Read my much angrier part 1 and part 2 for background context of this post. I’ve learned a lot about humanity through having a chronic illness. When you’re sick you really see the best and the worst of human beings. I have been on the receiving end of some wonderful service, and I have also been…Continue reading Why no one cares about chronic illness, part 3
To the person with chronic illness that feels like they can never measure up
I know it feels like no one thinks about you, the quiet person in the corner who just looks a little tired. No one notices how hard you try or how much effort you put into pretending you’re okay. Sometimes it feels like they only notice you when you make a mistake, or when your…Continue reading To the person with chronic illness that feels like they can never measure up
10 gifts for someone with chronic illness this year
It’s that time again, time to think about buying presents for everyone you know. Time to stress about who you may or may not have forgotten. Time to wander the mall aimlessly looking for something to give. Well wander no more, I have a list of some fabulous gifts I would love and your loved one with…Continue reading 10 gifts for someone with chronic illness this year
You can’t just “try harder” when you live with chronic pain
People with chronic pain are constantly told that they need to try harder or put more effort into fixing their pain. For example, I found myself walking out of a meeting recently. It wasn’t a situation where anyone was trying to be insensitive or judgmental, and I wasn’t being criticized. Everyone speaking had the best…Continue reading You can’t just “try harder” when you live with chronic pain
5 things people with invisible illness need to hear
Living with an invisible illness means frequent accusations of faking, exaggerating, and laziness. So how can abled people help those with invisible illnesses feel validated? 1. What are you up to doing? People make a lot of assumptions about me. If they know about my illness they assume I’m useless, if they don’t know about…Continue reading 5 things people with invisible illness need to hear
30 things you may not know about my invisible illness
This week is invisible illness awareness week. In honor of that, here is 30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know. You can read more of them at invisibleillnessweek.com. 1. The illness I live with is: Lyme Disease and Fibromyalgia 2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: 2011 3. But I…Continue reading 30 things you may not know about my invisible illness
10 things I’ve learned through my invisible illness
1. You never know what a person is really going through when they have an invisible illness I am very good at putting on a front. I am the epitome of the “fake it till you make it” principle. On a normal day I might look a little tired, and be a little quiet but…Continue reading 10 things I’ve learned through my invisible illness
5 ways Fibromyalgia makes you awesome
Today I dropped a bunch of 2 x 4s on my foot. It’s swollen and bruised, but after letting off a few swear words I went back to my original task. My son asked me if I was going to rest my foot and was surprised when I told him no. His question made me…Continue reading 5 ways Fibromyalgia makes you awesome
5 “helpful” things that don’t really help people with chronic illness
1. Saying things like, “But you don’t look sick”! It’s really nice of you to say that I look good, but I have an invisible illness. You can’t see my pain, but believe me it is there. On a regular day I’m in more pain than most people could ever imagine, but I’m very good at…Continue reading 5 “helpful” things that don’t really help people with chronic illness
How do you tell the difference between Fibromyalgia and Lyme Disease?
Many doctors confuse Lyme disease and Fibromyalgia. Part of the problem is that so little is known about them. Both are new diseases that scientists are still trying to figure out, and their symptoms are so similar that many lazy doctors just diagnose patients with Fibro and never even bother with testing for Lyme. Most doctors…Continue reading How do you tell the difference between Fibromyalgia and Lyme Disease?