You Don't Need to Apologize for Having a Chronic Illness
When you stop apologizing for things that are out of your control, you often gain a new sense of freedom. You didn’t ask for this illness, you didn’t put this upon yourself and there’s nothing you could have done to prevent it. Things happen to us and sometimes there’s no real reason for it. We don’t deserve the pain, the sleepless nights and the unanswered questions but that doesn’t mean it’ll all just go away. Our chronic invisible illness is a life thing and we are the ones who have to live with it every single day.
So why apologize? This illness can bring such a huge burden that we have to carry with us… why do we make it harder on ourselves? Why do we feel the need to feel guilty and apologize for this illness?
We are human. We are sick. We have chronic pain. We have good days and bad days. Many of us struggle in silence. That’s us. You. Me. Many of the people around you don’t live every day with chronic pain. The people who criticize your every move have never lived a day in your shoes. Some doctors may take off their white coat at night and forget all about us. While people drop harsh comments on us then go on with their lives, we are often stuck feeling guilty. We may spend most of our days apologizing over and over until we sound like a broken record on repeat… why?
Why should we feel sorry for living? We hardly get to enjoy a day with little or no pain… so why should we spend those days explaining ourselves and apologizing for trying to enjoy the little joy we get to have?
No more! Be free! Your illness does not define you and neither do the negative people in this world. We are fighters, we are survivors, we are warriors. We deserve to laugh, to smile, to live freely as often as we possibly can.
Find something you enjoy and keep at it. Never give up on the things that bring you joy in life, especially when you have to fight like hell on the bad days. Always make your good days worth remembering.
Don’t let negativity steal your shine, you got this. Rise up.
My Name is Gage Paslay and I am 27 years old. I’ve been struggling with this invisible illness called Endometriosis since I was 12 years old. It’s chronic and I deal with pain everyday. There is no cure for it so it will forever be a part of me and it’s something i’m going to have to deal with for the rest of my life. I have good days and bad. It takes 7 plus years just to receive a diagnosis and its often misdiagnosed. Over the years i’ve received different diagnosis and i’ve been on countless medications and treatments that haven’t worked. Luckily, I was finally diagnosed correctly In December of 2016 by laparoscopy, the only way to determine if you have it or not. However, it made my symptoms worse and I am now looking into excision surgery. My blog is really about bringing awareness to this debilitating chronic invisible illness. 1 in 10 people assigned female at birth have Endometriosis and so many of them haven’t received a diagnosis yet or they are waiting to have another surgery. Endometriosis impacts people in almost every aspect of their lives. How, when and if we can have children. How our cycles work and how long they may last. It gives us pain sometimes so debilitating we can’t even get out of bed in the morning. It messes with our mood. It also impacts our relationships with family and friends. It sometimes overpowers us and defines who we are. So this page is about me speaking out for myself and for everyone struggling from any kind of chronic illness. You aren’t alone. Together, we have each other. I know what its like to have no one, to feel like you are stuck in a dark hole and no one is willing to pull you out. I’ve been there. I want to show light to people who are struggling, I want to encourage others to speak up and stand up for themselves. This disease shouldn’t define us and it shouldn’t control us. You shouldn’t feel guilty for being sick because it’s not your fault. I struggle everyday AND i’ve survived every bad day I thought I couldn’t get through..I’m rising up everyday and so can you. If you’re interested in finding out more about Endometriosis, watch my videos, read my blogs and follow my journey. If You are a Endometriosis Warrior like me, follow me. Share them with your friends and family. React to them. My voice is one in many but I’m determined to make sure its heard. This is me taking a stand against anyone who has ever told me “Its all in my head” or “I’m overreacting” or “It ’s just period cramps”. #I’llRiseUp.
gagepaslay