Invisible Illness Week was ages ago last month, but it's been taking me that long to write this. It's the 30 things meme, which is a list of 30 questions designed to share perspectives about invisible illnesses.
30 THINGS ABOUT MY INVISIBLE ILLNESS YOU MAY NOT KNOW 1. The illness I live with is: Chronic migraine 2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: 2011 (around the middle of the year) 3. But I had symptoms since: Chronic migraine: March 2011, Migraine in general: probably much earlier (2000) but I can't be sure if it actually was migraine 4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: Being more organised and planning ahead A LOT because I can't just go somewhere without medication, and when it's sunny, a hat, and I need my 10 hours sleep so can't cram the night before a test 5. Most people assume: That I'm completely fine 6. The hardest part about mornings are: getting up, especially if I'm sleep deprived which is very hard to avoid completely as a uni student 7. My favorite medical TV show is: either House of Grey's Anatomy, don't watch either anymore 8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: my laptop. But that's just because all my stuff is on it. 9. The hardest part about nights are: when I realise I haven't taken my medicine or need an ice pack so I have to get out of the warm and comfy bed to get it, because I shouldn't/can't go to sleep otherwise 10. Each day I take 11 pills & vitamins. (No comments, please) this is what a SHOULD be taking, but recently I'm just going 'screw it' and just taking the ones that would make my body go weird if I suddenly stopped them (or so the label says) 11. Regarding alternative treatments I: really like peppermint and lavender essential oils. Also trying to exercise more because being fitter seems to give me more energy. 12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: Invisible, because now I at least have the choice of not telling people 13. Regarding working and career: Not sure what's going to happen. So far uni's going okay, so as long as I don't get worse I should be able to be reasonably successful in a career. 14. People would be surprised to know: that I have chronic migraines at all. Someone recently said that they'd love to have my brain (because they thought I was smart). If they knew all the stuff that came with my brain... I doubt they would want it. 15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: that I have limits. The thing about being a teenager is that you seem to get the idea that the options are limitless... I had to learn that it wasn't true pretty quickly 16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: cope with and even do well at uni 17. The commercials about my illness: make me want to throw something at the television 18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: staying up late. Everything seems to happen late at night, but staying up late is really not worth it. 19. It was really hard to have to give up: doing everything. I like getting involved in things like music and organisations that I have an interest in, but it's just not possible to do everything I'd like to and I have to consider if any commitment won't drain me completely. 20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: blogging. 21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: just enjoy it having fun. Go out and do something that gets my heart rate up. Completely savour the moments and try to imprint them in my memory. 22. My illness has taught me: to be grateful. I used to take everything for granted, especially my good health. Now I try to appreciate everything since nothing is ever 23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is: 'Oh, so you have a headache?' because if I the headache by itself I would not be feeling as bad as I do. 24. But I love it when people: don't question it 25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: it could be better, but it could also be worse 26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: You'll be fine. It may not be the type of fine you want it to be, but you'll be fine nevertheless. 27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: that it isn't the end of the world 28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: just being sympathetic and doing something small to help me. The small things do matter. One time at school I was feeling horrible and went to sick bay, and the school nurse just told me to go in a lie down without even questioning me (she did know me by then) and it was just the way she was so concerned and asked me if I needed anything or to go home which was so nice. 29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because: I feel that I need to share for my own sake. And I'm really late for Invisible Illness Week, but this still counts, right? 30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: a combination of flattered and embarrassed that you even bothered
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