• CARRIE MARSHALL
  • MSW SHOP
    • ART THERAPY
  • ABOUT MY HEALTH ADVOCACY
  • Privacy Policy

My Several Worlds

Supporting chronically ill and disabled communities since 2006

  • FEATURES
  • MSW SHOP
  • ART FOR PAIN
    • MSW ART THERAPY INTERVIEWS
  • AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE
    • APS
    • Raynaud’s Disease 101
  • AxSpA & PsA – ARTHRITIS
    • My articles on Ankylosing Spondylitis
    • My Articles about AxSpA & AS
  • ME/CFS
    • My Articles on ME
  • FIBROMYALGIA
    • My Articles about Fibromyalgia
    • Fibromyalgia in Taiwan
  • CHRONIC ILLNESS
    • My articles about CHRONIC ILLNESS
  • CHRONIC PAIN
    • My Articles About Chronic Pain
    • MIGRAINE INFORMATION
  • DISABILITY
    • My articles about DISABILITY
    • Taiwan Disability Inclusion
  • Cookie Policy (UK)
  • TRUTH DAYS
  • FEATURES
  • MSW SHOP
  • ART FOR PAIN
    • MSW ART THERAPY INTERVIEWS
  • AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE
    • APS
    • Raynaud’s Disease 101
  • AxSpA & PsA – ARTHRITIS
    • My articles on Ankylosing Spondylitis
    • My Articles about AxSpA & AS
  • ME/CFS
    • My Articles on ME
  • FIBROMYALGIA
    • My Articles about Fibromyalgia
    • Fibromyalgia in Taiwan
  • CHRONIC ILLNESS
    • My articles about CHRONIC ILLNESS
  • CHRONIC PAIN
    • My Articles About Chronic Pain
    • MIGRAINE INFORMATION
  • DISABILITY
    • My articles about DISABILITY
    • Taiwan Disability Inclusion
  • Cookie Policy (UK)
  • TRUTH DAYS
  • CARRIE MARSHALL
  • MSW SHOP
    • ART THERAPY
  • ABOUT MY HEALTH ADVOCACY
  • Privacy Policy
MySeveralWorlds.com logo features a hummingbird in flight over the words My Several Worlds.

MSW Newsletter

 Welcome To My Several Worlds! This site supports people living with chronic illness, chronic pain, & disability. I write so you can better understand life with disability related to Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Spondyloarthritis, MECFS, & more.

Brevo Newsletters: View Brevo's Privacy Policy & MSW Privacy Policy.

My Several Worlds is a Fibromyalgia Legacy Award winner for 2022. Fibromyalgia Legacy Award Winners are community leaders that have given over a decade of substantial contributions to the fibromyalgia community. They demonstrate integrity, bravery, compassion, and respect for all patients living with fibromyalgia. ~Melissa Talwar, Support Fibromyalgia Network
2022 Fibromyalgia Legacy Award Winner - Support Fibromyalgia Network

This award recognizes patient leaders who have been advocating for fibromyalgia awareness and leading fibromyalgia communities for 10 years or more.

Spondylitis Plus – SAA Fall Issue 2018

My AS story is featured in the Spondylitis Association of America's 2018 Fall Issue of Spondylitis PlusYour Stories Each individual affected by spondylitis has their own unique story. We at SAA believe that each and every story can be a source of inspiration and empowerment. We’d love your story as well! ~Spondylitis Assocation of America
WEGO Health Awards 2020 FINALIST - Lifetime Achievement Award - Carrie Kellenberger, My Several Worlds
WEGO Health FINALIST for Lifetime Achievement Award
My Several Worlds Best of Fibromyalgia Blogs 2020 with Healthline
Best Blog in Fibromyalgia by Healthline in 2018, 2019, and 2020
  • My Several Worlds: A Writing, Art, & Gratitude Journal by Carrie Marshall.
    ART THERAPY,  MSW SHOP,  WORLD OF BOOKS

    MSW Publications: A Writing, Art, and Gratitude Journal

    November 27, 2025 /No Comments

    My Several Worlds: A Writing, Art, & Gratitude Journal is designed to remind you that there is joy to be found with the little things in life. Use this journal to learn about yourself. Track your health, pain, symptoms and moods; and use it for art therapy. I’ve taken care to include all the things I enjoy in journaling to ensure you have fun with this book! Welcome to a tiny corner of My Several Worlds!

