Why is this work inspired by *that guy*
Luigi Mangione?

Before he was charged with a horrific crime and paraded around like a comic book supervillain, I knew Luigi as a roommate and friend. 

We bonded over our experiences of living with chronic back pain and how frustrating the healthcare system could be. He taught me about spondylolisthesis, and I taught him about things like endometriosis and Lyme.

I felt like a big sister to him (and our other roommates), offering a calm ear to listen or a sounding board to talk to. 

I joked that I could be his teen mom (not quite, but close). And even though I lived in another country (and had a totally different healthcare system), we stayed in touch through some difficult times.

I’ll always be grateful he tried to teach me how to tie a hammock. Or that he would pick up my food delivery. And try to take moments to appreciate the sunset.

So, while you may be curious about Luigi because of all the media coverage around him, this site is not about him or anything related to that.

In a way, this work is for him. 

And for me. 

And for anyone in pain.

When you can’t get the answers you want, or feel the fight slipping out of you because you’re exhausted and hurting. I’m not here to tell you what to do or how you can “fix it.” Because I believe that health isn’t some final destination you get to — it’s been a heck of a journey that has taken me 20 years so far.