Constant battle

posted April 6th, 2019 at 9:04 AM

Every single day is a battle for me. I have an “invisible” illness and the fatigue is so overwhelming that just getting out of bed requires what feels like Herculean strength. I’m dizzy all the time, I’m in pain, I have constant shortness of breath and racing heart. I can’t think straight because of brain fog caused by low oxygen, which also causes depression, yet another symptom of this condition. I can fall asleep without warning and frequently wake up after having fallen asleep sitting up, and not having any idea of how long I was out. Driving is often just not an option because of this. I fight to stay positive and cheerful for everyone around me, even though there are times I just don’t have the energy to even speak. The “cure” for this condition made me so ill I wound up in the hospital and I’m no longer a candidate for it. It’s probably going to be with me in some form for the rest of my life. Occasionally I have a good day or even a few in a row, but that’s usually follows by several days of severe exhaustion as my body tries to replenish my limited stores of oxygen. Often people don’t believe I’m sick because they see me looking okay I r they see me having fun once in a while. Being distrusted by even your closest loved ones is one of the worst parts of this illness. Being labelled a hypochondriac is a given. There are so many people fighting similar daily battles due to chronic invisible illnesses, so people please try to remember that you have no idea what challenges someone else is coping with before you judge them on what they aren’t accomplishing.

7 Comments

Anonymous

Apr 6, 2019 at 5:20pm

invisible illness?? More like undiagnosed medical condition. do you know your blood pressure? could you have any food allergies?

Thanks :)

Apr 6, 2019 at 5:23pm

Thanks for posting this. You just reminded me to take my Vitamin D3's. The sun up here in Canada lacks for it, and it is essential to have it.

Have you tried

Apr 6, 2019 at 5:34pm

Oxygen therapy?
I had something similar,and got a bike to bike around. Doing the flat Seawall took almost no effort,but helped me immensely.

Vitamin Deficiency Anemia

Apr 6, 2019 at 5:43pm

Signs and symptoms of vitamin deficiency anemia include:

Fatigue
Shortness of breath
Dizziness
Pale or yellowish skin
Irregular heartbeats
Weight loss
Numbness or tingling in your hands and feet
Muscle weakness
Personality changes
Unsteady movements
Mental confusion or forgetfulness

Stack up on your vitamins.

Anonymous

Apr 6, 2019 at 8:31pm

Have an invisible disability and a number of chronic health issues. It's sucks, especially the fatigue and pain and people not understanding and doctors.

Nearly died from not being believed and shocker body shut down, hospitalized. Not the first time either. You're not alone. I wish there was a support group for this. Good luck, and I hope things improve for you.

Five Hundred

Apr 7, 2019 at 7:46am

Thumbs up.

Op

Apr 7, 2019 at 10:09pm

Thanks for the support! I have a diagnosis for at least part of the issues, but as there’s no real cure for what I have it’s just a matter of trying to cope and work around all the symptoms. The biggest struggle for me has been trying to come to terms with my new reality. I used to be so productive. Busy career, fit, tons of energy, extremely organized. I don’t even recognize the person I am now, and there’s a grief in that loss that I’m still learning to acknowledge. Anyway thanks for listening. It’s nice to be able to let it out once in a while without being ashamed of bringing people down and feeling guilty for being “negative”.