CRPS week- the story of Kaylin Boggs (wersja po angielsku)

Kaylin Boggs (instagram: @mycrps_story)

I’m Kaylin Boggs. I have crps and pots which are my main diagnoses. I have chronic gastritis, a blood clotting disorder, as well as mental health disorders, and some undiagnosed gi problems. My illnesses have affected every part of my life and although sometimes I feel like they consume and define me, it’s important that I try and remind myself that I’m more than my illness and although it is a part of me, it’s not all that I am. I feel that the biggest challenge of living with a chronic illness is people not understanding. We have a good understanding of diabetes and there’s a lot of research that’s gone into it and other conditions. Unfortunately, it feels that although our conditions are just as invisible, we’re often invalidated. Friends, family, doctors, strangers all judge what they don’t understand and like to blame us for something that’s far out of our control. People like to assume that we’ll get better. I often get told “feel better soon” and that’s a comment that really gets to me. Because it’s often like no matter how hard you try, no one will understand that there is no “getting better” for us. This is the reality of chronic illness and as much as we’d like to think it’ll all go away, it never will. The topic I chose was the hardest parts of my condition. It’s changed every part of my life and my families. It changed my ability to stand for long periods of time or be able to do things without pain or a high heart rate. I took these things for advantage for a long time. I took walking for granted my entire life until I had my first knee surgery, and then I realized how quickly everything can go downhill. I worked really hard to ease my mind with the worries I had every single night. In the end, we don’t control our fate. We determine different parts of it, but I personally believe there are parts of life that are already determined. Overall it’s important to know you’re valid and important. It sucks because you feel like your whole world is Falling apart, but the part that matters the most is knowing that there is beauty in everything. There’s something good that can come out of the worst situations possible. Remember that your pain is valid. People won’t always believe in you, but having faith in yourself and advocating for yourself is so important. It can make all the difference. If no one else has told you today, I believe you. You’re valid, your pain is valid. It will all get better in time, even when it doesn’t seem like it!