Most people have probably never heard of step therapy, even though one day they may suffer its dangerous side effects. The policy — a common tool used by insurance companies — requires patients to fail first on lower-cost medicine before they can move to more effective and costly treatments. It sounds innocuous enough, but inappropriate step therapy practices can cause serious physical and emotional harm.
At the age of 17, I was an active teenager who danced, played volleyball and completed an Outward Bound course. But an autoimmune disease related to my psoriatic arthritis slowly ravaged my body, crippling my…
Every morning, I wake up to reveille broadcasting from the military base speakers. And every evening, I silently think of our soldiers at home and abroad, along with those who never made it home, as taps is played.
Since moving to a military neighborhood 14 years ago, my understanding of military life has shifted from only knowing my personal family stories to living side-by-side with military families. I’ve seen families come and go as PCS orders were issued, been to countless deployment events, and thankfully, as many homecoming celebrations.
The military family is unique. They know resiliency beyond what many…
