How chronic illness is a bit like Jurassic Park

When you’re first diagnosed, you think that you can handle anything still. Instead of taking advice to be still and rest, you try to attack things head on. You have something to prove to yourself.

But then you learn what it’s really like from Mr. DNA.

Having this thing that is so intent on causing damage is scary, even if it’s just breathing into the glass.

Most of the rest of the time, I think we’re more like the dinosaurs than the humans… When you learn about what the illness can do, you get into attack mode.

You’ll start on a medication and feel great.

But then…

You feel like you’re being torn apart…

And you quickly realize you need to move to a different medicine because you wake up too stiff to move. But you decide maybe the medicine is what’s making you sick, so instead you decide to go all natural…

Against your doctor’s thoughts…

You think things are going well until the humidity changes.

And you’re fucked again… So you go back to your doctor.

You learn about all the medicines you can take. You read the side effects and what these drugs are made of. You pick one and start running with it.

You don’t get too scared when you have a minor flare up.

There ends up being a pretty good fight between you and this flare. Luckily your monster friend prednisone is here to help.

You beat it.

You know the cycle will likely continue. You’ll have to gear up for more changes and future fights.

For now, you’ll give yourself a break on the bad times, enjoying the good times maybe a little too much.