Wednesday, 16 October 2013

Claire: I think I Can. I knew I Could. Dysautonomia Awareness Month


Age 29, Single with 3 fur kids (2 dogs, 1 bunny), nurse in previous life – currently volunteering in event first aid and dabbling in Millinery
Became ill in 2010/2011 but ill on and off for most of my life.
Diagnosis – NCS with Tachycardia, OI, EDS, chronic sinusitis, Endometriosis, asthma

These are 3 photos from my journey along the last part of the Camino De Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage in Spain, a few months after being diagnosed in 2011.  Nobody needs to know exactly how hard it was, how many blisters I got, how much pain I was in, how many types of medication got me through, how many rolls of sports tape I used, how long it took me, how many rest breaks I had along the way or how long it took me to recover afterwards.  The important thing is I did it (though to this day I'm not entirely sure how, probably sheer stubbornness) and I did it alone.

Being sick has forced me to change a lot about how I live but it has also taught me a lot about myself.  If I hadn't gotten sick I would never have walked that part of the Camino, so I do believe some things come down to fate.  I can't say I'm grateful for being sick or appreciate the sickness experience, I've been experiencing off and on it for most of my life now.  I can't say I'm happy about the doors that have been closed for me but it has forced me to find new ones to open.  That all being said, I'm more than ready for it to be gone now...




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For those unfamiliar, a short explanation of Dysautonomia can be found here.

One of the most famous people with a form of Dysautonomia is former Yellow Wiggle, Greg Page, who lent his name to a research fund at The Baker IDI, here in Melbourne, Australia. Donations can be made at The Greg Page fund For Orthostatic Intolerance.

Information about one of the current research projects under way in Australia at The Baker IDI, can be found here.

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2 comments:

  1. 2317 October 2013 at 13:59

    So inspiring! I have always wanted to walk the Camino, maybe now I will!

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    Replies
    1. Unknown22 October 2013 at 08:53

      You should! It was an amazing experience that I will carry with me for the rest of my life and I plan to walk it again when I can :)

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