iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Beth Swanson @write4chocolate.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

Some good news! Natalie had her surgery! She’s home now and doing so well. She’s in her hard collar a couple more months, and has about a year of rehab to go, but omg, she can think again. And eat. And stand up. It’s a whole new world for her already. Thank you so much for all the support. 🩷

Natalie, a slender 19 yo with redish hair stands outside in the sun in pajama bottoms and a black tshirt. She is smiling and there is a tree and mountain behind her.

Natalie, a 19yo with reddish hair sits on a couch with a small dog next to her. Natalie is wearing a hard cervical collar. She has a blanket with hearts over her and a large heart pillow next to her.

Natalie (a 19yo with reddish hair, wearing a hard collar) stands next to her mom Beth (a 50yo
With short brown hair and glasses). Beth is holding a small cavapoo and wearing a pink sweater. Natalie is wearing a green tank top and has a picc line.

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Beth Swanson @write4chocolate.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

Natalie’s surgery is approved!!! We are excited but exhausted. It shouldn’t take a parent who can write and a kid (young woman) who is willing to share her medical history with the world just to access care. And also, HER SURGERY IS APPROVED!! 🩷 Thank you so much for the support!

Two photos of Natalie. On the left, she is about 6 with two braids, a blue ruffle skirt and has a walking boot on her right foot. She is looking up at the camera with a sad face. On the right, she is now 15, with two braids a black tshirt and red and black plaids PJ bottoms. She has a walking boot on her left foot.

Beth (mom) and Natalie (daughter age 5) smile for the camera. Natalie is wearing a blue and pink sparkly dance costume and holding a bouquet of pink flowers.

A family of four stands under a balloon arch made with pink, gold, peach and white balloons. From left to right - Tanner, a 19yo tall young man with brown hair, jeans and an orange sweatshirt. Then Beth - a 50s woman with a brown bob wearing a flowered dress. Then Natalie, an 18yo with long brown hair, wearing a pink prom dress for at home prom. Then Kirk, a man in his 50s. He is bald with a beard, wearing a purple shirt and black pants. All four people are wearing heart shaped sun glasses in different colors.

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Beth Swanson @write4chocolate.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

Good morning everyone! I’m having a tiny bit of trouble keeping up with my mentions and inbox. Thank you for the care, concern and amazing offers to help! Sharing a few moments - Natlaie’s “graduation” + her trip to the surgeon + family, and then our plans moving forward in the thread.

This is a video clip of Natalie in a red grad cap and gown. In the video, she stands under a balloon arch in a red cap and gown. As the video plays, she moves her tassle to the opposing side and throws the cap in the air. It goes about 6 inches and then falls.

Natalie - a 19yo slender girl in a yellow dress, hard cervical collar and black mask, stand in front of the sign for Weill Cornell Medicine, Center for Comprehensive Spine Surgery. She is giving a thumbs up.

Natalie - a slender 19 yo with brown hair m in a ponytail, wearing a yellow dress - stands in a courtyard in front of a scaled down Statue of Liberty. The statue is holding a tiny pride flag.

A family of four is sitting down smiling and laughing in front of a large birthday balloon. From left to right, it’s a 20yo young man with curly brown hair, then Beth, a woman in her 50s with a brown bob and glasses, then Kirk, a 50s bald man. Natalie, a 19yo Siri brown wavy hair and glasses stands to the side. She is wearing a patterned romper and a hard cervical collar.

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Beth Swanson @write4chocolate.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

Natalie is such an amazing person. She’s kind and empathetic, funny and loving and is managing so much loss with a level of grace I do not possess. I’m so lucky to get to be her mom, and I can’t wait for her to feel better. (Photo is from about 2 years ago. I picked it b/c it’s one she loves.)

Natalie, a 19yo with long wavy brown hair is standing in a field wearing a short red prom dress and white heels. Beth, her 50s mother with a brown bob and glasses, is hugging her from the side with one foot in the air. Beth is wearing jeans, a striped t-shirt and glasses. They are both laughing.

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Beth Swanson @write4chocolate.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

Even in her hard collar, her symptoms have progressed. She struggles to eat b/c of the constant extreme nausea, often has difficulty standing, and is dealing with on going autonomic neuro symptoms. In fact, we spent last night in the ER. Again.

Natalie , a 19yo with long reddish brown hair lies under blankets on a gurney. Her father, a 50s white man wearing a mariners baseball cap is sitting behind her.

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Beth Swanson @write4chocolate.bsky.social · 06/12/2024

Natlaie was supposed to be at the #ErasTourVancouver tonight, celebrating her recovery from brain and spine surgery. But #cigna refused to cover her surgery, so it got cancelled. She’s at home instead, still waiting for negotiations to finish…”any day now” 🙃

Natalie sits in an infusion chair getting IV fluids. She is wearing a Taylor Swift Eras tour sweatshirt and carrying a Taylor Swift Eras tour bag.

A hand holding Polaroid photos of Natalie and her love aunts at the Taylor Swift Reputation tour. She is 13 in the picture.

