printed boldly across her chest.
I used to be you!
I wanted to cry out.
Courtesy of Sue Williamson
Do a self-breast check!
Just one year before, I often wore that very same HEALTH!
shirt, back when I thought health was something you could buy and show off.
Before her cancer diagnosis, the author had a closet full of activewear and a pantry full of smoothie powders and skin-care supplements.
Every product that came outsmoothie powders, skin-care supplements, crystal-infused water bottlesseemed to be targeted at me.
I added most of them to my cart.
The same was true for the most obscure workout classes.
“When I was ‘healthy,’ I could try anything; now that I was sick and actually needed solutions, there were few available to me.”
Yes, I did power yoga on an indoor surfboard.
I felt happyand included.
Suddenly, I felt too hard to tackle.
Post-diagnosis, the author keeps things simple: daily exercise, good sleep (without mouth tape or sleep apps), and a diet of mostly whole foods.
In becoming ill, I had become a liability.
Wellness is for girls wearing sweatshirts that say “HEALTH,” not for me.
In becoming ill, I had become a liability.
On a recent visit to Lanserhof, in Sylt, Germany, no one turned the author away based on her medical history: “For the first time since diagnosis, I felt like I could safely indulge in wellness practices designed just for my needs.”
And as I became more serious about my health, I saw how unhealthy the wellness world can be.
Just lift weights and take walks.)
My activewear was made of plastic andcontained toxic PFASthat can end up in our sweat.
Thisgestures broadly is wellness?
The answer is: sort of.
Most Americans are exposed tothousands of adsper day.
In this country, these ads include pharmaceutical drugs, supplements, beauty products, and food.
Theyre shown without hierarchyand in some cases regulation.
I move slower than I used to.
They’re targeting healthy people who want to be healthier.
This is a sentiment I hear again and again from people living with illness.
Despite being in considerable pain, I pursued wellness with the same ambition I applied to my career.
Both pursuits have simply exhausted me, if I am being honest.
I went into debt trying to cure my disease and optimize my health, and I really overdid it.
But its hard to commodify self-compassion.
On social media, wellness has become a form of entertainment and recreation.
And its largely appearance-focused.
The misinformation that exists in real life proliferates tenfold online.
People living with chronic illness are primed for social media marketing.
I’m not anti any of iteveryone should do what makes them feel their best.
Health is nuanced, and that message gets lost in todays headline-happy world.
Complex topics are reduced to rage-baiting headlines, then content creators make short clips that paraphrase them.
The result can be a misleading game of telephone.
One supplement thatmightbe good for you might not be good for somebody else, she says.
[Allurerecommends consulting with your doctor before taking any supplements.]
The prevalence of Internet experts can lead to some uncomfortable conversations.
There also isnt a clear definition of what wellness is in today’s world.
Its everything and everywhereand its nothing at all.
Lieurke used to particularly enjoy a sauna session as part of her self-care, but M.S.
is triggered by heat so she cant visit them anymore.
I feel excluded from spas in general now, she says.
I can’t do massages because the left side of my body is numb.
Even acupuncture isn’t pleasurable for me because I have so much neuropathy.
No, you cant use our products.
No, our service isnt for you.
Lesse experienced a similar situation when her doctor suggested she get a massage to relieve stress.
I was like, Wait, what?
My back is in pain and I’m so stressed out.
I just want to relax, she says.
I left crying and cried probably more than I did my entire treatment period.
Still,cancer patients regularly reportbeing turned away.
So, whats the solution?
People I talk to with an illness mostly dont want to be ignored.
And we should expect them to include us in the fun stuff, too.
Id like to see treatments for people who are actually sick, says Lieucke.
Like, I would pay to go lie on something fuzzy or filled with salt water, something sensory.
There are some options for those with medical issues to safely receive care.
Best of all, I felt normal.
Like I could participate in the fun, recreational side of wellness again.
(And my brain fog and shoulder pain started to ease.)
I take wellness marketing with a grain of salt (actually, more like a teaspoonful).
Read more on wellness culture:
