Mother’s day has just come and gone. While I’m not a mom myself, I appreciate the moms in my life and how hard they work. A few years ago, I had the chance to help a mom caring for a kid with special needs to visualize her workload and stress…

As a highly allergic and reactive person with multiple autoimmune conditions, I am likely at risk for Long Covid. I’ve closely followed the news about this mysterious and pervasive new condition and read about its debilitating symptoms. But until now, I hadn’t personally known anyone with Long Covid. Recently, through…

When visuals can’t overcome medical bias — Gaslight (verb): to manipulate (someone) by psychological means into questioning their own sanity I recently took on a health history visualization client, a friend of a friend, through my startup Pictal Health. I’d been on hiatus from this kind of 1-on-1 work, but this case was interesting. The patient was…

How ‘small’ data visualization helps complex patients be heard, seen, and believed — Imagine your body starting to fall apart. You have heart palpitations, headaches, recurrent infections, painful fingers and toes, crippling brain fog, and body aches. You’ve become sensitive to light and have started wearing sunglasses indoors. Every day seems to bring a new symptom, and your doctors can’t figure out what’s…

Last year I put together an annual report of progress and pains related to starting a company. Now, a year later, what’s changed? (Apart from the global pandemic that has upended life as we knew it.) Accomplishments I’m now working with my 54th health history visualization client; I’ve had 32 paying…

Today, as COVID-19 social distancing, quarantines and hoarding occupy our minds and cause worldwide anxiety, I want to share a practice that has helped me stay semi-grounded over the past few years: visual gratitude journaling. And like many gratitude journal stories, this one began during a particularly low time…

Last summer I had the opportunity to help ten local military veterans create visuals depicting their complex health histories and symptoms. This is what I do — my company, Pictal Health, helps people visualize their symptoms and health journey so they can communicate better with their doctors. This project was…

Working alone (mostly in my house) as the solo founder of Pictal Health, it’s hard to get anything done. I find myself tossing a load in the laundry, wiping down counters, and getting into the weeds with home office organization. Before I know it, multiple hours have disappeared, my house…

How visual health timelines might help people with PTSD — Since founding Pictal Health about a year and a half ago, I’ve been helping patients with mysterious, rare, and complicated health issues visualize their health history and symptoms so they can communicate better with their doctors. As of today, I’ve worked with 45 people, including 10 Veterans (through a grant-funded…