Natalie - a 16 year old
With long brown hair, is kissing the cover of a Taylor swift vinyl. There are four vinyls in the Taylor Swift Midnights clock on her bedroom wall.

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Beth Swanson @write4chocolate.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

Tried to see #Wicked today. Had to leave before it started; asked for a refund for the ticket. Manager was SO nice, and SO sad for me (kind but *very* sad). Got home, kiddo said “you even dressed up for Wicked!” Friends…I did not dress up. But this is what I was wearing. It all makes sense now. 😂

A woman in her early 50s with brown hair cut in a bob stands in her kitchen wearing a pink sweater, green skirt and green Converse low tops. She is holding a large tub of popcorn from a movie theater.

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Beth Swanson @write4chocolate.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

*almost* everyone in the family likes their Christmas pajamas…

A short video of a small cavapoo dressed in red and black plaid dog pajamas, giving the camera side-eye, while standing on a couch

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Beth Swanson @write4chocolate.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

Current view as the tiny (adorable) menace creeps closer and closer to me (my Thanksgiving leftovers)…🐶

A small cavapoo sits on a couch near a dish of left over mashed potatoes, staring longingly at the food.

In a photo, The same Cavapoo has moved closer to the food and is staring directly at me with sad hungry eyes.

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Beth Swanson @write4chocolate.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

Day 11 and 12 of the #bookchallenge #💙📚 #booksky (Plus a little commentary. 🩷 these books for their take on the importance of connection.)

A photo of the cover of “They Both Die in the End” by Adam Silvera.

A photo of the rhyming picture book “Is There Really A Human Race” by Jamie Lee Curtis.

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Beth Swanson @write4chocolate.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

In light of my thoughts on #Project2025 and the #exvangelical community, here’s book 10/20 in the #bookchallenge. #booksky #💙📚 (First book that accurately reflected how I was “taught” history.)

Cover of the book “Saving History - How White Evangelicals Tour the Nation’s Capitol and Redeem America” by Lauren Kerby

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Beth Swanson @write4chocolate.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

Missed a day! Day 8/20 and 9/20 in the 20 day book challenge. (This is reminding me that yes, I do pretty exclusively read kids books and non-fiction work. Sorry adult fiction writers….🤷‍♀️) #bookchallenge #booksky #💙📚 #kidlit

A cover of the book “the new Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander

A cover of the book “The Dark Is Rising” by Susan Cooper.

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Beth Swanson @write4chocolate.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

Day 7/20 in the #bookchallenge. #💙📚 #booksky (Listened to this one as an audiobook while trying to manage post-concussion syndrome. Recommend the book, *do not* recommend post-concussion anything! But gave me an appreciation for audiobooks and podcasts.)

A photo of the cover of “The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig.

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Beth Swanson @write4chocolate.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

Day 6/20 in the #bookchallenge. Covers only. 😃 #booksky #💙📚 (This is one of my “it’s been a rough day/week/month” books and I need a familiar comfort book. 🩷)

A picture of the cover of Fire, a book by Kristin Cashore

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Beth Swanson @write4chocolate.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

Ok, the real day 5/20 in the 20 book challenge, etc. #booksky #💙📚 #bookchallenge

A picture of the cover of “The Invisible Kingdom - Reimagining Chronic Illness” by Meghan O’Rourke

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Beth Swanson @write4chocolate.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

20 Books, 20 Days, Just Covers… #💙📚 #booksky #bookchallenge (Wait….no….what??)

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Beth Swanson @write4chocolate.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

20 book challenge, 20 books that stuck with you, no commentary just covers. Day 4/20 (I’m enjoying picking the 20 for myself, almost like a personality profile. Also, enjoying everyone else’s covers. 😃 So, uh, a little commentary too?) #booksky #💙📚 #bookchallenge

A photo of the cover of “Get A Life, Chloe Brown” by Talia Hibbert

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Beth Swanson @write4chocolate.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Choose 20 books that stayed with you. No explanations, just covers, one per day. #booksky #💙📚 #bookchallenge

A photo of the cover of the book Internment, by Samira Ahmed

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Beth Swanson @write4chocolate.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

Choose 20 books that stayed with you. No explanations, covers only. Day 2/20 #booksky #bookchallenge #💙📚

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Beth Swanson @write4chocolate.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

Choose 20 books that have stayed with you. No explanations, just covers. #booksky #books #writerlife Day 1/20

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Beth Swanson @write4chocolate.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

This little adorable moppet rolled in 💩 and then ate it on the trail this morning during the slow run. So cute. And so, so gross. 🤢 🐶 (Slow run was good tho!)

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Beth Swanson @write4chocolate.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

Hi! First post and all. Love where I live in the #PNW, travel, the #outdoors, #books and running (so) slowly. Managing #chronicillness with family, jokes and snark. (Save the ACA!) Used to be a #PT, now a freelance #writer. Sometimes I post photos of ⛰️ and my very cute 🐶. Happy to be here. 🦋

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