Arthritis

In relationships, I’ve been told many times that I check off all the boxes (kind, compassionate, family-oriented, loyal, and so on). But the one box they never wanted in their life was chronic illness.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently. I feel like the world we live in needs to understand that literally anyone can develop a chronic illness at any point in their life.

For me, my chronic illnesses started showing up in childhood. So, in some ways, I’ve had a lot of time to learn how to cope, adapt, and figure out what life looks like for me and of course I’m still working on it.

But I don’t think people always understand that chronic illness isn’t something that only happens to certain people. Mental health conditions can appear at any point in someone’s life. Accidents happen. Injuries happen. Illnesses happen. Bodies change. Life changes. Someone can wake up one day and suddenly find themselves navigating a reality they never imagined for themselves.

Not all chronic illnesses are the same, but the emotions that come with receiving a diagnosis and knowing it’s lifelong can be surprisingly similar: grief, fear, anger, uncertainty, loneliness, and the feeling that you have somehow become a burden to the people around you.

But you are not a burden.

You and your chronic illness are not baggage.

Your chronic illness is a bouquet you get to carry every day. Sometimes we carry it gracefully. Sometimes our flowers are blooming. Sometimes they’re wilting, and we’re just trying to make it through the day.

And when they wilt, we don’t throw the bouquet away. We refresh the water. We tend to the flowers. We give ourselves the care we need and try again tomorrow.

Your chronic illness does not make you less worthy of love. It does not make you less deserving of a relationship, a career, friendships, adventures, or a beautiful life.

It is a part of your story, but it is not the entirety of who you are.

And maybe, with time, we can stop seeing chronic illness as baggage someone else has to carry and start seeing it for what it really is: a bouquet we’ve learned how to carry.

Sometimes with grace. Sometimes with both hands. Sometimes with a little help from a friend.

But we carry it.

#MentalHealth #Depression #Fibromyalgia #Lupus #Uveitis #Blindness #Glaucoma #ChronicPain #Anxiety #AnkylosingSpondylitis #Arthritis #HypothyroidismUnderactiveThyroidDisease #HashimotosThyroiditis

Hi, my name is Lildeb48. I'm here because
I live with fibromyalgia, an old thoracic spine fracture, arthritis, cervical ddd, as well as lumbar spinal stenosis. #MightyTogether #Anxiety #Depression #Migraine #Fibromyalgia

My friend for over 40 years is a healthy 77 year old woman who doesn't understand my chronic pain. I have arthritis in my knees, shoulders hip. I hurt every day. She's been inviting me to come over to her house. I've been refusing because it hurts getting into her car and then getting out. Her chairs and couch are not comfortable, I'm groggy and sleepy due to meds. She thinks I'm avoiding her, I'm not. I'm just more comfortable at home, with heating pad and my heating throw. I don't like going out because of the pain. Anyone else have this issue.

Hi, my name is ladyray1951. I've been diagnosed with Chronic Orthopedic Arthritis pain

#MightyTogether #RheumatoidArthritis

My husband has only had one eye for over 50 years. The other eye was severely damaged in a workplace accident 33+ years ago. The specialist has said for all these years, that he had no idea how my husband was able to see. Any little injury could cause the loss of vision. Today it happened. One of our dogs jumped up and one of her claws made contact with his eye. He has lost virtually all of his vision. He says it’s as though he’s looking through as incredibly dirty window. He is unable to read, watch tv, etc. we will be calling his ophthalmologist in the morning and try to get an emergency appointment. I’m my opinion, there will likely be nothing that can be done. Please pray for us as we navigate this new challenge. #Migraine #Fibro #Arthritis

So far, I have collected the following that apply to me... (Ridiculous, I know)
#52SmallThings
#Abuse
#Addiction
#AddictionRecovery
#ADHD
#AlcoholDependence
#AlcoholUseDisorder
#Anxiety
#Arthritis
#BackPain
#BingeEatingDisorder
#bipolar2
#bipolar2disorder
#bipolardepression
#bipolardisorder
#brave
#buddhism
#bursitis
#cannabis
#cannabiscorner
#cannabisdependence
#cannabisusedisorder
#caregiving
#cbd
#chaos
#childloss
#chronicpain
#complexposttraumaticstressdisorder
#conditionguides
#cptsd
#depression
#depressivedisorders
#disability
#eatingdisorder
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#eatingdisorders
#emotionalwellbeing
#grief
#growthmindset
#healing
#healingjourney
#hope
#hospital
#hypomania
#hypothyroidismunderactivethyroiddisease
#ifyoufeelhopeless
#innerpeace
#insidethemighty
#insomnia
#journaling
#kindness
#lgbtq
#lifelessons
#loneliness
#lonely
#mania
#mentalhealth
#mentalhealthmatters
#mightyminute
#mightymoodtracking
#mightypets
#mightytogether
#mindfulness
#mooddisorders
#nicotinedependence
#obesity
#osteoarthritis
#othermentalhealth
#pain
#perimenopause
#personalgrowth
#positive
#posttraumaticstressdisorder
#programs
#psychosis
#ptsd
#recovery
#relationships
#selfcare
#selfharm
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#selfreflection
#socialanxiety
#spoonie
#staystrong
#stimulantusedisorder
#substancerelateddisorders
#substanceusedisorders
#suicidalideation
#suicidalthoughts
#suicide
#support
#surgery
#thehealingprocess
#thoughts
#toxicfamily
#trauma
#traumarecovery
#weed

Hi, my name is AlexaHarris.

#MightyTogether #Lupus #Arthritis #Depression #PTSD #RheumatoidArthritis #Fibromyalgia #Endometriosis #Migraine #AlopeciaAreata #OCD

I have been suffering with TMJ for about 3 months now, following a severe infection that caused an abscess in my jaw and shifted it about on the one side. The painkillers the dr is having me take don’t feel like they are doing a great deal, I’m doing all the exercises and avoiding eating anything that makes the pain worse but even though my doctor is going with the give it time to heal approach due to this being the first time it’s been a problem and he said it CAN take 5-6 months and I’m only just coming up to 3 months and it’s affecting me mentally more and more the longer I’m at this it’s not feeling better yet standstill I’m wondering if there is anything more I can even do about it? Especially as it’s preventing me tolerating using my cpap therefore I’m not getting rested sleep. The recent blood test I had to check for arthritis and stuff showed I have low b12 and iron which I don’t usually end up low in and I’m starting meds to hopefully treat the low b12, but that’s also making me so tired too and making it harder to cope mentally. I’m terrified of going to the dentist although I’m starting to think maybe I do need to go see them for their opinion on treating this perhaps as well? Anyone with advice is very welcome!