Don't Judge Me for My Good Days: Psoriatic-arthritis.com

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  (This was posted Feb 16, 2024 - but I thought it was such a great topic that I wanted to repost it.) Please don't judge me based on my good days. Looks can be deceiving for someone with a chronic illness. What looks like a good day might actually be a good day. Or it might be a good few hours. Or it could be someone doing their best to function through the pain. You don't honestly know what someone is going through, especially when they have lived with the pain for a long time. You'd be surprised how much pain people can learn to smile through. Read the full article at psoriatic-arthritis.com
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About the Chronically Ill Teen

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What do chronically ill teenagers do for fun? We listen to Alex Day, read Divergent,  and watch Vine videos. We also like to play extremely violent video games, act way too old for ourselves and make adults squirm with our music, but that's a story for a different time. All too often, I think people are put into a group. The groups that interest me the most are young adults and chronically ill young adults, as if there is a huge difference.

Alright, I admit it; there are times it shows that one hasn't any health concerns. Like when one can put on skin tight jeans and the other can't because of swollen joints. Or when one can go the whole day nonstop and the other struggles. And even when one can make 'risky' choices and only worry about getting caught, when the other can't because there is too much that could go wrong as well as getting caught. But honestly, there isn't much after that stuff.

I might have arthritis. I might go to the hospital more often than I'd like to admit. I might deal with chronic pain. But by no means am I as old as my body feels. I will put on cute clothes for no reason. I love when boys give me a bit of attention. I can't help but get excited over a new Disney movie. I know all the latest gadgets. And I love getting to make a day into an adventure.

Teens with chronic illnesses just have more responsiblity. We just may be more mature because of it. We've gone through a lot and have strengths that others won't until they go through the same. I'm not an adult. I'm not a child. Don't treat me as either. Treat me as a teenager.

Comments

  1. AriannaJuly 29, 2013 at 2:35 PM

    Yes! Totally agree. I think sometimes people are so focused on asking about my health or telling me how strong I am, which is fine, but they forget that I'm a teen, too, and that there is more to my life than bad health. Admittedly, I'm not a normal teen, I love antique shopping and listening to Nat King Cole, I'm an old soul :p

    I had to laugh about the jeans, it's so true! I tried on a pair of skinny jeans this week and I was like, "Nope! That ain't gonna work."

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    Replies
    1. ElizabethJuly 29, 2013 at 3:24 PM

      I love antique shopping as well! I always find something interesting that just must come home with me. And Nat King Cole is always a favourite of mine: He serenades me in the mornings on my way to school. :)

      Haha I couldn't do skinny jeans until recently! I found a pair of skinny jeans with stretchier material than usually and it does the trick! My favourite in the winter is skinny jeans, long sweaters and just the right tall boots.

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