30 things...

1. The illness I live with is: Juvenile Arthritis

2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: 2008.

3. But I had symptoms since: ~2004.

4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: knowing when to stop.

5. Most people assume: I am young therefore I am fit (and a bit of a hypochondriac).

6. The hardest part about mornings is: the time it takes to work out how much pain is going on and what my current limits are.

7. My favorite medical TV show is: House.

8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: my laptop. When I'm in too much pain and too tired to do much more than get out of bed, it keeps me connected with the outside world.

9. The hardest part about nights is: not being able to sleep and being so alone.

10. Each day I take: less pain medication than I should.

11. Regarding alternative treatments I: am open to anything that will reduce my pain without the side-effects of opioids.

12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: invisible. Whilst I hate that it is so easy for people to deny or disbelieve my pain, I do like that I can choose to disclose as much or little as I like.

13. Regarding working and career: I hope to live as normally as possible by persevering with education until I am qualified enough for my pain not to be too much of an issue.

14. People would be surprised to know: that I am in pain ALL THE TIME.

15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: not being able to do things with my Rangers - camps, hikes, etc.

16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: work full time hours (only temporarily).

17. The commercials about my illness: tend to show only one aspect of middle-aged women with stiff hands.

18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: writing for as long and as long as I like.

19. It was really hard to have to give up: my independence.

20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: medical research.

21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: go camping with my rangers.

22. My illness has taught me: not to overdo things and push myself too hard.

23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is: people not believing when I say I'm in pain.

24. But I love it when people: listen, ask intelligent questions, and offer hugs.

25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: "you're the ninja-mistress of pain management".

26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: educate yourself, advocate for yourself, and feel free to fight the doctors if they don't listen to you.

27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: that you never, ever get used to it.

28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: hug me.

29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because: I think it's really important that people are aware of these things.

30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: a combination of good and bad.