• There isn’t remotely enough research being done on any of the illnesses that rock my body (and so many other people’s as well…), which means there aren’t enough people making themselves heard.  More stories need to be shared about the effects of Fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, Gastroparesis, Endometriosis, Asperger’s, and other autoimmune diseases.  Sadly, these illnesses are so severe that they are keeping those who suffer stuck in their beds and houses, including myself.  This is a reason why I try to continue being heard on the Internet, even if my roar comes across more as a dull cry sometimes.
• The general population is quite uneducated and subsequently VERY judgmental about mental illness, Aspergers, and chronic illnesses.  I have met many doctors who are cruel about my situation, as they know little about it at this point in history, and doctors seem to thoroughly dislike not being able to solve a problem.  Subsequently, myself and many others have been declared crazy.  If people happen to follow my story, they will hopefully learn that how the media portrays people with these illnesses is actually quite different to someone’s real life.  I hope to break down at least a couple of the stereotypes!
• I’m incredibly isolated and I don’t make friends easily, but by sharing my stories on the Internet, I have found some of ‘my people‘.  These are the individuals who are suffering from the same problems, and are really the only ones in the world that can truly understand what I’ve gone through.  They believe the unbelievable as it happens in their bodies too.
• I’ve had the opportunity to share my thoughts with more important websites and distinguished people as a result of writing my own blog.  Any writing that I can do which helps me participate in health activism is worth doing, and I desperately wish that I could produce more and better material.  The illnesses take a toll on me and definitely make it harder to make the kind of contributions that I wish I could.  This is why the more health activists the better, as we can pinch-hit for others when we crash out for a period of time.

Why do you participate in health activism?

I hope that some of the posts that I have put up in this blog have influenced people in the ways that I have listed above.  I know that my illnesses have changed both my mother’s and my sister’s viewpoints on how they work in medicine.  Let’s keep the fight going…someday, maybe someone will be able to ease our pain (other than our beloved painkillers)!

xoxo,

Annie