    Read More
    Carrie

    You May Also Like

    Art Therapy Interview with Germaine Hypher - Crafting A Path Through Illness

    Interview With Crafting A Path Through Illness – Germaine Hypher

    May 11, 2026
    Banner image for Carrie Kellenberger's newest publication called My Several Worlds: A Coloring Adventure for Spoonies

    My Several Worlds: A Coloring Adventure for Spoonies

    August 8, 2024
    Art Therapy for Fibromyalgia - Interview with MeShe Studios - Banner image features various works of pressed floral art with gold leaf.

    Art Therapy for Fibromyalgia – Interview with MeShe Studios

    May 8, 2025
  • Carrie Kellenberger Ankylosing Spondylitis
    EXPAT LIFE

    My Ankylosing Spondylitis Story by Carrie

    May 24, 2009 /66 Comments

    My Ankylosing Spondylitis Story by Carrie Kellenberger - Over 10 years of pain, fatigue, and symptoms before I got my Ankylosing Spondylitis diagnosis.

    Read More
    Carrie

    You May Also Like

    Carrie Kellenberger in Hualien City

    Overwhelmed

    June 26, 2008
    View of 101 from Morton's Steakhouse

    Morton’s Steakhouse Happy Hour – The Best View in Town

    March 11, 2017
    Formosa Moon by Joshua Samuel Brown and Stephanie Huffman

    Book Review: Formosa Moon by Joshua Samuel Brown and Stephanie Huffman

    August 5, 2018
  • Dark, icy highway photographed by Carrie Marshall through a car windshield on the night of her return to Canada, with the title I Lost My Financial Security Four Times in One Marriage.
    CHRONIC ILLNESS,  FEATURES,  TRUTH DAYS

    I Lost My Financial Security Four Times in One Marriage

    October 28, 2026 /No Comments

    I spent decades building and rebuilding my financial security while living with serious chronic illness and disability. Over a 23-year relationship, I lost my retirement savings four times. Through financial abuse, economic control, and the devastating cost of leaving my marriage, I discovered just how expensive survival can be for a disabled woman.

    Read More
    Carrie

    You May Also Like

    An image of silver sparkles with the text: Welcome to my best of 2022 from My Several Worlds. Check out my top 10 articles from 2022 and some of my most high performing posts on life with arthritis, fibromyalgia, disability, and chronic pain.

    My Several Worlds Best Of 2022 – My Top 10

    December 27, 2022
    My Fibro Flare Survival Kit - My Several Worlds - A list of things to have within reach when you're experiencing a flare-up from fibromyalgia or any other type of illness that shows an increase in symptoms when flaring.

    My Fibromyalgia Flare Survival Kit

    August 25, 2016
    An image of 18 fibromyalgia community leaders from around the world.

    Fibromyalgia Community Leaders at Fibromyalgia Conference 2022

    November 12, 2022
  • Reverse culture shock banner featuring Carrie Marshall’s life in Taiwan, CCCT work, Taiwan necklace, Canada pin and return to Canada. Carrie in various stages of her life and career in Asia show her in front of a temple in Jilin, China; as Chairwoman at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan accepting an award of recognition for promoting goodwill and bilateral relationships between Taiwan and Canada, and Carrie at President Tsai-Ing Wen's 10/10 celebration for foreign diplomats, hosted by MOFA. The image on the right shows Carrie at home in Canada during the fall of 2026.
    CANADA,  CULTURAL TRAVEL,  FEATURES,  REPATRIATION

    Reverse Culture Shock and Returning to Canada After Almost 25 Years Abroad

    October 7, 2026 /No Comments

    After nearly 25 years abroad, I expected Canada to feel familiar. Instead, reverse culture shock appeared everywhere: outdated systems, unanswered phones, staggering prices, limited transportation and a country that seemed strangely stagnant after 19 years in fast-growing Taiwan.

    Read More
    Carrie

    You May Also Like

    Starting Over Isn’t Starting From Nothing - An essay by Carrie Marshall on the will that it took to leave 23 years of life in Asia behind to start again.

    Starting Over Isn’t Starting From Nothing

    April 8, 2026
    Carrie Marshall, author of MySeveralWorlds.com and Alex Rusalovsky, co-owner and primary daily pharmacist of Carleton Place Pharmacy in April 2026

    Carleton Place Pharmacy – How Your Friendly Neighborhood Pharmacist Can Be Your Best Healthcare Ally

    May 4, 2026
    The Day I Was Supposed to Return to Taiwan banner featuring four photos of Carrie Marshall leaving Taiwan with her wheelchair, cats and luggage.

