Autoimmune Illness World: Joy, Heartbreak, and Growth

I turned 30 in May of 2022, and I can say it was a bittersweet day. Bitter, because getting older sucks and of course with age comes more responsibility. However, sweet because it means new chapters that I haven’t yet experienced.

This past year has brought me Joy, Heartbreak, and Plentiful Growth.

I can’t reiterate how proud I am of myself in how far I have come with my diagnosis. When I was first emerged into the autoimmune illness world I was completely lost and alone. I had never experienced such medical gaslighting and uninterest in my case from both doctors and the people in my life. For most doctors my case is overwhelming and usually takes a team to come up with a treatment plan or some theory for its cause and effect.

Today I am lucky enough to have a team that is devoted to my case and has me as stabilized as possible.

It took over 3 years to finally find the appropriate combination of treatments and medications to put me where I am today. I don’t just have one team of doctors; I have acquired multiple teams of doctors that are all different specialties to help treat my body as a whole. 

I want people to know that my diagnosis’s are the same however there is still no concrete answer as to why I acquired these disorders.

I am diagnosed with: Vestibular Neuritis/ Vestibular Migraine, Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, and Fibromyalgia 

I want to address topics that most people don’t dive into when it comes to chronic illness and how it affects our daily lives, especially friendships and romantic relationships.

Since having the onset of symptoms and being diagnosed in 2019 I can genuinely say my friendships and romantic life have been extremely complicated and hard to navigate.

I’ve lost many friends due to misunderstanding and inconvenience and have had to rearrange my circle to better accommodate my life.

I get asked a lot from the chronic illness community, if I have been successful in a relationship and in my dating life.

I was unfortunate enough to had found someone this past year who took advantage of me and let me down in every way.

This experience not only broke me but, in the end, gave me hope. Hope that there is someone out there that won’t be deterred by my unique routine and the complex medical issues. 

 I can honestly say, I am still hesitant about introducing someone new into my life and uneasy about what to expect.

I fear rejection from my ailments and true intentions.

These past 3 years has been filled with tremendous life adjustments with many areas of acceptance.

A medical journey like this isn’t temporary but turns into a lifestyle.

But it’s important to remember to not allow this change in lifestyle to define you or stop you from setting and reaching goals.

My goals have changed but my drive hasn’t.