Hi, I’m Hannah. I have Common Variable Immune Deficiency (CVID), which affects only 1 in 50,000 people, and is life threatening. Just for good measure, lest I get too focused on one thing, I also have a handful of autoimmune diseases thrown into the mix. I live in Oakland, California, am a retired teacher, and am also a musician, a photographer, and a published writer (though it’s been a rather a long time since I spent most of my time writing). Some days I type from the sofa with a heating pad on my back. Most days I type sitting up at my desk. All days I try to stay as healthy as I can, which is often a full time job in and of itself. Lately I have worked to steadily walk my dog greater and greater distances, and have discovered that it truly helps. We can now sometimes walk 2 miles!
First thing’s first, and the first thing is my first post. You’ll want to read that now. It explains why I’m a zebra.
Second things second. I started writing this blog to help those of us with rare immune deficiencies connect with each other. But I’m hoping that this blog has a broader appeal than that, because all of us with chronic health conditions have many things in common. For that matter, those of us with a life condition have many things in common. And while some posts reflect the struggle of living with a serious condition, others are reflective, and still others are light hearted. If you are not in the mood for a serious post, skip it and move on to a lighter one. I want this to be a comfortable place to hang out, and to share your thoughts. And if you are enjoying it, please pass it on to your friends and relations. It’s the way we can start building a community!
So make yourself a cup of tea, or coffee, or hot chocolate, pull up a chair, get comfortable, and dig in. Most of all, enjoy the read.
❤Hannah
Zebra's Child 
Thank you. Please continue to send me your blog!
Hi,
I just ran across your blog. I am in my 50’s and have CVID, Addison’s Disease, Adhesive Arachnoiditis and an especially nasty form of Asthma/sinusitis.
I love reading your musings and experiences. So much of what you go through, I also experience. I guess it’s the nature of the beast.
Keeliey
Welcome!!! I’m always excited when someone else with CVID joins our community. I hope that this blog will develop into a space where we can share our victories, set backs, treatments that work for us, and hopes for the furture.
Hi,
I am new to this blog & would like to be on your email list, please. I am 54 yrs old & have CVID, among other health issues.
Hi Charlene,
Welcome! I don’t have an email list set up on my end, but you can go on the site, and look in the upper right hand corner. Click on ‘feeds,” and set up an RSS feed. That will notify you when a new post goes up.
Hi Hannah. Thank you for following ZimmerBitch and introducing me to your blog. I’m enjoying what I’ve read so far 🙂
I’m so glad. Thanks!!
We share teaching in common but I am definitely no musician or published writer. You are a very talented woman. I look forward to reading more of your journey. I am sorry that your health is not great but learning how to manage and cope with it is important as we all get older… how does that happen really? Take care and have a great day. Cheryl
I’m not sure how getting older happens either! It seems like just a few years ago I was bringing my babies home from the hospital, and now here we are, with our mid-30’s daughter bringing her second baby home. Just face-timed with them all this morning. How did the years go by so fast??
They fly after 30 I think. But you must be one cool grandma facetiming and blogging and understanding google stats etc.!
Thanks! I hope I am. 😉
I am new.
Thank you for this site.
Hi Hannah, Thank you for following my photography blog, Jane’s Lens. I hope you enjoy my work. You have a great blog.
Thank you!
Hannah
Thanks for dropping by my blog-much appreciated.
Great to see how inspirational your blog is for others, well done and keep up the good work
John
Thank you, John.
Hi Hannah! So glad we’ve met here on WP! 😀 Looking very much forward to find out what else we might have in common apart from “Master&Commander”. 😉 And now I have to find out, why you’re a Zebra!! 😀
♥ Keep up the good work! You are needed! ♥
Thank you Leya. 🙏
♥