Meme “30 Things” Spreading – 1st Prizes Given

Wow! We’ve had such fun getting to know all of you who have filled out our Meme “30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know.” Take a moment to go and read some of the 130 comments from those who have filled out the meme (they have given their link).

And thanks to you, it’s spreading fast! We have one more week to watch it fly through cyberspace so we can let as many people with illness know about our virtual conference that begins 9/14 (next MONDAY!)

To just see how many people are getting involved click here for our Google Search for the meme (col results, huh?)

We were excited to see Laurie Edwards, author of Life Disrupted, blog about the meme and her take on some of the questions as well as trying to decide what information we want to share versus what information can be a bit personal. Be sure to visit her blog to read this enlightening post, Beyond Memes: Public versus Private. (Laurie was going to be a guest for II Week, but unfortunately had to cancel just last week because of schedule conflicts. We’ll miss you, Laurie, but we are glad that for your success that has taken up your time.)

Laurie shares:

I think it can be incredibly useful, and not just for people adjusting to sudden or adult-onset chronic illness. As I read people’s replies about what nice/surprising things others have done for them, it hit me how much of that is my normal, too. I’ve always been sick, I’ve always been surrounded by friends and family, so I have, quite literally, grown up having people respond to me with compassion, loyalty, and empathy.

Many of you have taken a moment to share your meme not only on your blog, but also on Facebook, MySpace and other social networks. It’s because of you we are finding more out about each other every day. Despite feeling like we many know the “basics” about someone, it’s always fun to read the meme to see what answers may surprise us.

We’ve randomly chosen 2 winners (that I should have posted on Saturday, but didn’t quite make it). They are:

Melanie at Melanie’s Journey – she shares that she lives with Partial Dysautonomia (often called POTS) which is a dysfunction of the Autonomic Nervous System  + ME/CFS.

The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: that I am still “me” – even though I can’t do anything that the old me was able to do!

Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: learn to paint!!! And… sell my paintings!

A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: making Medical Alert ID bracelets! First I made them for myself, then I began selling them on Etsy. I don’t make much money – just cover costs… kinda… but I love serving others who have to wear these tags! I also enjoy making new friends online (mostly artist friends)

I have also started listening to books on tape! Never thought I’d do that, but have had to adjust to the way my brain now works.

Our other winner is Nickie over at Nickie’s Nook

Here are some of here thoughts:

The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: The pain and the limitations. I once had an amazing adaptive phy-ed teacher who gave me a shirt that said “no boundaries”. That shirt meant a lot to me. This boundary is one I can’t get over by my self. From a spiritual side, I struggle with this level of illness, pain and struggles because I often feel that a loving God should not allow these things.

Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: How quickly people look for ways the CRPS is my fault. I think blame is one of those things anyone might use to find some way of handling the fear that they will go through what we do. In most cases, I don’t think it’s intentional but it can still hurt.

The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: It’s honestly hard to rank those types of things. Some friends will help me get food from the cafeteria, others sit with me when the pain’s bad, my parents do a lot to help me when they can, my doctors obviously do care about me. There are way way too many to list. Some days, it’s just the person who finds me when I’ve gotten lost using my walker and carefully guides me where I need to go. I’ll also never forget a friend who came in the middle of the night and got me out of a stressful situation which was making me ill if she reads this, I think she’ll know who she is. Finally, my room mates are often there when I need them and they provide the support which can be so critical at night. One room mate got me to try popcicles which are great for when I’m nauseated from the pain.

Special thanks to both Nickie and Melanie. Both gals have won a package of the Calgon spa goodies. Please contact us with your shipping address so we can mail it out!

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Get Ready By Testing Your Computer Speakers

Invisible Illness Week starts 9/14 at 9AM Pacific time in the USA. You will log onto the web site here at Blog Talk Radio.

…and if a program is currently LIVE it will start playing through your speakers.

You can also to listen to the workshops any time at www.blogtalkradio.com/invisibleillnessconf or you can download them from itunes onto your ipod. Just search “invisible illness podcast.”

Now is a great time to make sure your speakers are working!

The only thing that you will need are a pair of speakers connected to your computer! We recommend going to our programs last year that are archived at Blog Talk Radio and clicking on a few programs to see if your speakers are working.

