Guess Who’s Back…

Shady’s back, but so am I?

So … yeah. I kind of disappeared there. For a couple of years.

I am sorry about that. Just after I started this blog, my mom became very ill. She passed away in March of 2022 and frankly, I haven’t been the same since.

I haven’t really written much since I wrote her eulogy in April of 2022. It wasn’t for lack of wanting to. Writing is an insanely important outlet for me. I just had no inspiration. No drive to create. The well was empty and I didn’t know for how long that might last.

Fast forward to the present.

I’m currently on vacation with my whole family. I am adoring the family time with our “older kids.” My husband and I share 4 kids. We have a 22 year old, an 18 year old, and two 15 year olds. They are very independent, but it is just amazing having them all around us for a full week. So far, we are having a blast.

But while here, the itch came back.

The one that whispers, “maybe you should write that down.”

So I started writing and realized I was writing a blog post. But not just one. I was starting a series and I knew I needed to see this one out.

Starting tomorrow, I’ll be posting the first in a several part series about what a day in the life of a chronic pain patient actually looks like.

This all started as a homework assignment from my therapist. I’ve been a long time all star in the Impostor Syndrome Club. So being part of the Invisible Illness Club brings out the Imposter Syndrome in me. Hard. She told me to write down what my day to day experience is like so I can have concrete proof of my symptoms and I can stop gaslighting my damn self.

But as I thought about what to write, I realized that it might help someone else to read this. Maybe you’re part of both of those clubs too and you need to read concrete proof. Maybe you love someone with invisible illness. Maybe you just want to be a more understanding human.

Whatever the reason, I do hope you enjoy. I’m gonna try to bring the funny with the honesty, but there’s probably going to be a healthy dose of harsh reality in these posts.