    The Day I Was Supposed to Return to Taiwan

    August 31, 2026
  • Nine Months Later and The Cost of Leaving Taiwan TRUTH DAY banner with faded personal photos and the words “Documented. Not Debated.”
    FEATURES,  REPATRIATION,  TRUTH DAYS

    Nine Months Later and The Cost of Leaving Taiwan

    September 28, 2026 /No Comments

    Nine months after leaving Taiwan with two suitcases, a suitcase full of medications, and my cats, I am still counting the cost of leaving. This is what it meant to walk away from a 23-year relationship, lose almost everything familiar, and begin rebuilding my life from the ground up.

    Read More
    Carrie

    You May Also Like

    A blog banner for Spoonie Holiday Gift Guide that features gold and red metallic spoons hanging from a tree on a black background.

    Spoonie Holiday Gift Guide: For Chronically Ill & Disabled Friends

    November 1, 2023
    Carrie Marshall in her writing space after repatriating to Canada, reflecting on rebuilding healthcare, work, and life after returning from Taiwan.

    Signs of Life: The Quiet Work of Rebuilding After Repatriation

    June 30, 2026

    Ownership, Labour, and Erasure at Reach To Teach Recruiting

    July 31, 2026
  • Disabled woman carrying groceries in her wheelchair beside the mop featured in The Invisible Weight of a Disabled Wife.
    ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS,  DISABILITY,  FEATURES,  FIBROMYALGIA,  TRUTH DAYS

    The Invisible Weight of a Disabled Wife

    September 10, 2026 /No Comments

    A mop didn't really end my marriage. But it became a symbol of something much bigger. It's about how easily physical disability can be mistaken for dependence, while everything a disabled person contributes becomes invisible.

    Read More
    Carrie

    You May Also Like

    An image of illustrated people with ear pain. The text on the image says Chronic Ear Infections & Ankylosing Spondylitis 62% of women have Ankylosing Spondylitis and Otitis Media 38% of men have Ankylosing Spondylitis and Otitis Media Otitis media is found among people with Ankylosing spondylitis, especially among females who are between 20-29 years old. Source in article

    A Dive into National Taiwan University Hospital

    April 22, 2008
    Where Does Your Pain Rate on The McGill Pain Index

    Unsolicited Health Advice From Online Pain Specialists is THE WORST

    April 8, 2022
    An SI joint x-ray showing inflammation related to Axial Spondyloarthritis. In the center of the image is a woman with long brown hair and grey eyes. She is the author of My Several Worlds.

    World Arthritis Day – Why It Matters To Me – Arthritis Everywhere

    October 12, 2020
  • The Day I Was Supposed to Return to Taiwan banner featuring four photos of Carrie Marshall leaving Taiwan with her wheelchair, cats and luggage.
    CANADA,  FEATURES,  MILESTONES,  REPATRIATION,  TRUTH DAYS

    The Day I Was Supposed to Return to Taiwan

    August 31, 2026 /No Comments

    Today was the day I was supposed to return to Taiwan. I left with a return ticket and an impossible deadline: eight months to establish medical care, disability support, pension protection and a secure future in Canada. Within a few days of arriving in Canada, I knew I could never go back.

    Read More
    Carrie

    You May Also Like

    Carrie Marshall, author of MySeveralWorlds.com and Alex Rusalovsky, co-owner and primary daily pharmacist of Carleton Place Pharmacy in April 2026

    Carleton Place Pharmacy – How Your Friendly Neighborhood Pharmacist Can Be Your Best Healthcare Ally

    May 4, 2026
    Carrie Marshall in her writing space after repatriating to Canada, reflecting on rebuilding healthcare, work, and life after returning from Taiwan.

    Signs of Life: The Quiet Work of Rebuilding After Repatriation

    June 30, 2026
    Starting Over Isn’t Starting From Nothing - An essay by Carrie Marshall on the will that it took to leave 23 years of life in Asia behind to start again.

    Starting Over Isn’t Starting From Nothing

    April 8, 2026
  • Carrie Marshall wearing a face mask and sitting in a wheelchair during a period of severe chronic illness and disability.
    CHRONIC ILLNESS,  DISABILITY,  FEATURES,  TRUTH DAYS

    Chronic Illness and Disability: How Sick Do You Need To Be For Help?

    August 25, 2026 /No Comments

    How sick does a disabled person have to become before needing help is enough? I spent years working, paying enormous medical costs, managing complex illness, and asking directly for help while my capacity disappeared. Looking back, the hardest truth is that I was already there. I had been there all along.

