About Jen

Hi and welcome to my blog. My name is Jen and I am 20 years old. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia when I was 15. I am currently a student living near Chicago, studying to become an elementary teacher. My goal is to become a first grade teacher. I studied Japanese for 3 and a half years and I have been singing all of my life. One day I would like to sing the national anthem at a major sports game!

When I was 12, I sprained my knee while running. I let it heal, but I was still having knee problems. After seeing an orthopedic, I was told that I grew too fast and that my kneecap was hitting my femur (very painful!). This continued until I was 14 and I had my first knee surgery. The doctor performed an aerthoscopic surgery and released some bands. Six months after the surgery, I was fully recovered. Less than a year later, I began having problems with all over pain. I returned to my doctor only to be sent to physical therapy repeatedly. Finally I went to a wonderful rheumatologist who diagnosed me with fibromyalgia after testing for everything under the sun. My health progressed to only get worse and I ended up in a wheelchair for part of high school. I was able to graduate in time, thankfully. I am now a student at a small college in the Chicago suburbs. I ended up having to get a second knee surgery done on July 7, 2009. My kneecap was out of place. Hopefully this will fix my knee!

Favorite Movies: Across the Universe, After the Sunset, Beauty and the Beast, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Casino Royale, Crash, Down With Love, Disney Movies, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Moulin Rouge, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Roman Holiday, Sabrina.

Favorite Books: A Little Princess, Jane Eyre, Peter Pan, Pride and Prejudice

Favorite Musicians: Anna Nalick, Ella Fitzgerald, Incubus, Ingrid Michaelson, Kimya Dawson, KT Tunstall, Madonna, Michelle Mailhot, Mika, Norah Jones, The Posies, Regina Spektor, Sister Hazel, The Ting Tings, Toxic Audio.

Favorite Quotations:

“To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.” – Joseph Chilton Pearce

“Creativity is… seeing something that doesn’t exist already.” – Michele Shea

“Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music – the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself.” – Henry Miller

“Music is a discipline, and a mistress of order and good manners, she makes the people milder and gentler, more moral and more reasonable.” – Martin Luther

“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.” – Albert Einstein

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop