Life is Weird - Awareness Week Blog by Sarah McFeggan

I was reading one of the blogs that had been posted this week about how
important it is to try to find the positives from our negative
experiences. No, I'm not happy I have GP and I would love for it to go
away. Even as I am typing this I am bloated, uncomfortable, and
constipated (sorry if that is TMI). However, something positive did
come from this fiasco called GP. Not having ever had a chronic
condition before, I could not truely understand what my mom went through
having osteoarthritis. I knew that it caused her pain and discomfort
but I could not relate to her experience. Once I developed GP, I was
able to relate to her on a totally new level. I am able to understand
how exhausting it is to put on a smile even though I feel like crap, and
how frustrating it is to not have the energy to do the things I once was
able to do. And to not have my body do what I want it to. She was
there with me for all of the tests, trips to the ER, and doctors
appointments. She passed away just over two years ago, and I have to
say, I am thankful that we were able to spend that time together and
that I was able to relate to her own situation on some level. We were
close, but we became closer because of GP. Life is weird.