    Read More
    Carrie

    You May Also Like

    My Disappearance From Life Thanks To Chronic Illness An article on life with chronic illness by Carrie Kellenberger, author of My Several Worlds. The banner image is in dark purple with pink writing. It features an image of woman fading away.

    My Disappearance From Life Thanks To Chronic Illness

    October 3, 2024
    Art for Arthritis Interview

    Art Therapy for Arthritis – Interview with Professional Artist Jennifer Walker

    August 15, 2018
    Book cover for When Bodies Break: How We Survive and Thrive With Illness and Disability

    BOOK REVIEW: When Bodies Break by Cameron B. Auxer

    August 16, 2023
  • FEATURES,  MILESTONES,  TRUTH DAYS

    Ownership, Labour, and Erasure at Reach To Teach Recruiting

    July 31, 2026 /No Comments

    For 16+ years, I helped build Reach To Teach Recruiting through ownership, writing, systems, teacher support, public-facing work, and years of invisible labour. This is a record of what I built, what I carried, and what I refuse to let disappear.

    Read More
    Carrie

    You May Also Like

    Disabled woman carrying groceries in her wheelchair beside the mop featured in The Invisible Weight of a Disabled Wife.

    The Invisible Weight of a Disabled Wife

    September 10, 2026
    Banner image for Carrie Kellenberger's newest publication called My Several Worlds: A Coloring Adventure for Spoonies

    My Several Worlds: A Coloring Adventure for Spoonies

    August 8, 2024
    My Experiences With Filthy Medical Labs in Taiwan shows a cluttered and dusty medical lab with the phlebotomist working on the street a few minutes before drawing my blood.

    My Experiences With Filthy Medical Labs in Taiwan

    April 3, 2025
  • The Fear of Being Abandoned When You Are Sick
    CHRONIC ILLNESS,  DISABILITY,  FEATURES,  TRUTH DAYS

    The Fear of Being Abandoned When You Are Sick

    July 18, 2026 /No Comments

    The fear of abandonment when you are sick is a personal essay about what happens when the person who promised to stand beside you remains physically present but withdraws care, safety, and support. During Disability Pride Month, I write about chronic illness, medical neglect, emotional abandonment, and the moment fear became recognition.

    Read More
    Carrie

    You May Also Like

    Banner image for MySeveralWorlds.com. Two images are next to each other on a teal background. One image shows a person in bed with an eye mask on and noise-cancelling earphones. The other image shows that same person outside and walking with their cane while smiling at the camera. There is a theater mask on the image that shows Thalia and Melpomene also known as comedy and tragedy.

    Chronic Illness Realness VS Masking What’s Really Happening

    September 22, 2023

    Fibro? What?

    September 8, 2015
    What Would You Tell Your Younger Self?

    Wisdom of Age: What Would You Tell Your Younger Self?

    January 18, 2022
123
Carrie Marshall (formerly Carrie Kellenberger) has been a staunch advocate for the Spondyloarthritis community since 2009. She has published over a thousand articles on life with illness and about life abroad.

One cold night in February 2009, I went to bed. The next morning I woke up and I couldn't walk. I was 34 years old. I didn't even know that something like this was possible until it happened to me. This is my story...

MySeveralWorlds.com logo features a hummingbird in flight over the words My Several Worlds.

Welcome to My Several Worlds!

My Several Worlds is about the worlds I live in and the boundaries that blur between my worlds as I move through them. I aim for My Several Worlds to be seen as an original AND credible source of information. I'm a former world traveler and global citizen of the world. Being chronically complex is my super power!

Carrie Kellenberger: My Ankylosing Spondylitis Story - Life with AxSpA and PsA.

ABOUT ME AND MSW

I'm Carrie! I left Canada in 2003 to see the world at age 27. Somewhere along the way, I fell in love with Asia AND became chronically ill. I’ve lived with chronic illness for over 20 years. I lived in Asia for 23 yeas before having to repatriate suddenly to Canada on December 28, 2025.

As a published author and artist with more than 30 years of art shows and publications behind me and many years of advocacy work with several global non profit organizations, I have a lot of knowledge to offer readers.

Disabled and living with: Two kinds of Spondyloarthritis (AxSpA aka Ankylosing Spondylitis & Psoriatic Arthritis), plus APS, Fibromyalgia, MECFS, IBS, chronic migraine, and more! (Yup, when you get one autoimmune disease, many more come to the party. That's The Chronic Life, unfortunately.)

This is why I like to remind people I'm Chronically Iconic!

