The Year My Body Gave Up
What I’ve learned about getting sick and not getting better
I am sick. And I hate saying that because it doesn’t really feel true. I don’t consider myself a sick person, but the thick file of medical bills, office visit summaries, and test results from the last year indicates otherwise.
I am 26. I’m supposed to be young and healthy.
People put a lot of time, energy, and money into learning how to be healthy. For me, health classes were required in middle school, high school, and college. There are the basics: eat right, exercise, get an annual physical, go to the dentist, take your vitamins. You’ve probably also learned about first aid, alcohol abuse, and birth control (well, my Catholic high school had “morality day” instead of sex education).
Everyone wants to teach you how to be healthy, but no one teaches you how to be sick: How to cope with the guilt, depression, and frustration that often accompany illness. How to navigate work and socializing when your body is screaming at you to stop. How to navigate the complex U.S. health care system. How to handle the even more complicated nightmare that is health insurance. How to simply exist in the world as a person with a chronic illness.
