Hi guys! The last time I posted was the 2nd of this month, and today is now the 9th. Put it like that, it doesn’t sound so much of a gap. However, before and after that post, I have been feeling unwell. It was an odd combination of stomach cramp, which I already take medicine for,  and a bad cough that my GP gave me antibiotics for as a precaution, as the cough had lingered for weeks. Thankfully, the antibiotics have made a difference, and the stomach cramp has subsided. I am still very tired, and in a vicious cycle of lots of sleep to no sleep, (or very little) and then too much sleep again. I know from experience this will sort itself out to an extent, but I am usually shattered anyway. Much of what I go through, the carers see quite a bit of it, especially the main carer. My family knows a lot, but doesn’t generally see me day to day. Some close friends know a lot, others nothing.

The only One who knows everything, is of course, Almighty God. I was reminded of this very truth this week as I was reading Day Two of Stacy Williams 21 Days to Finding Purpose in Pain, which I won a copy of after explaining some of my experiences with chronic pain underneath a guest post on pain written by Stacy herself on my friend Wendy’s website, ilovedevotionals.com. One of the verses for that day was from Genesis 16:13:

“She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.’” Genesis 16:13

I got such comfort from the thought that God sees me and knows absolutely everything I am going through. That same day I read a devotional from Joni Earekson Tada talking about how parts of the Bible, especially Leviticus concentrates on the details of how to honour God, live out their faith, and keep their homes, and food hygienic and safe as possible. All the littler things, and yet God was in it all, as he is in all the smaller details of my life too. He sees the pain; physical, emotional and spiritual. He sees the day to day struggles, and also the small triumphs. For all these things, I am extremely thankful.

It was thanks to reading ‘Chronic Rants’ post on Invisible Illness Week that I first knew about it. I read her excellent post on 30 things to know about her illness, and decided to answer them myself. Parts of my illness are physical obviously, such as Cerebral Palsy (CP) and I use an electric wheelchair to get around. If you would like to know more about CP, I wrote a post for America’s National CP Awareness Week earlier this year, which you can read here. So, Invisible Illness. Why do I feel so compelled to write about something so private? Well. if you don’t know, you can’t understand, and it makes it harder for you to be there for other who have hidden things wrong with their bodies too.

30 things about my invisible illness you may not know (to have a go, the link is here)

1. The illness I live with is: Chron’s Disease, bowel resection, and chronic nerve, muscle and joint pain from walking and being semi-active for years. Oh added to that, constant fatigue from medication, sleep problems and so on. I already had Cerebral Palsy, from birth.
2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: 2005, last major op was 2008, and pain has become chronic in the last few years, steadily increasing year on year
3. But I had symptoms since: 2002 (I was 19), though lived with first, most major bowel resection since I was a few months old.
4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: There are two actually; being a full time electric wheelchair user, and the consequences of that, and secondly having carers in my home two to three times a day to help me.
5. Most people assume: my Cerebral Palsy is my biggest problem.
6. The hardest part about mornings are: how long it can take to wake up. I feel so ill too, never feel rested, and often have a headache and am in pain, especially back pain.
7. My favorite medical TV show is: 24 hours in A and E.
8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: not really a gadget, but couldn’t live without appliance on my stomach… and my wheelchair.
9. The hardest part about nights are: not sleeping, or waking up in the night in pain
10. Each day I take __ pills & vitamins. (No comments, please) about 10 morning, 4 or 5 both afternoon and teatime and about 8 at night, plus multi vitamin.

11. Regarding alternative treatments I: think sometimes they are useful. Massage can really help, as has acupuncture, though in the case of both treatments I need someone who knows what they are doing so as not to cos me further harm or pain.

12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: I already have both.
13. Regarding working and career: I desperately wish I had both. What career? My job is my health.
14. People would be surprised to know: I once crossed London on my own when I really, really wanted to visit a charity I care deeply about.
15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: how limited my life is.
16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: see number 14.
17. The commercials about my illness: there are no commercials about them – but adverts for painkillers annoy me – if only it was that simple. I take at least 3 different pain killers and still live in chronic pain, constantly.
18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: well, have always been ‘disabled’ but miss being able to walk around, however wonky that looked.
19. It was really hard to have to give up: walking
20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: card making, and baking.
21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: Ooh, I’ve never had a ‘normal’ day. I would travel to see someone I still care deeply about.
22. My illness has taught me: to begin to learn how to ‘be still’.
23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is: “what do you do all day”.
24. But I love it when people: come sit with me
25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is:

 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. (Col. 3: 1-4)

26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: Life doesn’t end, especially if you ‘only’ have a bag, you can life a normal life, As far as living with pain and fatigue goes, you can still have a life, it’s just a different kind of life.

27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: how priceless ‘good’ care is.
28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: brought me dinner, cooked it, AND washed up!!
29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because: that’s just it, illnesses are invisible and people need to be made aware how life altering an invisible illness can be. A lot of what I suffer, I suffer in silence, alone.
30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: that you care.

Related articles

• 30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know (chronicrants.com)
• Invisible Illness Week (potsierachel.wordpress.com)
• Chronic Invisible Illness Week (jillsmentalhealthresources.wordpress.com)
• Invisible Illness Week (30somethingwitharthritis.wordpress.com)
• 30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know (currankentucky.wordpress.com)
• Invisible illness awareness week (lupiethoughts.wordpress.com)