Finally a diagnosis!

I'm sure there are many people who can relate to my story. Invisible illness is not uncommon, but it is unnoticed by much of the world. Because many of us look 'well' and act 'normally', our illnesses are not considered serious enough to warrant attention or empathy. I hope that by sharing my story, others will share theirs and awareness will continue to rise. 

Me, in one of those annoying selfie images

             

I have always been sick. From food intolerances to rare infections, I don't actually remember a time in my life where I was well for more than a week.  

Now at 29, after all the years of high anxiety and physical illness, my body has succumbed to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia.  Whether these are symptoms of the years of illness or causes of it, who knows? I suspect the latter though. 

The thing with these illnesses is, they can go undiscovered for years. In primary school, my mum took me to doctors, gastroenterologists, naturopaths, dieticians and every array of specialist to treat my strange assortment of ailments. One of my most vivid memories is of doing my year 4 homework in a physio clinic, where I received intensive physiotherapy most nights for up to 2 years.  

In year 12 I was drinking up to 10 cups of coffee a day just to get through, only to collapse on the couch when I got home. I lost significant amounts of weight as a result of only being able to stomach one meal a day, and panic attacks were almost daily. I was sleeping every chance I got, which lets be honest, isn't unusual for a teenager. Unbelievably I still came out with a high TER score, thanks to my perfectionism, sheer determination, and the fact I knew my dad would murder me if I didn't. 

Injuries and muscle pains continued throughout my years of sport, but they were always put down to overuse or clumsiness (I have to admit, I am really clumsy. So much so, that my nickname is Bridget Jones). The constant infections I contracted, one of which landed me in hospital for a week, were considered 'unlucky' and the reactions to particular medicines (one of which almost claimed my life) couldn't be explained. My claim to fame is the fact I've had pneumonia 3 times. Ye, sad I know!   

In fact, if I had a penny for every time a doctor told me that what I had was highly unusual, or that there was 1 in a 1000 chance of having what I have, I think I'd be rich. I even had a surgeon tell me that in his 30 years of operating, he'd never seen post-operative bleeding like I presented with. He told me this while I was choking on my own blood by the way ... thanks buddy! The weirdness of my symptoms has actually become a running joke amongst my family and friends. Can you blame them? 

Not surprisingly, all of this illness has taken a heavy toll on my mental health and I have suffered from years of severe anxiety and depression. Prior to my Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia diagnosis, mental illness was the invisible illness that defined me. However, that's a story for another day. 

Today, I soldier on. I have to. It's not just me I have to stay strong for, it's my children, my husband, parents, friends and fur babies. They are what keep me going and I couldn't imagine my life without them in it. 

This is a very brief account of my experience with invisible illness, but I hope to write much more. Please feel free to share your stories  and feedback with me. I would be very grateful to hear them!

Until next time,

Vanessa  

My daughter trying to strangle her brother. It's love!

My daughter and one of our fur-babies Ava

Me and my husband, who is possibly the most patient man in the world