No one’s life is exactly like anyone else’s. But my life is so incredibly different from the average twenty-something due to my health issues. For those of you scratching your heads, I have autoimmune arthritis and fibromyalgia and have been in pain every day since 2001. I taught high school for a year after graduating form college, but my health got so bad that I had to quit. I took a year to get my health under control, which worked to a certain extent. Regardless, my life isn’t like most people’s, so today I’m confessing some things related to living with chronic pain. It’s both therapeutic for me and will hopefully open the eyes of some people who are fortunate to live a relatively normal life.
Pants | Shoes | Watch | Necklace | Earrings
I confess that …
I’m really tired of living in high pain all the time. I knew that these couple of months of trying a new medication would be tough, but this has exceeded my expectations. (See: 2 ER trips in April)
my new medication hasn’t kicked in yet, but it has another couple of weeks before we officially decide if I change medications. The real confession here is that I’m very wary of trying another new medication after this and just want to go back on my infusions. At least I know those work!
I’m SO frustrated that changing medications takes 3+ months.
it’s annoying when people expect me to live life like I’m a normal person when I live with my immune system attacking my body constantly.
I really believe that anyone who is against universal health care has never had a real health issue. And before anyone goes off on me for that, FYI I wrote several large research papers in high school on universal health care and have done a LOT of research on it. I probably know more than you do about it.
I don’t have time for anyone who believes arthritis isn’t a big deal after hearing how it has affected my life. Not sorry in the slightest.
it annoys me so much whenever anyone doesn’t understand the difference between people who are addicted to pain medication and people who are prescribed it and need it. Open your eyes, people!
my health has made me miss SO many important things, and it’s so frustrating. For example, my sister’s graduation on Sunday.
What are your chronic pain confessions?
Kate Mitchell is a blogger, chronic illness patient, and advocate who helps people understand chronic illness and helps chronic illness patients live their best lives.
I went to a very sort of hippie college, and was judged a lot whenever seen taken medicine. I was given the whole “you should try yoga/acupuncture/naturopathy” chiding. When I tried to tell my side of the story about how it actually was essential for me to be on these medications, they just seemed to brush me off. But like you said, none of the people I talked to ever really seemed to have had a serious medical condition. It really is frustrating.
And don’t even get me started on the all the pain pill ruckus that has started lately!
The fact that anyone could say arthritis isn’t a big deal is mind-blowing to me. So sorry this is the hand you were dealt, but you truly do handle it so gracefully.
I just stumbled upon your blog this morning via Bloglovin’, and I feel like it was meant to be. I don’t want to bore you with the details, but I have had chronic pain for the last 5 years or so, coming and going in spurts. I have been tested for everything under the sun, and seen several doctors; and haven’t had any real answers. I even had all four wisdom teeth taken out, thinking that the pain in my neck and back of my skull were caused by the wisdom teeth. Lately, the pain has become constant, and it’s a battle to get through the day. I am tired of going to doctors and not getting any answers–after reading through several of your posts, I realize that getting the help I need is up to me—finding the right doctor who is willing to listen and take chronic pain seriously!!!