It took me more than three years to be diagnosed. Most of those years I had no health insurance so I couldn’t see a doctor about the pain, the fatigue, it only made my depression worse. I couldn’t hold down a job. It was only by moving home and getting Medicaid that I was able to see a doctor. It took almost a year after seeing that doctor to find my diagnosis.
I was hoping it was something that could be cured, that a pill would solve but it wasn’t. My diagnosis came with relief but also this intense feeling of “what do I do now?” I’d been searching for an answer so long and to find out that answer was so permanent. This is something I would live with the rest of my life, the fatigue, the pain, my joints never working quite right.
I can take medication but they only truly help so much. I have to do what I have to make money so I can live. Even if it means painful weekends working on my feet. My diagnosis was a relief tho. Even with all the pain of knowing it’ll never go away. I at least knew where to look for help, for aids.
If I could give any advice, it’s to not overextend yourself. Give yourself some grace, you have a disability. You do not need to push yourself beyond what you can do, no matter what anyone says. And mobility aids, and any supports you may need, you should get. They are so helpful, and they’ve improved the life I’ve been given.
