Invisible Illness Week Post 4...or 7...Whatever...

Sooooooooooo I got Bronchitis this week and I didn't make it through Invisible Illness Week. It's alright. This year's posts are few and far between anyway.

But I did not want to pass up this opportunity to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY 3rd LCB!

Three years ago today I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease and my life changed forever.

To celebrate here are some pictures of you on the day you were born.

The terrible two's are over! Hallelujah! May your third year be good to both you AND me....

Invisible Illness Week Post 3: Appearances....

Appearances can be confusing. They can also be misleading. If you were to see me on the street and say hello you would never know what I have or haven't been through in my life or day. In much the same way as I do not know about you. It is not until we sit down and truly discuss what makes us different (or the same) that we can understand and appreciate each-other's journeys. I'm not saying my life path is on a downward trajectory that is one day going to reach oblivion and I will have no choice but to curl up in the fetal position and die. Not at all. What I mean is that I may have more ups and downs in my life than the average person.

Take the spoon theory. I've posted a link before but for those of you that have never heard it I will briefly recap (but I suggest reading the whole thing for yourselves for the full effect).

The spoon theory says that everyone wakes up each morning with an allotment of spoons. Some have more and some have less. Those that have a chronic illness tend to have less. Every time you must perform a task you lose a spoon and once your spoons are gone you are done for the day. This isn't a major problem for most "normal" people as they have an abundance of spoons to get up in the morning, go to work, pick up the kids, make dinner and still have enough to walk the dog and clean the house. But us invisible illness sufferers have to pick and choose when things get done. If we cook dinner tonight will we be too tired to eat it? If we clean the house will we have to skip tucking our kids in to bed? Budgeting your spoons is a very delicate task.

As of late I have been very blessed with my spoon allotment. There seems to be enough to go around work, school and even some left to get ahead on homework and projects.

So next time you see me on the street don't just assume that I'm being a snob and don't want to get coffee with you. Maybe I just can't afford a spoon loss that day.

Invisible Illness Week Post 2: Doctors....

I owe my life to my Gastroenterologist. She single handedly brought me from a very frail, can't keep any food down, 117 pound withering mess to a healthy, enjoy (most) foods strong enough to enjoy life patient. And as much as I hate the stigma "patient" brings I'd rather be a "patient" than a "corpse" of a person that never got to enjoy her life.

Dr. P is my Gastroenterologist. She is a great doctor that truly cares for her patients. I can't count the amount of times that I have come home to a message on my machine that my labs have come back wonky and she has left a prescription at my pharmacy to correct the problem. She is very accommodating.

Take today for example. I had an appointment with her and at the end of my appointment I was mentioning that I am doing a project about Crohn's Disease for school and she gave me pictures that she had taken at my first colonoscopy to share.

My advice when dealing with an invisible illness is to find yourself a really good doctor. I have and it really does make your life that much easier.

Invisible Illness Week Post 1: Invisible....

My invisible illness is Crohn's Disease. It is  called invisible because you can't see it as you can, say the big red target that is Lyme Disease. Instead, the only way for you to know that I am different than you, your spouse, your parents or your neighbours Paul and Betty down the street is for me to tell you. 

Well here I am. All 160 lbs. of me. And I'm alright with that weight. It means I have been eating. You see quite often there are days when I don't eat. It actually gives me pain to eat. This is called an invisible symptom. And while it is invisible for you it is quite real to me. Think of it like this. Imagine you had to go about your day with a very infected finger nail. The really annoying kind that throbs, is red and you can feel your heartbeat in.  And every two hours you had to go to the sink and pour rubbing alcohol on it. While it may hurt and sting your finger while you pour and for a little while after it is what's best for your body.

This is what Crohn's is like, only 10,189,748,829 times worse.

Now imagine that fingernail is the whole right side of your abdomen, front and back, and you are coming up to the two hour mark. You are dreading even the thought of having to eat and even though you know it's not what's best for your body you skip eating anyway. This is the invisible struggle. To eat or not to eat. I ask myself this every minute of everyday. But I have been blessed as of late. Lately I have been feeling good, eating well and keeping that "finger" pain in check.

And such is the unpredictable and sometimes irrational life of a Crohnie....

:)

Invisible Illness Week 2013

This week is Invisible Illness Week.

As last year, I plan on participating. There are some prompts that have been set out for participants and I am going to do my best to uphold them. I might be juggling them around a bit as I have a special day coming up on the 15th.  See you tomorrow everyone!

:)