1 ½ days….
Only 1 ½ days until Lupus Awareness Month.
For my PSA… one of the only I will do as we walk in to yet another, pointless awareness month; Lupus is more severe than people think, it can do more harm to people then most realize and can have a devastating impact on the public. Research shows that less than two-thirds of the public knows little to nothing about lupus.
I am an advocate for knowledge, and I think it is important that we understand ALL auto immune diseases. Knowledge is power. I remember the 2 year “exploratory” time when NO ONE knew what was wrong with me. The loneliness, the fear, the stress, the unknown – the worst part of auto immune diseases is this time. You know something is wrong. I could tell something was wrong.
I was sick. The doctors knew I was sick but we couldn’t determine what was wrong with me to start treatment. This is a depressing battle, that is hard to explain – because all you explain are the maybes and the symptoms – but you don’t even know what symptoms are which or why. I remember right before I was diagnosed I got shingles, all on my left side; I could describe that to people.
There was so much relief in being able to say what was wrong with me, shingles. That relief helped me to educate myself, I researched like a crazy person. Arming yourself with knowledge allows you to have a real conversation with your doctors, my life isn’t up to them. Through my help cross referencing my symptoms and tracking my days helped us find my lupus and diagnose it.
I celebrate this month with you because of this reason alone. If you are alone right now, a prisoner in your own body – educate yourself. You can’t just wait on the doctors to find what you have – arm yourself. There is relief in finally knowing. It’s life changing but not horrible. People will understand. You are not alone.
I think we should celebrate this month in an Anti – SPOONIE way!
You can do anything you want!
You have unlimited opportunities in front of you!
Only you can decide your day, make the most of it.
May is a SPOONIE dream come true. The chance to make others around us think that we are invalid and have to think before we do things. Who doesn’t?! If I based my life off of spoon theory I would be a depressed puddle on the floor who laid around and ate bonbons all day. Why not! Spoon theory does nothing but allow excuses and ignite the glorification in being sick.
Spoon theory states within in… The healthy have the luxury of a life without choices, a gift most people take for granted. When I was healthy – I had to make choices. Everyone makes choices.
Most people start the day with unlimited amount of possibilities…. We all do!
Spoon theory allows you to give your chronic illness control over you. Is that what you want? You get diagnosed after years of feeling powerless to your body; only to allow yourself to be a prisoner to your disease. Shame on you!
I was given this disease, because somewhere someone knew I was strong enough to carry it. That sounds strange typed out. I don’t view my Lupus as a curse, sure some days it blows! I refuse to believe that I only have a limited amount of opportunities.
I have Lupus.
I have chronic pain.
I have bad Lupus.
Sometimes I feel like my body is dying. But I fight.
I fight every day.
We are not Spoons in a drawer. We are not counting what we can do for a day. We were not created to count down the moments until we break.
Something just struck me in the face, sorry for my rambling. It’s raining outside, pouring. My Jeep is parked by my office window. There is a little bird sitting under it staying dry waiting for the storm to end. Just sitting.
Sometimes we need to give it up to something larger than ourselves to protect us from the down pour. I do everything I can/want; there are no limitations.
As it rains harder, I see the lil bird jump on one of the back axles (thingy holding the wheel) to stay out of the puddles. There are days my Lupus is worse than others – but I just jump higher.
Let’s make this month about the beauty in what we can accomplish with chronic diseases. This month will be a true Lifting with Lupus month – we will talk about lifting, endless opportunities and what I do instead of medication to combat my symptoms/flares.
For May – I urge you to OWN your life. Get it back. Get out of the drawer and do what you dream of, do what you love, and don’t for a second think about fake consequences.
https://blogs.psychcentral.com/chronic-pain/2013/05/the-spoon-theory/
http://www.resources.lupus.org/collections/understanding-lupus?utm_source=LAM