Don't Waste Your Pain

30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know

1. The illness I live with is: trigeminal neuralgia
2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: 2007
 3. But I had symptoms since: 2006
4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: not doing so much and being active
5. Most people assume: I have a headache
6. The hardest part about mornings are: wondering if this day will be really hard
7. My favorite medical TV show is: untold stories of the ER
8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: ha-I would say my ice pack pillow(not really a gadget)
9. The hardest part about nights are: nothing to keep me occupied while I am in pain
10. Each day I take 15 pills & vitamins. (No comments, please)
11. Regarding alternative treatments I: have tried everything
12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: tough one-sometimes it's helpful for others to see my pain but I don't want it to be a distraction either.
13. Regarding working and career: my public school teaching career is over, although God is using me at home to homeschool.:)
14. People would be surprised to know: I'm in pain 24 hrs a day but try to put on a happy face in public.
15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: not being able to play with my daughter and take her places as much, and to watch healthy people enjoy things I cannot enjoy.
16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: write a book about chronic pain to help others! You can get it HERE
17. The commercials about my illness: are non-existent
18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: running and being away from home at church or with family for extended amounts of time.
19. It was really hard to have to give up: thinking I was in charge of my life.
20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: knitting, sleeping and reading God's word more-although that's a life shift not really a hobby.
21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: laugh a lot, go to the beach, run, stay out really late, enjoy each moment.
22. My illness has taught me: I need to rely on the Lord in everything, to trust Him, to be more compassionate to others and to be thankful!
23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is: you seem to be fine.
24. But I love it when people: pray for me, let me know they love me, visit me, tell
me genuinely they care
25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: Romans 8:18 "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us "and Revelation 21:4 "and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."
27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: so many others who are suffering and need help or just an ear to listen as well as how much I need God daily.
28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: come over regularly to visit and care how I am.
29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because: more people need to know how these diseases affect us.
30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: thankful you care enough.