My Several Worlds Chronically Iconic collection features t-shirts, phone cases, magnets, pins, and more!
My Several Worlds Chronically Iconic collection. I don't run adverts on my sites, but I do post my own artwork and designs to help pay for hosting fees.
MSW Shop banner features Carrie Kellenberger in her brand colors: raspberry, gold, and pale pink. She's wearing an MSW t-shirt, she's holding MSW boxed postcards, and she's also holding her coloring book.
Welcome to MSW Shop!

My MSW Shop offers something for everyone. Did you know that there are many ways to support a disabled artist like me?

I offer:

  • Handmade paper collage and paper cutting creations
  • Coloring books
  • Spoonie inspired t-shirts and apparel for all
  • Taiwan postcards
  • Journals
  • Pet gear
  • Posters, cards, calendars, stickers, magnets, pins, and other kinds of home decor
  • Digital downloads on Ko-Fi - mostly free and donation based
  • And more!

Visit my LinkTree to view my numerous art offerings which range from paper-cut 3D collages to coloring books, postcards, journals, merch, and more.

MSW PUBLICATIONS

Revised edition of Carrie Marshall's 2024 hit coloring book for Spoonies called A Coloring Adventure for Spoonies

My Several Worlds: A Coloring Adventure for Spoonies: I've published the first coloring adventure for Spoonies! This is the result of a medical crisis from the summer of 2023 that I spun into something colorful. From chaos comes beauty! Get yours here.

My Several Worlds: A Writing, Art, & Gratitude Journal is designed to remind you that there is joy to be found with the little things in life. Use this journal to learn about yourself. Track your health, pain, symptoms and moods; and use it for art therapy. I’ve taken care to include all the things I enjoy in journaling to ensure you have fun with this book! Welcome to a tiny corner of My Several Worlds!
My Several Worlds: A Writing, Art, & Gratitude Journal is designed to remind you that there is joy to be found with the little things in life. Use this journal to learn about yourself. Track your health, pain, symptoms and moods; and use it for art therapy. I’ve taken care to include all the things I enjoy in journaling to ensure you have fun with this book! Welcome to a tiny corner of My Several Worlds!
Carrie is holding six KaLaya Pain Relief products featuring the KaLaya Pain Relief Massager, KaLaya Foot Cream, KaLaya Pain Relief Sativa Cream Travel Size, KaLaya Pain Relief Spray and other full size and travel size products.
KaLaya Pain Relief products are a 'must-have' product for flare-ups with chronic pain related to axSpA, arthritis, and fibromyalgia. It's the best pain relief product you can get without a prescription.

KaLaya products are safe and natural. They're paraben-free, sulphate-free, and never tested on animals. KaLaya is a medically directed, proudly 100% Canadian, health, wellness, and personal care brand that uses problem-solution based formulations.
  • FEATURES
  • MSW SHOP
  • Art Therapy For Chronic Pain – How I Use Art To Thrive With Illness
  • MSW ART THERAPY INTERVIEWS
  • ART THERAPY

Buy Me A Coffee To Support My Work

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com
  • FEATURES
  • MSW SHOP
  • ART FOR PAIN
    • MSW ART THERAPY INTERVIEWS
  • AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE
    • APS
    • Raynaud’s Disease 101
  • AxSpA & PsA – ARTHRITIS
    • My articles on Ankylosing Spondylitis
    • My Articles about AxSpA & AS
  • ME/CFS
    • My Articles on ME
  • FIBROMYALGIA
    • My Articles about Fibromyalgia
    • Fibromyalgia in Taiwan
  • CHRONIC ILLNESS
    • My articles about CHRONIC ILLNESS
  • CHRONIC PAIN
    • My Articles About Chronic Pain
    • MIGRAINE INFORMATION
  • DISABILITY
    • My articles about DISABILITY
    • Taiwan Disability Inclusion
  • Cookie Policy (UK)
  • TRUTH DAYS
WEGO Health Awards 2020 FINALIST - Lifetime Achievement Award - Carrie Kellenberger, My Several Worlds
WEGO Health FINALIST for Lifetime Achievement Award
2007-2026 My Several Worlds
  • FEATURES
  • MSW SHOP
  • Art Therapy For Chronic Pain – How I Use Art To Thrive With Illness
  • MSW ART THERAPY INTERVIEWS
  • ART THERAPY
Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
  • Manage options
  • Manage services
  • Manage {vendor_count} vendors
  • Read more about these purposes
View preferences
  • {title}
  • {title}
  • {title}