My Story With Chronic Illness

Chronic illness for someone younger is extremely hard to accept. Imagine being told that the life and activities that the average teenager or young adult has, is one you won't be able to experience because your body is creating limitations faster than adaptions can be made. It is hard to not be in denial of your youth being ripped from you without a way to help it. Doing so much to having to say no to smaller plans because you won't have energy long enough or your body won't allow it. I've always had a cold here, strep there, and some asthma with complications but that had nothing on what was coming next.

When I was 14, I had some health issues which resulted in hospitalization and the diagnosis of meningitis. From there my body never fully recovered, fatigue had become normal, and I was no longer the hyperactive, bubbly teenage I used to be.

At 17, I started having random severe allergic reactions, joint pain, continued fatigue, and digestive issues. Definitely not things you want to worry about at prom. We started investigating what was happening, no answers ever came from this.

By 18, the reactions turned into regular hospital interventions, the fatigue turned into multiple naps a day, and joint pain turned into limitations on activities or moving distance limits. More investigations continued and again...nothing. Going from doing so much to doing so little, was a difficult reality.

Fast forward to today, I'm 20 with regular antiphilaxous, hospital trips, chronic pain, loose joints, overly tight muscles, digestive struggles, constant swelling, and many other factors. At 20, I have had to leave 2 jobs because my body does not function long enough to complete tasks outside of the home. At 20, I now use a wheelchair part-time to help gain my independence back and move further. At 20, I am learning to love myself again, to push myself towards success in ways that I am able, how to keep myself accountable for my goals, and to share my favourite hobbies with others!

After almost 5 years of investigations, specialists, and worsening symptoms, no diagnoses have been concretely given. I am still a medical perdicament. After 5 years of watching my body's capabilities change, I am done feeling left out!

Having an invisible disability creates extra barriers other than the barriers of one with a visible disability. A lot of judgment can be thrown at you for using a wheelchair or mobility aid when you can walk or using an accessible parking spot when you are young, which doesn't help feeling comfortable or accepting your newfound reality. No matter, you need to do what is best for you and think about strangers' judgements never!

There is never a right time to start using aids that make you feel less able to help you, but once you rip off the bandaid and just do it, you'll never go back!

Cheers! xo