Connective Tissue Disease/ Lupus "invisible illness"

1. The illness I live with is: Connective Tissue Disease

2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: 2009

3. But I had symptoms since: 2005

4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: weight limitations (loose, painful joints)

5. Most people assume: I'm not sure many people even know about it

6. The hardest part about mornings are: they are slow moving

7. My favorite medical TV show is: Grey's Anatomy, Mystery Diagnosis, House....I'm a medical info junky
8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: My meter. And pump. And iPod- music makes the world a better place

9. The hardest part about nights are: complete exhaustion

10. Each day I take 12 pills & 8 vitamins: plus insulin

11. Regarding alternative treatments I: try to educate myself as much as possible

12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: neither, but if I had to chose I like that I can open up when I choose about invisible illnesses.

13. Regarding working and career: It is not entirely due to the CTD, but I am disabled

14. People would be surprised to know: My symptoms started with rashes

15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: That it is not going away

16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: being able to run again, I had to take a long break

17. The commercials about my illness: rare

18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: running as long as I wanted on Sundays

19. It was really hard to have to give up: the strength I thought I had

20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: relaxation- what a thought!

21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: run as far as I could

22. My illness has taught me: How to appreciate the truly important things in life and not to be so superficial.

23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is: not often a topic of conversation 

24. But I love it when people: understand

25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: Live for today, pray for tomorrow 

26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: I'm sorry.  It will not be this bad all the time.  You are not alone. 

 27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: How different things are day to day

28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: Just spending time with me even when I am not the life of the party is the greatest gift.

29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because: Well, it was back in July.  I just found this on a fellow blogger's sight and thought it was cool.  (see sixuntilme.com)

30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: Happy that you may have a little more insight, and that you care!