Cathy B.
Chronic condition(s):
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & MS
How long has your condition(s) played a role in your life? Feel free to share when you were diagnosed/started having symptoms/etc.?
Conditions became moderate and disabling in late 2019
What has been your greatest challenge with your chronic illness?
I’d say the greatest challenge of being moderately ill and housebound is not knowing. The not knowing what my life is going to look like, the dependency on others. The lack of definition around my days and my future. For the first 20 years of my adulthood, I had a career and lots of structure. I was independent. And now, everything is upside down.
What has been your greatest accomplishment with your chronic illness?
I’d say my greatest accomplishment is my acceptance. I do a good job accepting that this is my reality and that I need to carefully pace my energy throughout the day and the week to accomplish the simplest of tasks. I also do a good job setting expectations with others regarding my capacity. I’m a very different person than I was before I got sick, I used to be able to go out and interact with others, and go out for drinks. Go shopping, run errands. Now I’m depending on others and my socializing is minimal. I have learned to spend a lot more time online and on Instagram building a community of similar affected friends.
Do you have any advice for someone new to the world of chronic illness? What is one thing you wish you had known that would have made your life easier?
My advice is to know that this is a long journey. It is horrible advice to receive because no one wants to hear that this is going to be a slow process!! But the second part of my advice is that you get to build a toolbox that helps you along this journey. I’d say my key tool is my community of friends on Instagram. From there I get support and all sorts of advice about making my life easier.
If you’d like to donate to the Open Medicine Foundation, visit their site here.
If you’d like to follow Cathy on her chronic journey, please check out her Instagram: @indoorcathy
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