I have logged on to Blog Talk Radio but I am not hearing anything. I can’t get it to work. What do I do?

First, don’t panic. All programs are recorded so it will be there later. Secondly, here is the help section from BlogTalkRadio.com . Make sure your speakers are also plugged in and the volume on your computer is turned up (Start>Control panel> -then look for something that is Audio/Volume, etc)

We have found the support/help at Blog Talk Radio to be very good in helping you find what may be wrong in case you cannot hear the program.

Their blog says

Visit the BlogTalkRadio Help Center – There are two great places to learn more about BlogTalkRadio and how to make it work to your advantage. The first is the BlogTalkRadio Learning Center located on the main BTR site. Included are tutorials, FAQs, screencasts and more, to help make your experience with us as simple as possible. The BlogTalkRadio Help Center, located on the BlogTalkRadio Blog, is a work in progress listing blog posts offering tips and ideas for a positive experience.

Worth noting: Lastly, we have room for 4 callers to call in to the show. You can actually listen to the show this way, but we also want to keep the lines open for callers after the workshop. So you can call to listen, but you may get bumped.

ALSO SEE: FAQ About the Conference | Overview of Conference

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Chronically Ill Are Perfect Audience for Virtual Conference, September 14-18

CONTACT: Ms. Lisa Copen, founder & director
858-486-4685
www.invisibleillness.com

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Chronically Ill Are Perfect Audience for Virtual Conference, September 14-18

Hard beds, traveling expenses, long walks to conference rooms, peers going overboard on the perfume, and extreme fatigue are predictably part of your average conference. For the chronically ill, however, these inconveniences oftentimes make attending an actual conference impossible. National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week celebrates its seventh year, and with the power of social networking, 009’s “virtual” conference September 14-18, 2009 is sure to be a success.

“I can only leave the house once a week, twice if I am really lucky, so a weeklong conference is normally impossible for me,” says Juliann Krute who lives with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and many other illnesses. “Having a conference that I can attend—even if I am in too much pain to get out of bed—is fantastic!”

The conference will feature twenty live seminars via Blog Talk Radio that anyone around the globe can listen to LIVE or archived. The 2008 workshops have had over 12,000 listeners and are also available on iTunes.

Topics for 2009’s conference include:
• Applying and Winning Disability Assistance When You Are Chronically Ill
• Managing College with a Chronic Illness
• Find the Job You Desire and Can Do
• It’s OK to say NO: Building Healthy Boundaries
• Coping with Chronic Illness in Your Marriage

Guest speakers are some of the top chronic illness advocates online today including Jenni Prokopy of chronicababe.com; Rosalind Joffe of keepworkinggirlfriend.com; Maureen Pratt, author of Peace in the Storm, and Christine Miserandino of butyoudontlooksick.com. They are joined by.Kelly Rouba, former Ms. Wheelchair NJ 2007, and best-selling authors on marriage, Bill and Pam Farrel.

Invisible Illness Week was founded by and is sponsored by Rest Ministries, the largest Christian organization that serves the chronically ill.

Lisa Copen, 40, founder of Rest Ministries and creator behind National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week says, “Regardless of where one’s spiritual ties are, there is an fundamental human desire to feel understood, to feel like those you love have some idea about what you are going through.” Copen, who is explored this in her book Why Can’t I Make People Understand: Discovering the Validation Those With Chronic Illness Seek and Why says, “One of the most difficult adjustments to illness is that you feel life is passing you by and no one around you even realizes it. We hope through our conference we can provide a place where people find the true source of being validated in their pain, how to live joyfully despite their illness, and of course, we want to increase awareness about how many suffer silently. Like our theme says, ‘A Little Help Gives a Lot of Hope.’ It really does.”

For more details about the free conference and other resources visit www.invisibleillnessweek.com

Popularity: 3% [?]

Invisible Illness Week Features Virtual Conference and Fresh Awareness

CONTACT: Ms. Lisa Copen, founder & director
858-486-4685
www.invisibleillness.com

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Invisible Illness Week Features Virtual Conference and Fresh Awareness

Did you know that nearly 1 in 2 people in the USA have a chronic illness?* And despite assumptions that most illnesses are a mild inconvenience, if you ask those who live with a disease or chronic pain, you will find it drastically changes their lives. An invisible illness can be a disease that is nearly always unseen like chronic fatigue syndrome (CFIDS) or heart disease to one that progresses from invisible to visible, such as multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis. One thing is certain: those with chronic illness desire to connect with one another and live life to the fullest. . . but they may not be able to travel and sit through a typical conference.

