What It's Like to Have An "Invisible Illness"
For anyone who struggles with a chronic illness, it’s often times invisible to the world around us.
You may not see it in my Instagram feed or when you pass me on the street, or when you hear about the fun adventures I went on with my little family last week.
But just because you can’t always see it, doesn’t mean it isn’t always there. Because what you don’t see is the 5+ hours a day I spend resting in bed, writing and working on this blog to keep my mind busy... the bland meals I eat again and again every.single.day just to try keep my body working correctly... or the 10+ hours of sleep I need a night just to be able to walk through Target without needing to stop and rest or take an ibuprofen an hour later because my legs ache so badly I can’t concentrate on anything else.
B U T . . . what you also don’t see is the extreme amount of joy it brings me just to be able to go grocery store alone - without needing help carrying my bags or having someone else do it for me all together.
Or the pure joy + laughter that fills my soul every time I get to dance around my kitchen with my son on my hip (even if my knees begin to buckle and I literally fall to the ground shortly after)...
Chronic illness is often times i n v i s i b l e to the world around us.
But that doesn’t make the pain any less real, the struggle any less worth it, or the joy that comes from being able to do the simplest of activities any less amazing...
If you know someone who struggles with chronic illness or an autoimmune disease, don’t forget to ask them how they’re doing today… Because their pain my be invisible to you, but it’s not to them. And I promise, it’ll mean the world to them that you cared enough to ask.
And for all of you reading this who struggle with a chronic illness or autoimmune disease yourself, let me be the first to say you are not alone. You are an amazing warrior & you have SO much to be proud of… you can do this & you will do this, because you already are doing this day after day! Don’t lose hope for healing and recovery, because the long road is worth every single moment of joy. And at your darkest hour, hang on to that glimmer of hope because I promise you your journey to healing is closer than you think. I know mine was & it showed up after 7+ long years of struggle & 14 months of questioning my new treatment, and then I finally found my miracle cure!
The journey to recovery is a process (& mine still is day after day), but it’s a process worth fighting for & it’s a process I can genuinely say I‘m thankful for every single day. Because this life is such a gift & there’s nothing more worthy than living that to your absolute fullest ability every single day, even if that means resting in bed for 5+ hours a day.
xo
Adrianna
PS Most people with chronic illness aren’t used to people asking how they’re doing (& actually listening), so they may share just a little and act like it’s not a big deal or they may pour out their hearts to you. Either way, I promise you it’ll mean the world to them.
