Invisible Illness Awareness Week
September 10-16, 2012
invisibleillnessweek.comKind. Empathetic. Nurturing. Positive. Funny. These are some adjectives that describe me. I've always championed causes of the underdog and I have the resume and references to prove it. Yet I am embarrassed to admit that until I became ill with Polycythemia Vera, I was not attuned to the suffering of millions of people who live their lives with no obvious outward sign of the pain and uncertainty they manage every day.
My parents raised me with a strong feminist work ethic: I had the same potential for achievement as my brothers. I believed that if I tried hard enough, I could achieve most anything. Persistence, stubbornness, and a bit of naiveté had served me well over the years, thus reinforcing those beliefs. The power of my will and effort could overcome all obstacles. That was my truth. Until October 14, 2007.
Mid-Life's School of Hard Knocks has given me a new perspective. I'm coming up on 5 years of a second chance at life. Living these years has humbled me, frightened me, angered me, and depressed me. I've been afraid to accept my 'new normal' for fear that it is akin to giving in to the diseases. I don't want to be a victim so I try to deny what is happening in my body. Yet the blood work doesn't lie. The symptoms persist. The side effects of the treatments are better than the diseases untreated. I believe that if I keep digging into research and brainstorming the 'right' questions, cures will be found and I can get my wonderful life back.
I now assume that everyone has something that is a hidden personal challenge. From this assumption, I try to enter interactions with a little more compassion. I call upon patience when encountering someone may be a bit rude or disagreeable. I don't condone rudeness, of course, but I also don't let it ruin my day. After all, I know what prednisone did to me for one year!
I know that it is possible to be functionally 'normal' while masking chronic illness. I know how exhilarating yet exhausting it is to be 'on' for work and family. And I know that I still have a lot to learn about the effects of invisible illness on the patient, care givers, family, friends, employers, and community.
The Invisible Illness Week organizers challenged us to answer the following meme. Please share your reaction to this.
30 THINGS ABOUT MY INVISIBLE ILLNESS YOU MAY NOT KNOW
1. The invisible illness I live with is: Polycythemia Vera, Behcet's Disease, and Migraines
2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: PV in 2009; Behcet's in 2010; Migraines 1983
3. But I had symptoms since: PV since 2006; Behcet's since 2009; Migraines since 1981
4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: finding peace with limited energy and the inability to work regularly.
5. Most people assume: that I am healthy and fine because I have a happy, positive personality.
6. The hardest part about mornings are: waking up and moving through the aches and pains.
7. My favorite medical TV show is: House
8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: my iPhone
9. The hardest part about nights are: chronic insomnia
10. Each day I take 14 pills & vitamins. (No comments, please)
11. Regarding alternative treatments I: am open to them, but cautious of drug interactions.
12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: the invisible because I can "pass" as normal and not attract unwanted attention.
13. Regarding working and career: I desperately miss my career and earning potential.
14. People would be surprised to know: that I have withdrawn from many community and social functions because I don't like answering the questions, "are you well yet?" and "what are you doing these days?"
15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: feeling vulnerable and powerless about my future since there are no cures
16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: travel to Europe with my family
17. The commercials about my illness: do not exist because PV and Behcet's are so rare.
18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: being a consistent, vibrant part of my community
19. It was really hard to have to give up: wine with dinner
20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: knitting (learned from YouTube videos)
21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: tour wine country and have lots of great sex with my husband
22. My illness has taught me: that we take good health for granted. Science and medicine have not kept pace with all the things that can go wrong in the human body.
23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is: "You don't look sick" and "It's God's plan"
24. But I love it when people: ask honest questions about the illnesses and listen
25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: It could always be worse!
26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: It is scary as hell in the beginning; don't believe everything you read on the internet; there is a wonderful support community on-line ready to welcome you to this special "club"; it gets better.
27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: how many people are living with invisible illnesses
28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: two gal pals came to my house when I couldn't travel with my family. We talked (they did most of the talking) and laughed and I momentarily forgot the pain. They treated me as a full friend, not a fragile sick being.
29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because: I can use my voice to share my experience to dispel some myths, educate the currently healthy, and offer support and hope to others living with chronic, invisible illnesses.
30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: validated and grateful that you are curious to learn.
2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: PV in 2009; Behcet's in 2010; Migraines 1983
3. But I had symptoms since: PV since 2006; Behcet's since 2009; Migraines since 1981
4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: finding peace with limited energy and the inability to work regularly.
5. Most people assume: that I am healthy and fine because I have a happy, positive personality.
6. The hardest part about mornings are: waking up and moving through the aches and pains.
7. My favorite medical TV show is: House
8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: my iPhone
9. The hardest part about nights are: chronic insomnia
10. Each day I take 14 pills & vitamins. (No comments, please)
11. Regarding alternative treatments I: am open to them, but cautious of drug interactions.
12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: the invisible because I can "pass" as normal and not attract unwanted attention.
13. Regarding working and career: I desperately miss my career and earning potential.
14. People would be surprised to know: that I have withdrawn from many community and social functions because I don't like answering the questions, "are you well yet?" and "what are you doing these days?"
15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: feeling vulnerable and powerless about my future since there are no cures
16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: travel to Europe with my family
17. The commercials about my illness: do not exist because PV and Behcet's are so rare.
18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: being a consistent, vibrant part of my community
19. It was really hard to have to give up: wine with dinner
20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: knitting (learned from YouTube videos)
21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: tour wine country and have lots of great sex with my husband
22. My illness has taught me: that we take good health for granted. Science and medicine have not kept pace with all the things that can go wrong in the human body.
23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is: "You don't look sick" and "It's God's plan"
24. But I love it when people: ask honest questions about the illnesses and listen
25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: It could always be worse!
26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: It is scary as hell in the beginning; don't believe everything you read on the internet; there is a wonderful support community on-line ready to welcome you to this special "club"; it gets better.
27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: how many people are living with invisible illnesses
28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: two gal pals came to my house when I couldn't travel with my family. We talked (they did most of the talking) and laughed and I momentarily forgot the pain. They treated me as a full friend, not a fragile sick being.
29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because: I can use my voice to share my experience to dispel some myths, educate the currently healthy, and offer support and hope to others living with chronic, invisible illnesses.
30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: validated and grateful that you are curious to learn.
[Since September is also Blood Cancer Awareness month, I encourage you to learn about the Myeloproliferative Neoplasms family. I have Polycythemia Vera, a MPN. My bone marrow over-produces red blood cells (and sometimes platelets), causing thick blood and dangerous thromboses.] MPN Research Foundation