This is where National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week, September 14-20, 2009 excels, offering a 5-day virtual conference, where all speakers are available to listen to LIVE or later (all session are archived.) Monday through Friday, 9/14-9/18, anyone can log on to www.invisibleillnessweek.com and hear illness experts 4 times a day and even call in with their questions after the presentations. Last year’s shows have had over 12,000 listeners and are also available on iTunes.

There are a wide variety of topics including:
• Finding Health Insurance Coverage with a Pre-existing Condition
• Coping with Chronic Illness in Your Marriage
• Having Your Own Business When You Are Chronically Ill
• Simplifying Your Home and Housework
• Parenting When You are Chronically Ill – Chaos and Confessions

The theme this year is “A Little Help Gives a Lot of Hope.” Thousands of people have joined the cause through social media tools like blogging for the cause, a blog tour, a Facebook Cause and fan page, and Twittering about the event with the hashtag #iiwk09.

Lisa Copen, 40, is the founder of National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week and has lived with rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia for sixteen years since the age of 24.

“We all live with a variety of symptoms and the severity of the pain often changes or moves from one area to another on a daily basis,” says Copen. “But there is an underlying feeling that those we love the most don’t fully comprehend what we cope with minute to minute or the choices we make just to ‘have a life’. This can be more devastating to some than the actual physical pain.”

Copen, who was the recipient of the Audience Choice Our Bodies Ourselves Women’s Health Hero Award this spring says, “We hope to unite some of the millions of people who live with chronic pain and illness silently by offering an oasis of hope and understanding. Illness is never fun, but we hope to connect people to encourage one another, as well as host some fabulous workshops to help people live their best life possible.”

For details visit the web site, http://www.invisibleillnessweek.com

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*Source: Chronic Care in America: A 21st Century Challenge Revised

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• Can Those with an Invisible Illness Park in the Blue Spots Without Others Seeing Red? (invisibleillnessweek.com)

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What is an Invisible Illness?

Invisible illness comes in all shapes and sizes… and ages!

The purpose of National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week is to provide people with the feeling of validation that their pain is real and that they can feel a sense of inclusion for a change, rather than exclusion. We also seek to bring about awareness of countless diseases, conditions, and chronic pain.

With this as a part of our purpose, our definition of “invisible illness” could be considered rather “loose.” Most illnesses are invisible at some point in the disease progression. One with rheumatoid arthritis, for example, may have the disease completely unseen in the first years of the diagnosis, yet it can become more visible as degnerations of the joints occur.

One with multiple sclerosis may go from looking perfectly healthy to being bedridden and then go into remission and have their illness be “invisible” to anyone looking for signs of sickness. Remission may last for months or even years. Or the visual signs may not show, but the illness may still be progressing.

We invite anyone or any organization that represents an illness to be involve with Invisible Illness Week. It is an opportunity to bring increased awareness to a cause you are passionate about while also educating the general public that those with illness may “look so good” but are still experiencing considerable pain.

It is no secret that those with invisible illness may be seen as exagerating their diseases or pain, or even making it up entirely. “The volunteers of National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week hope to call attention to situations such as parking in the blue spots (with a logo that has a photo of the wheelchair) to responding to “advice” by Dear Abby that could be considered irresponsible.

Not just illnesses are invisible. We hope to bring awareness to conditions such as chronic migraines, autism, cancer, to bi-polar disorder. While many of us with an invisible illness have heard “you look so good” moms of children with autism are often told, “If you just disciplined him more…”

If you have to ask, “Do I qualify?” the answer is “Yes!” We’d love to have you join us to bring about more awareness to whatever health or illness cause you feel passionate about that impacts you or someone you love.

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Do You Read Illness Blog Web Sites?

Are you a reader of chronic illness blogs? There’s some terrific ones out there! Be sure to let the bloggers know about National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week.

Some of you have asked “what exactly should I write?” Below is an example to help you formulate your own message. Be sure to personalize and not spam people.  Thanks for your help!

