Interview With A Warrior: Meet Catherine

I sat down with Catherine because I wanted to understand her story and who she is. Catherine is one of Denise’s clients and I was happy to learn all about her. She told me that she developed chronic illness symptoms at an early age while in elementary school. She said that chronic illness has had a major impact on her life.

Catherine also shared her love for cats and how much she enjoys visiting cat cafés—places where you can relax with coffee while spending time with cats. As a young child before her chronic illness worsened she would go horseback riding for many years. Right now Catherine is in school and is working on increasing her independence. One thing she wants the world to know is that she loves painting, drawing and taking pictures of her cats. She explained how much she enjoys chasing down her cats to get the perfect shot.

Catherine is passionate about causes that bring disability awareness to the world. We also talked about her music preferences. She told me she enjoys listening to Halsey and has even seen her twice in concert. She spoke about how the album Munich helped her cope with her diagnosis. Catherine also enjoys playing the guitar and singing. You can tell she has a creative spirit.

Her goals for the future include living more independently, moving across the country and finishing her degree. She said she’s not sure yet if she wants a family and hopes to decide in the future. Another dream of hers is to work in a museum taking photographs and helping to set up exhibitions. Catherine shared that she’s a very social person and hopes to work in a place centered around culture and art.

One cause she’s especially passionate about is improving how people with disabilities are portrayed in the media and ensuring greater equality in marriage. She wants to see more representation of people with different disabilities especially women and people of color rather than the typical white male stereotype.

When I asked what superhero she would be Catherine said she loves Catwoman because of her grace and how she’s always surrounded by cats. Talking about how chronic illness has impacted her social life - she mentioned feeling like a burden since she lives in an isolated area and others have to visit her. She said it’s frustrating when people don’t understand her illness and it makes her sad to constantly explain herself to those who are argumentative or offer unsolicited advice.

Finally when I asked how receiving coaching at Chronic Warrior Coaching has helped Catherine said she appreciates having a group of people who truly understand the challenges of living with a chronic illness.

~CR

*Look for more Warrior Stories soon (and how to share yours) in our new series, Interview With A Warrior!