Illness and the Little Things

6 years ago this was me. Married Oct. 1. Back then my health wasn't prefect but it was manageable. Each year I reflect around this time & where life has taken me. I've often been asked if my health got better or worse during marriage or after the divorce.  Truth is, it stayed the same until after the divorce. Then 3 years later it seemed like I was going into remission.  I hadn't had a flare in months! I went almost a year without one.  Then things changed. 4 out of the 6 years out of the 11 total (of being sick) is when I lived the most.  I experienced my 3rd love, marriage, divorce, redefining how I wanted to be treated as a person, ran a half marathon,  connected with my mentor, changed my schooling path, participated in a documentary, had my thesis published,  & met the most incredible people of my life.  If I didn't divorce, 99% of those wonderful things wouldn't have happened.  I've grown so much these past 6 years. Never did I imagine on Oct.1 t

It's been a while.  A lot has been going on. I was randomly chosen for a Tax Audit for the year 2014. The guy who came, said he tried to get me out of it, but you have to be terminal to avoid the IRS. The type of audit I had, was a survey audit for Congress. Some weird questions were asked.  After the visit, I was asked to get some information from my work that needed answered.  That seemed like a big chore.  Luckily, after the guy who came to audit me, got back to his office, he called me.  He said he spoke to his Manager and they decided to drop the case.  I didn't need to provide any other info and a letter would be sent stating the audit was closed and I was in the clear.  I just found it so interesting with the odds of me being selected for an audit, while being as sick as I am.  I guess  you could say that was the most interesting thing that has happened to me in a while.  Health wise, I'm currently on Sulfasalazine to treat the actual "disease". It's

Moving into my new place on campus.  SUU Over the past few weeks, I have spent my nights of no sleep watching an old TV show called "GREEK".  It's a show about sororities and fraternities in College.  Not all that great, but it got me thinking.  It even made me cry.  It was all because I was remembering my life before I got to this moment.  I miss it. And I miss the people who have moved on.   After High School, I went Southern Utah University.  It was amazing there.  I lived in a crappy, extremely old building on campus called Manzanita.  I lived with 4 other girls with 1 bathroom, no dishwasher, the whole building shared a small TV, and my first ever coin operated laundry experience.  I met the most wonderful people there.  It really was a glorious experience.  I dated a lot. It would annoy some of my roommates because I had a boyfriend at the time who was serving a mission. His name was Cameron and even though I dated a lot, I looked forward to his letters, email

People mean well with the words they say or the actions they do when dealing with someone who has a chronic illness and pain.  I don’t believe anyone intentionally means the following remarks to be hurtful or annoying, or just ignorant.  However, to really try and understand how chronic pain works on a day to day basis then continue reading.  It’s to give people a better understanding of what is helpful and what is not.  Don’t be offended if you’ve done some of these things either.  Don’t be offended by my sarcastic remarks either.  I just want you to be aware. I’ve studied around on lists other people have made about chronic pain and what is helpful and what isn’t.  It wasn’t surprising when I found that my list was the same or very similar as others who deal with chronic pain.  -           You don’t look sick- Just because I don’t look sick doesn’t mean that I’m not.  Some days there is a little more energy to put time and effort into getting ready for the day.  With chronic pain