I really enjoyed your recent post on [the topic]. Since you blog about invisible illness, I thought you may be interested to know about National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week, which is September 14-20, 2009. The theme this year is “A Little Help Gives a Lot of Hope.”

There is lots of information available at the web site www.invisibleillness.com, including facts/statistics, articles, and some great goodies like tote bags or white silicone bracelets that say, “Invisible Illness – Visible Hope.” You can find daily updates, guest bloggers, a blog tour, lots of cool things to tweet and even a badge that says, “I’m blogging for Invisible Illness Week”.

Thanks again for taking the time to bring awareness about living with chronic illness through your web site.

[your name]

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Can Those with an Invisible Illness Park in the Blue Spots Without Others Seeing Red?

“Do you know the fine for using someone else’s handicapped parking permit is $300?”

“That parking spot is saved for the disabled! You should be ashamed of yourself!”

Nearly everyone with an invisible illness has been told, “You don’t look disabled to me!” One of my friends replied, “Well, you don’t look stupid to me.” I just bite my lip to try to prevent the tears from forming, broken-hearted that I appear to be deceptive, when I would do anything to give back this parking perk that I use on a rare occasion.

As I circle the parking lot a fourth time on this day I hope for a spot to open up within two-hundred yards of the store, but there is nothing remotely close at this bustling superstore where I need to buy my prescriptions and milk for my toddler. My rheumatoid arthritis is flaring badly, causing extra fluid in my knees to dislocate pieces of loose bones. Every step is painful and unpredictable.

Finally I sigh in resignation and pull into the farthest “blue parking spot.” I reach for the placard–the one that has a bold white symbol of a wheelchair–and no, I don’t have a wheelchair–yet. So after fifteen years of having this “privilege” at my disposal I still warily scan the area before reluctantly dangling the placard from the rear view mirror. Is there anyone watching, wondering, or waiting, ready to confront me?

I’ve had scathing notes left on my windshield and many people, empowered by television exposés, have approached me with their opinions. Judgmental expressions and whispers sting just as much. My husband and I adopted a baby and when I would get my child of the car I would avoid eye contact with onlookers because I could hear their whispers of, “She’s not disabled! Or–if she is–she has no right to have a child!”

Nearly 1 in 2 Americans (133 million) live with a chronic illness. It could be diabetes, cancer, cystic fibrosis, fibromyalgia or even chronic back pain. Many illnesses make walking long distances impossible because of limited lung capacity, physical pain, or unpredictable numbness in the legs. According to statistics provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, about 96% of these illnesses are invisible. There is no sign of the illness existing, nor the use of an assistive device like a cane or a wheelchair.

I began National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week in 2002, which is held annually in September, after witnessing thousands of people who had frustrations, fears, loneliness, and bitterness, about feeling invalidated. One’s illness, age, diagnosis, or level of disease degeneration, doesn’t change the emotional pain.

Strangers and loved ones alike doubt the severity of our illness or even the diagnosis. We’ve heard, “You look so good! You must be feeling better.” But we don’t feel better. We just bought some fake tan in a bottle and pasted on a smile.

National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week is a time to acknowledge that invisible illness is more prevalent than we’d imagine and everyone–both those who are healthy and ill–can make a difference by encouraging someone with an invisible illness, rather than tearing someone down.

Are those parking spots painted blue because they give so many people the blues? That small area of square footage is a breeding ground for many frustrations as we are forced to defend our illness and character to total strangers. I’d gladly trade in my placard indefinitely for just a week of having my old body back when I could run, sit on the floor, or even hold a fork without tendons popping out of place.

I anticipate the day when a nationally designated system is formed. Texas law states that blue placards are for those who use assistive devices; red permits are for people with a “condition that impairs mobility.” In other states, red symbolizes six months of disability and blue is permanent. It’s confusing! And for one with invisible illness, the wheelchair symbol discredits both our physical pain and–in the eyes of others–our reputation. Until then, we rely on Invisible Illness Week bumper stickers.

The next time you see a healthy looking man loading groceries into his car–parked in the “blue spot”–don’t glare. Stop and offer to help him, or just smile nicely, giving him the benefit of the doubt. Seventy percent of suicides have uncontrollable physical pain as a factor. Your smile may save his life. At the least, it will astonish him, perhaps providing him with genuine encouragement he hasn’t felt for months.

