This week is Invisible Illness Awareness Week. According to the CDC, 117 million people reported having one or more chronic health conditions. This means that almost half of all adults are affected by an illness that is lasting or recurrent. About 31 percent of adolescents suffer from at least one moderate or severe chronic condition such as asthma, depression, or ADD/ADHD.
For those of you that do not quite understand what a chronic disease is, it is defined as "any disorder that persists over a long period and affects physical, emotional, intellectual, vocational, social, or spiritual functioning."
Many people call chronic illnesses, invisible illnesses. They are called invisible for two reasons:
1. The internal suffering that is experienced is not seen by others.
2. Current medicine does not know the exact cause, treatment, or testing to help diagnose and cure these diseases.
Though someones disease is not ALWAYS visible to the naked eye, it is STILL a disease that can cause chronic pain, fatigue, and very often criticizing remarks of the general public.
In March of my freshman year of high school, I noticed that something was wrong. I was always exhausted, had loss of appetite, weight loss, vomiting, and I had chronic nausea. I went through three years of feeling like a pin cushion while doctors tested for any source of my problem. About a year ago, I was diagnosed with Gatroparesis, or delayed gastric emptying, where damaged stomach nerves/muscles cause inadequate grinding of food by the stomach, and poor emptying of food from the stomach into the intestines. There is no cure for GP, though there are some medicines you can take to calm symptoms, these are very controversial.
Here are a few things that my invisible illness has taught me:
1. Treat yourself with patience and understanding. Honestly, the person who is hardest on me, is myself. I try to do everything that I did before I knew about my illness, and sometimes this sets me back even further. I now know that if I do not take care of myself, physically and mentally, my sickness will take over me.
2. Invisible Illnesses affect everyone around you, not just you. My mother herself suffers from her own chronic illnesses, but I have never seen someone so dedicated to someone when they are sick. My mom has been by my side for my whole life, especially during all of my emergency room visits. Your relationships, family, faith, and many other things are all affected by my sickness and the way I feel. And that's okay.
3. Ignore those who refuse to take your illness seriously. This is something I experience way too often. I personally understand that there is a lack of understanding of invisible illnesses, especially those that are less common. If you try to explain your illness to someone, and they treat you as though you are less than them or ignore your limitations, KICK THEM TO THE CURB. Life is way too precious to be surrounded by negative people during most of it.
4. Don't hold back. As a freshman in college, I was all too afraid to move away from home and begin my education, afraid of having a flare up, not having anyone who really understands, and being isolated from those who are completely healthy. I was wrong. I am so glad I am continuing my education, especially away from home, because I am learning what it is like to cope with my sickness, make new friends who understand, and live my life not being afraid of what is to come.
5. Your sickness doesn't define you. I am a sister to six, a daughter, a full-time college student, a Christian, lover of music, writer for Odyssey, a girlfriend, a cousin, a role model, and many more, and I will never let anything define who I am, especially my chronic illness.
I know that I am not alone, just know that you aren't either. There are literally millions of people who understand exactly what you're going through. Use your resources and connect to the groups/friendships of those who know all to well what it's like to be sick.
