The Invisible Condition...

Its been something that has been mentioned a lot lately, on Twitter, on Facebook, heck even in some blogs. There are so many people out there who live with these invisible conditions. These include things like Asthma, Fibromyalgia, ME, Arthritis and other conditions that I know various sufferers of and even invisible conditions that I have been forced to live with myself. Invisible illnesses are by definition illnesses that people who don't know could never tell you were sick. It kind of has no telltale signs and the sufferers are constantly struggling against people who don't have any illnesses and who make assumptions that just because you can't see what is wracking our bodies with pain that it probably isn't there.

IT ISN'T TRUE. AT ALL.

To most people out and about, I probably look like any other 23 year old woman who walks around getting her day to day life sorted. I do this because I have to. I don't rely on other people unless I need to and it means that it is easy to make the assumption. Then people see me at my worst and they can't believe what they're seeing. During an asthma attack, I make some noises that are so unusual or scary that people don't quite expect it. I become weak, I become disinterested. I don't seem like normal at all.

Not many people have been able to see it as I don't like letting my guard down at all around people. Too many people have made hurtful and cruel assumptions about my health without finding out the reality and when I see people doing it to others, it makes me feel sick to my stomach. Yes there have been people who have faked illness in the past, but what about people who genuinely have a condition, is it right that not only do they have to live with this, but they have to prove it to others. It just strikes me as wrong.

Looking at the way the DLA system works. That in itself is a minefield to work out. You have a form and it takes so many draining hours to fill in every single intricate detail of your illness and how it affects you from day to day. When I filled my form out, I spent a good hour on my own crying because it just make me feel so bad having to look at my life that way and how it has been. I had never really stopped and thought about how unwell I felt at times or about those days where I struggle to get out of bed, walk the 10 feet to the toilet and then back to bed. At times the reality of that is all too real and it was never something I ever thought I would have to comprehend. But life has that habit doesn't it.

Loves
Wendy xx