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In Order To Appear Invisible, You Have To Be Invisible

I have, if only inadvertently, become very vocal about my illnesses (lupus and rheumatoid arthritis). When I started blogging 15 months ago, I never expected that I would become part of a virtual community of chronically ill people who are trying to raise awareness of the profound impact that illness has on patients, their families, and their friends.

I have made many friends this way, and while these alliances have become a cornerstone in helping me deal with my own illnesses, I find that I continue to do battle on a daily basis with the “outside” world, those in my immediate surroundings who are not chronically ill.

Here is an example:

Earlier this summer, I became acutely ill with a cough that I couldn’t shake. And it wasn’t until I was hacking up a lung that “normal” people started to take notice.

“Oh, are you sick,” they would ask. “You sound sick.”

And what I really felt like saying was, “I’m sick 100% of the time. This is just the 1% you’ve decided to notice.”

This is the exception rather than the rule.

The irony here is that it’s what was going on inside of me that matters. It wasn’t the fact that I was coughing up a lung (or at least sounded like I was). It was the fact that this occurred after going to the hospital for a doctor’s appointment, after riding the city bus. It is, in fact, the very invisible nature of my illnesses that were at play here. They had just decided to show themselves in a very visible, vocal way.

Those events wouldn’t cause “normal” people to get sick.

But if doctors haven’t been trained to look much deeper than giant, flashing tumors, why would we expect the rest of the world to? In many ways, illness is in the eye of the beholder.

My own mother refuses to see me as a “sick person.” But the truth is, these illnesses are my life. My life has become these illnesses. And for better or for worse, I live out each day, good or bad, because of these illnesses.

Yes, ignorance frustrates me. Because our world hasn’t been conditioned to believe in the possibility that young people can be sick – because this plays on our worst fears that the world is not a just, fair, or kind place – and that people in the prime of their lives can be struck down with no warning, with seemingly no reason, and lives can be forever changed, altered beyond comprehension.

And it also frustrates me that by virtue of that inability to understand, I am supposed to be strong, brave, resilient – any number of adjectives that describe youth and longevity. Yes, somehow, on the days when I am in so much pain that I can’t lift a half-gallon of milk to pour for my cereal, I am supposed to be strong and brave, and think that this is just some adolescent phase that I’ll grow out of?

But even for someone like me, who blogs about my illnesses, whose posts are fed through facebook, there are times when invisibility can be a good thing. When I travel to California in August, there is a very good chance that I will be wearing a mask on the plane.

I haven’t been on a plane in nearly seven years. And I’ve never had to wear a mask before. Anywhere. The thought fills me with dread – everyone is going to look and me and wonder what’s wrong with me. But given my susceptibility level, it seems like a prudent measure that I need to take.

It makes me realize that sometimes, invisibility is a luxury. The fact that I don’t have to wear illness on my sleeve all the time, while this tends to promote ignorance and unfeeling, also thwarts questions, long glances of sympathy and pity. It allows me to be in my own insular world of lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, while the rest of the world is kept at arms length, think that everything is just fine.

You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone…

National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week is important because no one is immune to illness – it can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time – and by sharing our stories, we help to show that it is possible to live in the face of illness.

Leslie Rott is 23 years old. In April of 2008, at the age of 22, she was diagnosed with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and Sociology from the University of Michigan. She is currently working on her Ph.D. in Sociology at the U of M. She currently authors the blog Getting Closer To Myself, which chronicles her journey with chronic and invisible illness.

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Our Mission

I’m so glad you’re here! You must be feeling so much better!

You look so good! You can’t really be that sick, right?

I saw you out walking your dog… so… when are you going back to work?

If you’ve ever heard one of those comments you understand how hard it is to live with a chronic illness that is invisible. The truth is, most people don’t even realize just how invisible most illnesses are! The ill are expected to look ill; we’re expected to live in sweats and have dark circles under our eyes. To fully live, however, we get dressed, put on some cover-up and push our way through the day doing what needs done.

By letting others know that you have an illness, you will provide valuable information to healthy people about the challenges of living with an invisible chronic condition, thus providing a more understanding environment.

Together we can make a difference! National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week, September 14-20-2009 is a designated time, worldwide, in which people who live with chronic illness, those who love them, and organizations are encouraged to educate the general public, churches, health care professionals and government officials about the affects of living with a disease that is not visually apparent.

