{"id":13444,"date":"2026-05-01T08:06:59","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T12:06:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rickollie.com\/?p=13444"},"modified":"2026-05-01T08:37:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T12:37:22","slug":"living-with-an-invisible-illness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rickollie.com\/es\/2026\/05\/01\/living-with-an-invisible-illness\/","title":{"rendered":"What People Don\u2019t Understand About Invisible Illnesses"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mental Health Awareness Month Reflection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Living with invisible illness means carrying battles inside the body and mind that others often cannot see.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Last year at this time, I wasn\u2019t fully aware that I was living with an invisible illness again. Actually two. The probability was there and doctors suspected it, but it hadn\u2019t fully revealed itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My heart issues, surprisingly, were under control then. After everything I had already been through with procedures and treatments, that part of my health had settled into something stable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cancer had other plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, when I compare where I am today to where I was a year ago, the honest answer is that my health is worse. Even though I\u2019m currently going through hormonal injections for treatment, knowing the disease has returned changes the way I look at things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Living with heart disease and cancer has taught me something many people don\u2019t fully understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These illnesses are hidden inside you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Illness People Cannot See<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

They aren\u2019t always detectable by simply looking at someone. People see me walking around and assume I\u2019m doing well. Some even think I look fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What they don\u2019t see is the reality underneath the surface. And the exhaustion within me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not just physical exhaustion, but mental exhaustion too. The kind that comes from constantly knowing what your body has already endured and what it might still has to face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are the battles happening inside me that no one else can see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Illness Reveals Who Stays<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One realization during my illnesses have changed, that’s the way I look at life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I learned that some of the people I care about the most. easily ran and hid when all I really needed was presence. While the medical side is something I\u2019ve had to accept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the illnesses aren\u2019t fought only in hospitals and treatment rooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are mental battles too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowing someone is rooting for you can make those battles easier to face. Sometimes what a person needs most isn\u2019t advice or solutions. It\u2019s simply knowing someone cares enough to stand beside them while they go through it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Purpose and Hope<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On the hardest days, what keeps me moving forward is purpose and hope. Hope in what I write about helps others who may be facing similar situations. Illness has a way of making people feel isolated. During my experiences, helping someone confront their own fears or demons head on, is worth sharing my story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also hope some people might reconsider old friendships they\u2019ve allowed to drift away. Sometimes reaching out, rekindling a connection, or letting someone know they\u2019re not alone can mean far more to a person battling an illness than most people realize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Purpose and hope are powerful things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Song That Captures This Feeling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Music expresses things words struggle to explain. One song that captures my fragility and perspective that illness brings is \u201cSaturn\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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