Hi! I’m Rose, a non-binary femme health coach, writer, and illustrator. Navigating life around issues that no one else understood or recognized required me to develop a vast arsenal of constantly adapting strategies to maintain my life. It felt like a house of carefully balanced cards that could crumble if I took one wrong step, and I was perpetually confused as to why no one else around me seemed to be living this way.
That changed when I received my ADHD diagnosis at 26 and finally understood that I had been accommodating a disability I didn’t even know I had. Learning more about the way my brain works enabled me to hang onto my solid corporate job at a large company, which came with the best health insurance I’ve ever had. To diagnose the tick-borne illnesses, it still took more doctors and tests than I can count, plus pushing back on my primary doctor repeatedly for two years before I was finally referred to a Lyme specialist. That same year, I had laparoscopic surgery to diagnose and excise my endometriosis. While I still struggle due to the constant churn of life, I have healed tremendously since surgery and beginning treatment.
I grew up in Maine and bounced around New England before driving across the country alone with my dog to Seattle, Washington, where I’m firmly planted. I lived with undiagnosed Lyme disease, coinfections, endometriosis, C-PTSD, and ADHD for most of my life. Both my parents experienced chronic pain, so it was normalized in my household. One was a physician, which led many to believe I had top-notch medical care, but I experienced the opposite. The first time I sought treatment for severe joint pain was 10 years before my Lyme diagnosis when I was working part-time as a gas station cashier while in college. My fingers were in so much pain I couldn’t operate the touchscreen point-of-sale system. I was given a referral to a specialist I couldn’t afford and a prescription for extra-strength ibuprofen. My health continued to slowly deteriorate, until I became severely ill following a vaccination in 2020.
I am an innately curious person with a special interest in learning and I have developed strong research skills. I would not wish my lifelong health struggles on anyone, and I feel strongly that privilege is the only reason I was able to find diagnoses and treatment. Even for those with the right resources, the US healthcare system is poorly equipped to handle long-term illnesses, especially when they predominantly affect people assigned female at birth, or are not appropriately managed with pharmaceuticals.
The ongoing pandemic and Long COVID have done a number on the system itself, and have pushed even more people into chronically ill darkness. I am dedicated to sharing the vast knowledge I’ve gained from my experience and research, hoping it will enable others to relieve their own suffering and lead the beautiful, intentional lives they deserve.
I wouldn’t still be here without the online chronic illness community, and I’m dedicated to creating space for others to heal as well. I am a fierce advocate for justice, and have a long track record of friends and colleagues coming to me for a compassionate ear and guidance on a myriad of subjects — in one role I was nicknamed “camp counselor.” I figured I might as well make a career of doing something I’m both good at and enjoy.
I received a BFA in Graphic Design from Burlington College in 2014 and spent about a decade in the field, which included experience in many other areas. In 2020, I became a trained volunteer crisis counselor for Crisis Text Line. After getting laid off from my corporate job early in 2023, I decided it was time to switch to a career in which I could apply my lifetime of unique experience while helping people in a more direct way. I completed my Health Coach Certification from Transformation Academy in 2023 to best serve my clients. In addition to design and coaching, I am also a skilled writer.
I’m an extreme introvert and find the most comfort in the company of animals – especially my service dog, Juniper. In my downtime, I binge a lot of TV, read, draw, and spend as much time outside as my body allows. Someday, I hope to be able to call myself a runner again.
All my knowledge comes from my own research and experience. I am not a medical professional, and cannot offer medical advice. To learn more about me and what I do, book your free 15-minute discovery call.
“I loved how Rose responded to my specific experience and symptoms with personalized treatment options. Rose is super kind and knowledgeable and even if she wasn’t sure about something she followed up with it, so I appreciate it.” –Michele A.
