The Unseen Realities of My Invisible Disability
Living with Fibromyalgia — Beyond the Diagnosis, Through the Dismissal, and Inside the Daily Fight to Be Seen, Heard, and Heal
Hi, I’m Rachael. I have lived with multiple chronic illnesses including (but not limited to) fibromyalgia, sleep disorders, POTS, and SVT for the past two years, and while most people wouldn’t know it just by looking at me, these conditions impact nearly every part of my life.
Like many, especially young people, living with invisible disabilities like chronic illness, I’ve had to learn how to speak up for myself endlessly and fight for my voice to be heard when my battery is at 3%, and take rest even when it’s inconvenient or misunderstood. Managing my health has become its own kind of full-time job. It’s not easy and it’s not linear, but I will never give up on my dream of full healing. My illnesses have taught me how to slow down and live more gently, listen more closely, and find meaning in places I never thought to look.
“Every problem has a gift for you in its hands.”
— Richard Bach
~
My life doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s to be worthy of gratitude.
Grief: The Girl I Once Was
I remember when I worked three jobs: two fast paced and busy restaurants by night and personal training by day. I started my day at 7am and ended it at 1aM. I remember when my days were filled with motion, bright lights, sweat, and noise. When people used to say, “How do you do it? I…
Protected: When Rest Is The Work
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Being “Chronically” Misunderstood
There’s a particular kind of loneliness that comes with being chronically misunderstood, which many illnesses like mine are. It’s not just about people not “getting” your illness, it’s the constant questions, the unsolicited advice, the blank stares when you try to explain why you had to cancel plans (again). And the worst part? I have…