ACI Newsletter: Staying Safe and Healthy in Difficult Times
How to maintain autoimmune well-being in difficult times. Petition for Patient Care, and more.
Autoimmune Community Institute Newsletter
It really is nice to be back at ACI writing today’s newsletter and planning events for the months ahead.
This is our 5th year of ACI, and instead of celebrating our anniversary, we took a sabbatical for a few months for much-needed rest. We actually thought that we would need to close ACI, but there continued to be a need for our work.
People continued to sign up for our newsletter, and many continued to seek us and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn. People were still seeking us for help. We realized that the work of ACI for diverse communities is still so very needed, and that is was important to return, and to continue the mission we started.
We are going to keep moving forward. However, as we are part of the autoimmune community, this will require some periods of rest for our own well-being. We continue to be volunteer-run and appreciate any support or donations to fund our work.
In January, my beloved giant schnauzer Wellington passed away due to osteosarcoma in all four feet which had spread to his lungs. He was almost going to be 12 years old. If you know me, over the past decade I have experienced life and gone everywhere with my special boy, who was also my trained service dog. We did everything together. He lived a wonderful life of beach walks, mountain hikes, and lots of love. I miss you, puppy son.
Almost immediately, I was offered a new full-time job in February. It was the first permanent (non-temp) job I’ve been offered since 2013, when I left to begin my PhD in public health and information systems. So when the opportunity was offered, it was impossible to say no. But it is a long distance away, and I’ve been getting through the travel sometimes by train, by room rental, and all sorts of strategies that change every week.
Meanwhile, the mission of ACI is moving forward toward autoimmune advocacy and well-being, and quality of life for everyone. Every one of us in the autoimmune space needs time for rest, well-being, and self care, for ourselves and our loved ones.
We are in some difficult seasons at various times in life, and for many, this is one of them. This year has been rough.
If you are struggling too, we will get through this. This too will pass.
Here are some self care resources that I’d like to share that might be helpful:
Youtube: Relaxing Music for Inner Peace
How are you staying safe and healthy these days?
Petition to Reduce Delays to Health Care Access, H.R. 2433
Our friend, autoimmune community member, and medical student, Kaitlyn Sy, sent us a link to this important cause that she is supporting. This is a petition to improve access to health care by Reducing Medically Unnecessary Delays in Care.
Health insurance in the United States is broken. Delays and denials put patients' health and financial stability at risk and are a serious burden to doctors and their staff.
H.R. 2433, the "Reducing Medically Unnecessary Delays in Care Act of 2025", calls for reform among payers participating in federal health programs like Medicaid. The goal is for health insurance to be a help, rather than a hindrance, to patients' access to care.
Sign the petition today to tell our legislators that we support H.R. 2433!
The ACI Blog Continues
Do you know that we have a blog where people share their autoimmune stories? We hope that you will read the stories, find comfort, support, and motivational resources from it. We also welcome you to share your story. Contact us at info@acicommunity.org for more details!
We would love to share your story. It can be anonymous, or include your name. It should be 1 or 2 pages long with content that is encouraging, helpful, informative, or neutral in tone.