Hey bumblebees! So there is a collab in the works for Fibromyalgia Awareness month, but I wanted to make my own separate post for this really quick, because I feel like I need to.
Awarness month for Fibro and every Chronic Illness is so incredibly important because many people don’t realize how badly our illnesses effect us. I think that most people think that just because we look fine on the outside, we are not really sick. That could be further from the truth.
I am tired. Always. I have a hard time sleeping at night-sometimes I can go several days in a row without even getting one ounce of sleep- I have IBS, my weight can go up and down with the slightest thing, I’m bloated, I have chronic headaches, my feet and hands go numb, I have terrible bouts of depression and anxiety, my feet swell up, I have sensory sensitivities, I have to Pee all the time, I have chronic muscle pain, I have a hard time remembering details and concentrating on even the simplest of tasks. Some days even my scalp is incredibly tender. My back and neck are always stiff and it hurts me to make even the slightest movements. I get irritated easily and I almost always feel uncomfortable in my own body.
I want people who don’t think those of us who have Chronic Illness are actually sick, to listen to me. If you had any or all of those symptoms-just even for a day or an hour- wouldn’t you call out of work sick? Wouldn’t you stay in bed with a heating pad and cry? Wouldn’t you want someone to try and help you find a way to stop it? Now just imagine that you had those symptoms every day for the rest of your life! Imagine that no medicine can cure it! Imagine that no matter what medicine or remedy you try, it will never give you permanent relief! Sure, a certain med or a specific remedy or diet may help-for a while. You will always be stuck with pain and the feeling that you are losing a battle. How can you fight your own body?
This is what it feels like to be chronically Ill. This is what it feels like to know that there is no cure. This is what it feels like when we are told that we will be fighting a illness that is invisible. This is what it feels like when society has a stigma against us. Yes, it drives us crazy too.
Now, I want to address those who are fighting with Chronic Illness, and those who have Fibro like I do.
I want you to know that I think you are the strongest person on earth. You are a warrior, and I applaud you for all the things that you do every single day, even if you have to stay in bed. It takes courage do fight like we do, and you are being so brave. I know that it feels like you’re drowning and you feel like you’ve gone insane- you are allowed to feel this way. I think that you are wonderful, and I want you to never stop fighting. Never. Breathe from your gut and know that you are a force of nature. You are allowed to take a rest, to take a break, and to sit and do nothing. Your body needs it. We can do all the things every one else does, we just have to do it in smaller steps. We will get there. You can achieve all of your dreams because that fighter spirit is in you, and you do anything you fucking want. Be a badass; because you are.
I love every single one of you,
Ash
NOTE: If you have something negative to say, or have a spiteful or ignorant comment, take that shit somewhere else. If you don’t heed my warning, and comment something that is ugly, I will have you blocked. Please be respectful. Mind your manners.
