Niamh's NMO

My name is Niamh, I'm 15, fromnthenUK and this is my story.  From the day I was born I had issues with my health. I was born with Choanal atresia,  a congenital disorder where the back of the nasal passage is blocked with abnormal tissue. I had it in both nostrils and it was preventing me from breathing. As soon as they realised I was then rushed into surgery for the first of 9 surgeries. By the time I was 3 my surgeries were complete but I still have issues to this day. I have to spray medication up my nostrils everyday to keep them from drying up, 8 can't blow my nose and when I sneeze it's like an explosion.  I spent the years of having surgery  with stents in my nose to keep the holes from closing up, which I didn't enjoy so I would pull them out and frustrate the doctors. Typical me. We thought that after such a "traumatic" start to life that this would be it for my health complications, wrong.  Have you ever thought what it would be like to wake up sic...

30 Day Chronic Illness Challenge Made By CFS_Zombie Day 11 Why do you believe you have this illness? Bad luck or higher power or something else? Bad luck. There must've been some unbalanced chemicals that created the antibody. Things just happen.  Day 12 Briefly explain to a healthy person  what it is like to live with this illness ? Life with any illness is difficult but for me the hardest part is the chronic pain and fatigue. I miss out on a lot of things because of my body being silly. The chronic illness not only has a physical effect but all of the complications and worries bring psychological issues.  Day 13 Has your physical illness had any effect on your mental health? Explain . My physical illness has had drastic effects on my mental health. Weight gain from the steroids was one really hard battle I fought. I now love my body because I believe it looks healthy.  I get really upset when I get new symptoms because I hate having...

30 Day Chronic Illness Challenge Made By CFS_Zombie Day 6  If you could have told yourself something when you first remember these symptoms arising, what would you have said?  This is going to be the hardest thing you will ever go through - but each battle is going to make you 10 times stronger! You'll  be okay.  Day 7 What was the biggest realisation you have had  ? When I was little and me and my friends would play a came called MASH where you have names, cars, houses and stuff on paper and do a random future prediction and I would say I wanted to be a nurse and have a limo. Then a friend once said "but you can't see you can't drive". I also realised then that I can't be a nurse because of how weak my immune system is.  Day 8 Where do you see yourself in 5 years? I see myself with a YouTube account raising awareness of what it's like to live with a chronic illness. I also see myself regaining the independence I've lost ...

Dear struggling spoonie! People think having a chronic illness is a matter of miraculously recovering or just die... What about fighting? We have fought battles that most people wouldn't ever be able to fight. Be proud of yourself for being so strong.  The unintelligent people who have never taken the time to ask about your illness who judge you will be the tiniest of fights. Their words can be flicked away where as our usual fights need a army to beat!   You are your own army and your own armour.  I know you can do this you've done it before.  You aren't the only one going through this although you have this illness your family have you and the emotional effects it has on them. It may seem like they don't care but they do. They are just a trying to fight through each day as it comes just like you. There will be expectations like you having fun on your vacation or birthday but the only persons expectations you have to follow are your own. Even opening your eyes, ...