What It’s Like to WAKE UP w/Chronic Illness

Have you ever had the flu? The feeling of a high fever, the aches and pains, the throbbing head (and eyes), the crazy body aches, the feeling of being unable to get warm, the absolute exhaustion? So many times I have to “justify” feeling like absolute CRAP when I wake up in the morning – that’s how the world works! – and I have come to resort to the following analogy – “When I wake up, I usually am awakened by the pain. It usually takes me anywhere between a few minutes to over an hour to physically be able to get OUT of bed. And then I have to get up and take my AM meds. And during this time – and most of my life for the time after that – I FEEL LIKE I HAVE THE FLU. It’s not so much the SYMPTOMS (not a sore throat, no coughing, not congestion really), but the overall malaise and fatigue and just absolute UNWELL feeling. Have you ever had the flu? If you can imagine a flu without those specific symptoms, that is how I spend at least 1/4-1/3 of my waking life.”

Do you wake up feeling absolutely awful? Are your mornings consistently good or bad? Or is another time of the day worse for you (afternoon are actually worse for me, but that’s a different “worse” feeling)? I’d love to get some dialogue going about just how we feel as people who live with chronic illness / disability (or plural!) just so the “normal, healthy” “public” can get a “clearer” picture of what it is we deal with every day. I get really angry when these “celebrities” claim to have some of these illnesses because I know it would be IMPOSSIBLE to do what they are doing from what I personally experience and what I know others with various illnesses experience … and although awareness is always a good thing, the wrong impression of what these illnesses are like (for example people thinking we can just “fight through it” … no. NO NO NO!) does serious damage to “our” collective cause.

So with all of that said, please feel free to comment if you feel comfortable doing so – rant away! I really would love to hear about how you “feel” most of the time or at certain times with whatever conditions challenge you. I think it is absolutely CRUCIAL for all of us fighting serious health battles to set the record straight, so-to-speak; you could offer me $500 million to go fly on a plane for 7 hours and then go go go for a few days and even with that kind of money on the line there are MANY days my body would not allow me to do it – even with all of the assistance in the world. I just want to hear some other experiences and what you think about the way chronic illness(es) and disability/disabilities are portrayed in the media.

Thanks much for taking the time to read this (and to comment if you choose to do so!)! I hope you are all having a happy and healthy week and I hope to be back again soon soon soon!

❤ Always, Beth (the girl who NEVER forgets….)