I recently had the pleasure of accompanying a good friend to a doctor’s appointment. The appointment was several hours away from where we live so it made it difficult for her to drive herself given her current medical condition and so I offered to take her. We have a lot in common as we both share a particular genetic condition that we were born with. It’s actually how we became friends. To make a long story short, we ended up being linked together when we were both seeing the same provider who recommended we reach out to one another as we were of similar age and had quite a lot in common, both physically but also with what we were dealing with emotionally as a result of our physical challenges.

     It was a bit of a puzzle trying to initially connect, but once we did, the pieces all fell into place and we became really close friends. I adore her husband and son, I’ve been to her childhood home overseas and I am now good friends with her sister.  She’s gotten to know my family quite well too, coming over for dinner with my parents and has met my brother and his fiancé as well, even helping to pick out my bridesmaid dress for their wedding. 

     But the respect I have for her not just as my friend, but a person living with an invisible illness/injury that not everyone can see is ENORMOUS. Because I have one too. And yet, still I rise. Each day we both get out of bed and look as normal as the next person walking down the street. We put our makeup on, do our hair and put our posh little outfits on to go about the day. But often those days are filled with pain. Not just “aches and pains” like you hear about in the Tylenol commercial, but CHRONIC PAIN. Debilitating pain that could put a 250 gorilla on his back. 

      Yet still we rise. Because we have things to do and appointments to go to. Bills to pay, and things that need to be sorted and “sussed out”. My friend is the mum to a 19 month old toddler so she can’t very easily just crawl back into bed when she doesn’t feel well. Listening to her describe her history to the doctor yesterday (although I’d already heard the story and could probably have told him it in detail myself), made me realize truly what a long journey it’s been for her. But we were given hope yesterday. Hope that still, we may rise.

      I know there are many people in my life (& out there in general) who suffer from “invisible illness” whether that is in the form of an autoimmune condition, a genetic condition, a neurological one, a mental illness, psychological or emotional pain, or some other source of pain, fatigue and compromised wellness. Some have chronic pain or illness or a myriad of other things that make it almost impossible to contemplate getting out of bed each day. And yet we do. 

    Like the phoenix rising from the ash, breaking through the pain and pushing through to the other side, we keep moving forward. We do it because in the end, it’s what is GOOD and we still rise. 

#invisibleillness

#stillirise