The invisible illness I have is Fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes pain all over the body and can cause migraines/headaches, fatigue, bowel issues, nausea, "fibro fog" (which is issues with memory and concentration), weakness, among many other things. It's called an invisible disease because you can't physically tell you're sick with it. There isn't any proof like hives or a cast on a broken bone. Because of this, people just assume nothing is wrong with you. Fibromyalgia can be very hard to diagnose, which just causes more frustration for these people with unexplainable pain.

So what's it really like to have fibromyalgia?

It's like having the flu every day. You wake up with aches and pains that sometimes make it impossible to get out of bed. Or maybe you can get out of bed but you're too weak to walk down stairs and start getting ready for the day. Not every day is this debilitating, but some are. You never know how you're going to feel from day to day, or even hour to hour.

One of the hardest issues we have to deal with while having fibro is that we never know how we will feel later. Will we be able to complete our house chores or go out with our friends? And if we do accomplish those things, will we be able to get out of bed tomorrow? It's all about keeping a moderate amount of activity each day. But that's hard sometimes you can't make it out of your room.

At some point, you start to be seen as the sick one. Yes, we are sick, but we are all trying so hard not to let this disorder define us. Some days we might feel defeated, but as long as we’re trying, we should be proud. Not to mention all the mental illness issues that may come with this. You're in constant pain, that no one really knows what is causing it; you're allowed to be upset or angry. But just know that you aren't alone.

I'm not writing this in the hope that people give me sympathy, I'm trying to make awareness. May 12th is National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. The more people hear about Fibromyalgia and learn what it really is, the closer we will get to a cure and finding out what causes it. Fibromyalgia is real and over 5 million people suffer from it everyday in the US. Chances are you know someone who is dealing with it and they could use your support. Whether it's in sharing this post, wearing purple on the 12th or just checking up on them to see how they're feeling. FMS can cause people to isolate themselves and become less social, so instead of rescheduling plans, offer to come over with tea and a movie. Support and understanding is all we ask for.