How It started………

For years, I lived in a body that felt like it was constantly at war with itself.

I experienced relentless symptoms—crippling stomach pain, endless diarrhea, vomiting, joint pain that made walking feel like I was dragging my legs through cement, dizziness, vertigo that would hit me out of nowhere.
And the worst part? Nobody could tell me why.

I went from doctor to doctor, specialist to specialist. Every scan, every blood test, every hospital visit—normal. Over and over, I was told things like,
“Maybe it’s in your head.”
“You just need to get out more.”
“Why don’t you go on a date night with your husband? Relax.”

But how do you relax when your body is screaming 24/7, and no one believes you?

It wasn’t until recently—after years of feeling gaslit, dismissed, and broken—that I finally got an answer: Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF).
A rare genetic condition that causes exactly the symptoms I was living with all along. Pain, inflammation, fevers, stomach issues—it was all real. My body wasn’t lying to me. And finally, I had a name for my invisible enemy.

This diagnosis didn’t make the pain go away overnight, but it gave me something even more valuable: validation. And from that, I found the strength to start telling my story publicly.

That’s why I created my blog, Between the Flares.
Because I know I’m not the only one who’s been told they’re “fine” while quietly suffering inside. I want to share my journey, the messy days, the tiny victories, the lessons I’ve learned from living between the flares.