.

This article explains post-exertional malaise and how flares crop up with too much activity. It also outlines my hard lines and boundaries in order to live successfully with fibromyalgia.
🔗
https://www.myseveralworlds.com/2016/07/24/limitations-of-fibromyalgia/

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Carleton Place, ON

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