When Everyday Pain Becomes Your 'Normal'

When you wake up every day and think, “Oh yeah, hello. Pain again.” That’s not a good feeling.

When you start expecting to wake up with the pain every day. That’s terrible.

When you don’t even notice anymore, and when it becomes your normal. That’s heartbreaking.

And when you start fearing that those you love may have the same thing? That is excruciating.

When you can’t remember what it was like before your illness took over your life? Heart-wrenching. Terrifying. And, in the end, normal.

Normal. What an awful word.

My normal. Your normal. There is a difference between the two.

Even just among those who have chronic illnesses, and between those with the same diagnosis, there are many differences. Different stages. Different “normals.”

When every day you have to start thinking about the cause and effect, not in regards to just your actions, but instead, in regards to every. single. little. thing.

What if that chocolate causes a flare? Standing too long? Sleeping too much? Sleeping too little? Working too long? Eating too little? Eating too much? Drinking too little? Being in the sun too long? Going to the doctor?

Anything can cause a flare, and you start seeing the effect, or affect, inside of the cause, in everyday life.

And eventually, even with the changes… they become your “normal.”

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Photo via Evgeny Gromov on Getty Images