MUSIC & RADIO SAVED MY LIFE

A story of living with invisible illness

Pat Franc

I’m currently 55 years old and have been suffering from aggressive and degenerative autoimmune diseases since 1992. I was 22 years old when symptoms of inflammation first appeared overnight in my left knee. I was diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis. My life changed overnight, although I did not know that at the time. Full Story

My goal with this site is to increase awareness and understanding of invisible diseases. For details, please see my full mission statement.

Were it not for the inspiration of MUSIC, I don't think I would be here today. Music helped me get through some of my darkest days. It has been critical to my survival. Therefore, every chapter in this BLOG will be musically themed. I hope you enjoy reading and listening.

May 20, 2026

Chapter 60: And I Will Try To Fix Me...

Over the past several months, I’ve been dealing with a series of ongoing health complications and setbacks that have significantly delayed an important surgery I had been preparing for. What initially seemed like a straightforward medical situation gradually became much more complicated, involving new pain issues, emergency hospital visits, specialist consultations, and difficult decisions about how best to move forward. While there have been some encouraging moments and small improvements along the way, it’s ultimately been a physically and emotionally exhausting period filled with uncertainty, frustration, and repeated delays. At this point, I’m still trying to stabilize things enough to determine the next steps.

March 10, 2026

Chapter 59: If I Had Been Born in America, I Might Not Be Alive

I’ve lived with several autoimmune diseases for more than 35 years and have relied heavily on Canada’s healthcare system during that time — including multiple surgeries, specialist care, and biologic medications that cost tens of thousands of dollars per year. Watching the healthcare debate in the United States, I often wonder how different my life might have been if I had been born there instead. This article is a personal reflection on navigating chronic illness in Canada and how that experience shaped my view of universal healthcare.

January 11, 2026

Chapter 58: Hold Me Close

Living with a degenerative autoimmune disease since age 21, the author has undergone six surgeries and is no stranger to pain or recovery, but an upcoming reverse shoulder replacement on January 26 feels different. Unlike previous hip surgeries—familiar territory—this operation will immobilize his dominant arm for six weeks, exposing how fragile independence can be, especially while living alone. Faced with uncertain post-op support, a long and painful recovery, months of physiotherapy, and unpredictable outcomes for range of motion, he confronts not just physical limits but emotional ones as well.

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