Through programs and resources, we seek to recognize the daily challenges of more than 100 million adults and children who live with invisible illness. Through acknowledging that despite how “well” they look, they live with the ups and downs of a chronic condition, it is our mission, to encourage and offer compassion.

We seek to educate those who do not live with illness on how to reach out to and encourage those with health difficulties, including what to say and not say and how to meet practical needs.

Overall, it is our hope that people who live with invisible chronic illness can legally park in a handicapped parking spot without receiving skeptical looks, that friends and family acknowledge that invisible illnesses are real, and how to not just survive, but truly live–and even celebrate life– despite illness, encouraging others on the same detour in life.

Will you be a part of our efforts to increase awareness? Here are some fast ways to make a difference!

• Join our cause on Facebook and then spread the word
• Watch our video, share it, consider playing it at your support group, place of business, church or other forum. Feel free to post it to your own blog too!
• When you read an article or post you like, take 2 seconds to share it via Twitter, Facebook, or whatever your favorite social network is. Bookmark it too in your social bookmarking tools.
• Order some goodies: a cute summer tote bag, a bumper sticker or license plate (fewer dirty looks if you legally park there with these items on your car!) Give yourself the chance to share that nearly 1 in 2 Americans live with a chronic condition.
• Plan on attending at least a few of our seminars during our virtual conference, M-F of II Week (Sept 14-18, 2009) and share it with your friends.

There are lots of ways to just bring awareness to the people around who care about you. It’s NOT all in your head!

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MEDIA RELEASE: Invisible Illness Awareness Week Brings Together Thousands Who “Get it”

Living with an invisible illness can cause heartache and bitterness when one feels no one understands the significance of the illness. Invisible Illness Week provides that validation that people with invisible diseases often seek. 

San Diego, CA — (SBWIRE) — 08/27/2008 — While we assume that most people are generally healthy, you may be surprised to find out that an alarming nearly 1 in 2 people in the United States live with a chronic illness. So why is it that most of us don’t even know when a friend or co-worker is dealing with diabetes, heart disease, lupus, or chronic fatigue syndrome? Because, according to the U.S. Census, about 96% of people have invisible illnesses. 

National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week is being held this year, September 8-14, 2008. It’s a secular event sponsored by Rest Ministries, the largest Christian organization that serves the chronically ill. Visit the invisible illness awareness campaign’s web site at www.invisibleillnessblog.org . You can be encouraged through dozens of articles, including daily guest bloggers, find ideas to get involved in the outreach, and goodies to help promote awareness, from silicone bracelets to brochures. Tired of those looks when you park in a handicapped spot? Be sure to pick up a license plate or bumper sticker.

The focal point of the awareness campaign is September 8-12 (M-F) during which 20 telephone seminars will be held on a variety of topics and are open to anyone. Topics may also be of interest to those with loved-ones who have an illness. Some seminars include:

- Assess Yourself: Find the Job You Desire and Can Do Despite Illness Limitations

- The Civil Rights of Patients with Invisible Chronic Illnesses

- Overcoming Self-Defeating Behaviors

- Secrets of Paying for Medical Care

- How to Get Paid to Blog

- After the Diagnosis: The Journey Beyond

The theme this year is “Hope Can Grow From The Soil of Illness.”

Lisa Copen, 39, began National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week in 2002 as she continuously witnessed hundreds of people emotionally hurting just because they felt as though no one “got it.” Lisa has lived with rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia for fifteen years and understands how validating it can be to just have one friend who you don’t have to explain everything to.

“Though there are hundreds of illnesses represented, and large differences in symptoms and pain levels, none of that matters more than feeling like someone understands you. When our best friends and family members are skeptical about our disease, it can be that last straw that sets us off into a spiraling depression.”

She says, “We plan to unite the millions of people who live with chronic pain and illness by offering an oasis of hope and understanding, as well as helpful information and practical tools to live the best life possible.”

Through the guest bloggers of Invisible Illness Week, to 20 seminars that supply tools to ensure that one is cared for–both body and soul–National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week is succeeding in meeting that goal.

Find out more information and receive daily updates at http://www.invisibleillnessblog.org

Lisa Copen
Director
National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week
888-751-7378
http://www.invisibleillness.com

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