Autoimmune Awareness
Writing through the fatigue
March is Autoimmune Awareness Month. I had no idea until I started searching the internet for symptoms I was having and wondering if by chance it was related to the UCTD (Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease) I was diagnosed with a couple of years ago. If you have an autoimmune disease, you know how difficult it is to deal with. I feel very blessed that I don't have to deal with it the way the almost 50 million others affected do. Mine is mild, but don't let that word mislead...mild is no picnic! The fatigue, joint pain, headaches, brain fog, muscle aches, dry skin, cold and numb fingers...and these are only some of the symptoms that can occur at given moment...all of these can totally wreck my plans and derail my goals for days or weeks at a time. I am so lucky to have a supportive husband and family. Sometimes, dinner doesn't get cooked, laundry piles up, the cabinets aren't stocked and, well, you get the idea. It's even harder on me when flares hit because I'm a full-time second grade teacher. Try that job when you feel like you haven't slept through the night in a month! But life goes on...
Notice I haven't even mentioned the writing?
Writing is almost an impossible thing for me when I am having a flare. Writing takes concentration, creativity, and sitting still for long periods of time. Sitting still too long wreaks havoc on inflamed joints! Headaches make it impossible to type or stare at a computer screen. So how do writers with autoimmune diseases cope? For me, I always pray for God to give me peace, calmness, and I wait patiently for the pain to pass and for life to resume back to normalcy again. I love the good days and cherish the moments of pain-free creativity. If you suffer from an autoimmune disease, please comment and share how you cope with the flares and how you write through it. I'd love to hear from you!
