When people see me they don't know I am sick. They don't see all of my pain and struggles. They see what appears to be a normal healthy 21 year old. When you have an invisible illness you hear things from people like "Well you certainly don't look sick". Although at times I am happy that people cannot tell that I am sick, sometimes it is hard to be doubted and questioned when you do explain to someone that you are sick. To not have your pain, suffering and struggles recognized but questioned is almost unbearable. The feeling of having someone doubt you and tell you that "You can't be that sick if you look completely normal". I shouldn't have to look sick for people to believe me. It makes you feel alone. Not only do I get this from friends, family, co workers and strangers, but I also get it from doctors. Physically I look healthy, doctors see someone that has muliple health issues that don't make sense and an extreme level of pain and they automatically think you are a hypochondriac. I have had multiple doctors tell me that it was all in my head and that I just needed to take an Anti Depressant. I knew my body better than any doctor I saw. I knew there was something wrong, but because physically I appeared normal I was constantly misdiagnosed. I have had medical problems since I was in Kindergarten. I was in and out of the hospital and was just told that I was weird and they didn't know what was wrong with me. I did not get diagnosed until I was 19, after I had already had two shoulder surgeries. I am now 21 years old. I have had 2 shoulder surgeries and have anchors drilled into my bones to keep my shoulder from dislocating. I have had 1 hip surgery where they had to cut into my IT band so that when my hip dislocates the IT band doesn't get caught on the bone. I have had 1 hand surgery where they fused together my bone because my joint collapsed. My illness way be "Invisible" but maybe people aren't paying enough attention.
How invisible is it really?
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