A lot of people don’t understand why I choose to post my everyday life on social media. They don’t understand why I share about the good and bad – why I don’t just keep that to myself. I first started posting regularly about my life in 2017, when I was first diagnosed with Myasthenia gravis.… Continue reading Why Social Media is a Huge Part of My Life
Author: Shelby Ballard
Hello there! My name is Shelby, and I am newly licensed foster mom who is living with a chronic illness called Myasthenia gravis.
My Mental Health Roller Coaster
As you can imagine, my mental health is something I battle during my flares of Myasthenia gravis. But my anxiety and depression started way before then. I was always the worrier in my family. Some days, worrying was all I could do. I grew up in an amazing home with loving parents where I could… Continue reading My Mental Health Roller Coaster
Our First Foster Care Placement Call
Hello, all! Welcome back for another blog post. I know it’s been a while, but if you follow me on social media, you’ll understand why…. WE GOT OUR FIRST FOSTER PLACEMENT! So, I wanted to dive in and tell you about our first call, how and when it happened, how we felt, and where we… Continue reading Our First Foster Care Placement Call
Advice for Someone Who is Considering Fostering/Adoption
I wanted to do this post because I think it’s really important to take some steps before deciding to become a foster or adoptive parent. First, you really have to be on the same page with your spouse or significant other (if you have one) or with immediate family members in your home (like other… Continue reading Advice for Someone Who is Considering Fostering/Adoption
My Treatment Journey
Because this month is Myasthenia Gravis Awareness Month, and it marks three years since I was diagnosed, I thought it would be fitting to go through my treatment journey this far. In June 2017, when I was first diagnosed, my neurologist put me on a pretty standard treatment for Myasthenia, including pyridostigmine (AKA mestinon), prednisone,… Continue reading My Treatment Journey
How I’ll Be A Chronically Ill (Foster) Parent
For those who have known me a long time through my diagnosis and (many) treatments, the first thing I get asked is “how are you going to handle being a foster parent while being sick all of the time?” Great question. My answer? Like any other chronically ill parent. Being chronically ill is depressing, horrible,… Continue reading How I’ll Be A Chronically Ill (Foster) Parent
Our Story: Dating to Diagnosis
Preston and I officially met senior year of high school in AP Spanish. Preston spent most of his time being active in sports including football and soccer, while I was involved in cheerleading, dance and gymnastics. We quickly learned we had a lot in common - including working at the local YMCA. Preston taught swim… Continue reading Our Story: Dating to Diagnosis
