Porochista Khakpour is a writer whose debut novel Sons and Other Flammable Objects was a New York Times Editor’s Choice. Her subsequent books have received similar accolades, and her nonfiction work has appeared in many sections of The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Elle, Slate, and many others. In this episode, Porochista shares her story of chronic illness. We talk about the financial side of being chronically sick, the roadblocks to proper diagnosis, her dislike of "wellness culture," and how it has felt for her to get an eventual diagnosis that is considered controversial and therefore not believable by some folks, and much more. We also talk about relationships, and Porochista shares the stark truth that there are some people who have chosen not to stick around during her illness relapses over the years. Going deeper into that, she then shares what she calls her "unpopular opinions" about boundaries and putting yourself first, and I found her take on this particular topic to be so refreshing and interesting. Porochista's disruption of the "first I was sick and now I'm healed!" narrative we commonly see is much needed, and I so enjoyed having this honest conversation with her. I hope you enjoy it (and maybe even feel challenged by it) too! (more…)