FAQ

What is a patient advocate or patient health activist?

  • A patient advocate/health activist is a patient who uses social media and internet technology to facilitate the role of patient participation in medicine. 
What is Chronic Curve?
  • Chronic Curve is a website and community run by patient advocate Emily Bradley. Chronic Curve works to empower, advocate, and educate others about chronic pain, chronic autoimmune/autoinflammatory diseases, and disability. 
     
  • By sharing experiences, sharing resources, creating a community page for patients to connect with others, I use social media to shine a light on major issues faced by patients and their loved ones: a lack of appropriate pain management; the stigma of chronic pain, invisible illness; learning to live at a “new normal;” college and chronic disease; improving the doctor-patient relationship, and much more.

Why a donation button?

  • Advocacy work does not pay patient advocates in dollars. And it shouldn’t. The money patient advocates work hard to raise goes to funding for research, treatments, and a cure. Though I will continue to work for a currency that has different value (a more important one!) than that of a dollar bill, I am a full time student, disabled, and a full time patient with six chronic conditions. Money donated through the donate button will go to site-related costs, the costs to continue ordering customized bracelets, and any expenses concerning conferences/speaking events. Your donation will help me continue to help others.

What do you have?
As of now:

  • Scoliosis for 10+ years— full surgical spinal fusion (2002); a revision surgery (September 2011) to remove rods and solve chronic pain
  • Still’s Disease
  • Unspecified Autoinflammatory Disease, Periodic Fever Syndrome
  • Chronic migraine headaches; retinal migraines
  • Endometriosis

What does Seronegative mean?

  • Seronegative means one has the clinical findings of an autoimmune disease, but blood work produces none of the autoantibodies found in people with x disease. This can change for many seronegative patients over time.


How do I join the Chronic Curve community or similar communities?


I think I have ____. Can you tell me if it sounds like I have ___?

  • Please read the disclaimer. I am not a doctor. Any health advice posted is what I have encountered through my own journey. Everyone has a different experience— medical advice and diagnoses should be solicited from a physician.


Can I submit to Chronic Curve?

  • You may! Please submit any and all feedback, questions, or criticisms to the facebook page, inbox, or email.


Do you have an e-mail?


Are you compensated for your product and book reviews?

  • No. Anything I review I have either read or used myself. If I am sent a product for review, a disclaimer will be posted notifying readers
     
  • All opinions any donated products are my own and not influenced by any kind of compensation.