You never know what someone is going through & I am proof of that. The first picture of me on my wedding day is pretty deceiving. I may look happy, but I’m the only one who knows how awful I felt that day. For the past year and a half, I’ve been struggling with chronic pain & still have no diagnosis. Every day is a struggle and I live in fear of the unknown. To be in pain is one thing, but to not know why is another. On June 17th, 2023 I cancelled a pool day with a friend because I wasn’t feeling good and since that day, I haven’t been better. I only came across these texts a few days ago and I’ve been an emotional wreck since. I thought I would get better in just a few days... I had no idea I’d still be struggling today 🥲 I’ve done MRIs of my neck, back and shoulders. I’ve done a CT scan of my organs. I’ve done rounds of bloodwork. I’ve tested for autoimmune diseases. I’ve tested for Lyme disease. I’ve tested my hormones. I’ve tested for toxins. I’ve tested my GI issues. I’ve done chiropractic care. I’ve done physical therapy. I’ve seen a chest wall surgeon for slipping rib syndrome. I’ve seen a vascular surgeon for thoracic outlet syndrome. I’ve seen a pain management doctor. I’ve seen an orthopedist. It’s exhausting enough to be in pain every second of the day, but on top of that, I have to continue to advocate for myself and search for answers. Each and every day, I post on social media as if I’m okay. I hangout with friends as if I’m okay. I take photos and smile as if I’m okay. I’m not posting this for sympathy. I’m posting this because I post my life on social media for a living and I think we all forget that not everything you see online is reality. We are all silently struggling with something. Chronic illness is truly an epidemic and I’d be doing myself and this community a disservice by not using my platform to speak up & share my story. Don’t take your health for granted 🤍