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To My Significant Other Who Has Supported Me Through Illness

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To my boyfriend,

During our two years together you’ve seen me deteriorate from a healthy, young woman working 45+ hours a week to someone who has struggled to get a diagnosis for her five rare conditions and now struggles to work more than 15 hours a week.

While I fight for the doctors to listen and understand that “just because my results are ‘normal’ doesn’t actually mean they’re my normal,” you’ve been here to see the side of me not many people see and I want to take this opportunity to thank you.

Thank you for not judging me when I’ve fallen apart and you’ve had to pick me up from the bathroom floor, figuratively and physically.

Thank you for all the times you’ve hugged me when I’ve been in so much pain that I couldn’t stop crying.

Thank you for all the times when I’ve not been able to sleep so you rub my joints and muscles to try and ease them so I can get some rest.

Thank you for all the times you’ve carried me up the stairs because my joints where too unstable and I was just too fatigued to do it myself.

Thank you for waiting for me and walking at my pace when we’re out visiting places.

There are many things you do for me that I don’t give you credit for and there are many times when I’ve not recognized your pain over my own and I’m sorry for that.

I’m also sorry for waking you in the middle of the night because my tablets have worn off and I’ve had to get up for a drink because I’ve become too thirsty to fall asleep again.

But mainly, I want you to know that I love you. And I want you to understand that even though I’m sick and sometimes we’re always at the doctors and I’m forever forgetting to take my pills, I know you’re right behind me in my corner, egging me on to do what I need to do for me. Whether that’s self-care, working when I can, sitting in the bathroom while I shower so I don’t hurt myself or just simply believing me when no one else will…

Thank you.

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Thinkstock photo via moodboard.

Originally published: April 3, 2017
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