30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know

30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know

1. The illness I live with is:
Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Asthma, Migraines, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Hypothyroidism, TMJ, Anxiety.

2. I was diagnosed with it in the year:
Migraines 2004, Anxiety 2005, Chronic Fatigue 2007, Fibromyalgia 2008, Trigeminal Neuralgia 2009, Asthma 2009, TMJ 2010, Hypothyroidism 2010.

3. But I had symptoms since:
Some of them for as long as I can remember. I can't remember them all now though.

4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is:
not being able to go out and do things I used to be able, not being able to do the things my friends do, etc.

5. Most people assume:
that it's all in my head, that i'm making it up, that it's not real, etc.

6. The hardest part about mornings are:
Waking up and actually staying awake, getting out of bed, getting ready for the day.

7. My favorite medical TV show is:
Grey's Anatomy and House.

8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is:
My blackberry.

9. The hardest part about nights are:
not being able to sleep, being in pain.

10. Each day I take __ pills & vitamins. (No comments, please)
I take 11 different prescription meds.

11. Regarding alternative treatments I:
go to acupuncture and the chiropractor when I can afford it, I also love reiki but can never afford it.

12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose:
I'm not sure.

13. Regarding working and career:
I've tried and failed. Looking for something easier on my body.

14. People would be surprised to know:
That I DO NOT like having to rely on other people for things.

15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been:
that it's not going to go away. That this is something I have to accept and live with for the rest of my life. That life is never going to be the same again.

16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was:
still have at least a bit of a life.

17. The commercials about my illness:
makes me so mad. They act like this medicine cures it and then you'll be fine. WRONG!

18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is:
going out and doing something with my friends or whoever. I can barely do it now, and when I do, I sure pay for it!

19. It was really hard to have to give up:
my life. Or at least the way it was.

20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is:
talking more to my friends and family. Not really a hobby, but its true.

21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would:
Hang out with friends and family and have a BLAST!

22. My illness has taught me:
to live life to the fullest, treasure every moment, and help others the best you can. Sometimes all someone needs is a helping hand.

23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is:
You just have to (insert something crazy). It's all in your head. (Insert something else here) will cure it.

24. But I love it when people:
when believe I am sick, and treat me that way.

25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is:
I don't know, I have a few.

26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them:
to do lots of research because doctors DO NOT know it all. And find help and support, it's what will get you through this.

27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is:
how hard it is, and yet how it's changed me. And how I've made some amazing friends through the ordeal

28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was:
just believe me, know I'm not making it up, and helping me in any way possible.

29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because:
I want people to understand that just because someone doesn't look sick, it doesn't mean that they aren't!

30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel:
really good. I hope you understand better now. Thanks.

One Thing After Another....

Wow, I haven't actually updated this in SO long. I feel like it has just become more of a chore than an enjoyment. I don't know why, it just seems that way. It's weird really, because when I first started this thing, I absolutely loved it and used it all the time.

Anyways, I left off right before Christmas. Dan and I went to my parents' house for Christmas, which was nice. It didn't feel nearly as much like Christmas as it usually does, and I think its just because I am growing up, and while Christmas is still nice of course, it just isn't the same as when I was younger.

While I was there, I started having some extreme pain in the left side of my face, which I thought was my trigeminal neuralgia flaring. It was beyond painful, and NOTHING got rid of it. I actually ended up in the ER once because the pain was just THAT bad, and they gave me hydromorphone (which is like synthetic morphine) and even that didn't work, that's how bad it was. After like a week or two of being in pain, it was finally discovered that it was actually TMJ, and that it was setting off my trigeminal neuralgia as well. My doctor put me on short-term prednisone (which made me soooo sick) but calmed it down, and it's been better since, thankfully. That was such bad pain.

So a little bit more time goes by, and I'm feeling horrible, so exhausted, sick feeling, etc. I thought it was just the fibro acting up, so I just let it be for awhile. But it got worse, and got to the point where I knew it was more then just fibro, so back to the doctor I go. Turns out I had gotten mono somewhere along the line. That was just wonderful. Let me tell you, fibro plus mono is absolutely horrible. I have never felt so exhausted or so sick in my whole life. It was so intense. Actually, I think I still have a bout of it, but I do believe that it is getting at least a bit better. While I'm def still tired, it's not as bad as it was.

Sooo there's that. But then this past Friday, I fell on the ice in my driveway on my bad knee (the one I hurt back in August). The pain was so bad. I ended up going to the Brighton FirstCare on Saturday night because the pain was just so intense and I knew something must be wrong. So they referred me to an orthopedic doctor who I saw yesterday. He thinks I might have torn *insert medical jargon here.* I don't know what exactly it was. But anyways, I have an MRI next Wednesday to figure out what exactly is wrong, and then we will see what needs to be done. I may need surgery or I may not, we don't know yet. In the meantime, I'm in a knee immobilizer and am supposed to be using crutches if I'm gonna be on it alot. Oh fun.

Oh and I have a cold now too.

So this is my life....see what I mean when I say it's one thing after another?