30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know

1. The illness I live with is: Atypical M.S., Fibromyalgia, Neurally Mediated Hypotension, Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome, PTSD, Adrenal Fatigue, PCOS, Neuropathy

2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: 1995 (PCOS I was diagnosed in 1966)

3. But I had symptoms since: 1994

4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: Not working and not being around people every day

5. Most people assume: I'm just fat and lazy

6. The hardest part about mornings are: severe migraines and chronic pain. Just walking can be excruciating

7. My favorite medical TV show is: You Are What You Eat

8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: Cellphone

9. The hardest part about nights are: Falling Asleep and Staying Asleep

10. Each day I take 11 pills & vitamins. (No comments, please)

11. Regarding alternative treatments I: tried them all - some worked some didn't

12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: invisible

13. Regarding working and career: miss them both... hard to remember what normal for me was

14. People would be surprised to know: how profound my pain is 24/7

15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: not working

16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: have children

17. The commercials about my illness: tick me off. I can not take Lyrica or Cymbalta and they are advertised as if they are CURES with "working people" taking them

18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: walking around Manhattan

19. It was really hard to have to give up: working. I enjoyed it

20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: cross-stitching

21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: go play with my children

22. My illness has taught me: Never Judge or Value Someone just for the Way They Look. Ever.

23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is: But you look fine!

24. But I love it when people: Invite me places or take me out somewhere

25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: Success in this Life is simply Survival

26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: I'm sorry

27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: I'm still alive

28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: take my kids out for the day so I could have a quiet day in bed

29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because: it's vital people understand

30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: Validated

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