Yesterday was the 10 year anniversary of this blog! Wow! And in true spoonie fashion, I was too busy, overwhelmed, and exhausted to write anything. Still, I couldn’t let this momentous occasion pass without saying anything. Well ok, I totally could, especially given how rarely I have managed to write here lately, but I really didn’t want to.
It’s strange to think that it’s been a decade since I started writing. At first I wrote every day. If I missed a day, which was rare, I would write two posts the next day. Some were just a paragraph and others were longer, but they were all personal and all about living with chronic illnesses and disabilities. When I think back, it’s hard to believe that was only 10 years ago, and hard to believe that was already 10 years ago. By the way, this is the 784th post on this site! (I’m amazed that I still have more to say.)
Back when I started this blog, I was working full time at a boring job, and I didn’t know that within a few months, I would be leaving full time work, probably permanently. I didn’t know I would get so fatigued that I wouldn’t be able to leave my home for days at a time. I didn’t know I would spend hours upon hours researching my illnesses in order to improve my health. I didn’t know I would write a book. I didn’t know I would keep this blog going for 10 years.
I sure didn’t think I would still be single. Or living way out in the suburbs. Or that I would become an outspoken chronic illness-rights advocate. And I definitely wouldn’t have guessed at the many diagnoses I have received in the past decade, diagnoses which helped me to finally pieced together the puzzle of my health problems.
Some of that was predictable in hindsight, but a lot was surprising. Especially the work piece. And the health piece. I never expected to get so sick. I didn’t think I would permanently give up gluten, or that doing so would make me feel so much better. I hadn’t heard of adrenal fatigue, but if I had, I may have realized a lot sooner that I had it and that I needed to address it. I wouldn’t have guessed that the popcorn I ate regularly was causing a lot of my distress (no more corn or corn derivatives for me!)
I have learned a lot from many sources, and all of you were a huge part of that. When I started this blog I never realized how important it would become to me. You all have reassured me when I doubted myself. You gave me advice on all sorts of issues. You offered practical solutions to logistical problems. You read my words, you offered community and kind thoughts. This blog has provided catharsis in a way I never would have guessed. Thanks to this blog, I finally realized that I needed therapy to help me address the many emotional issues that living with chronic illness had brought, and that has been immensely helpful.
Ten years ago I started this blog with the hope of forming a small community. I did that, but also so much more. Ten years and 784 posts has given me many gifts, and I’m thankful for all of them. I truly doubt that my health would have improved the way that it has without this blog and all of you. Thank you for reading, for your kind comments, for your advice, and for giving me a reason to keep on writing.
Sincerely,
Ms. Rants
Posted by chronicrants 
Chronic Rants 