Member-only story
Understanding and Responding to Invisible Chronic Illness (ICI)
Most chronic illnesses are, in fact, invisible — because pain is largely invisible.
“The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.”
― Henri J.M. Nouwen, Out of Solitude: Three Meditations on the Christian Life
Imagine waking from a restless sleep feeling exhausted, each muscle painful and stiff, your limbs heavy, your head fuzzy, your vision slightly blurry. Or, as you turn over in bed, a wave of nausea sweeps over you, pinning your head to the pillow as the room spins. Your head pounds with every beat of your heart. You struggle upright. It takes nearly half an hour to gather your clothing and toiletries, bathe, and dress, and even longer to make breakfast and orient yourself to the workday. Your responses to questions from your spouse and family are dull, your reactions while driving are slower than normal, and it’s exceedingly difficult to concentrate. But at last, you manage to arrive at your job and struggle to focus on your work, which you enjoy.
