[Image: Manatee lying on ocean floor. Text reads: TOP: “When someone asks, “Are you ok?” ” BOTTOM: “It’s all right to say, “no” “]

I’d love it if more people felt this way. That way I wouldn’t have to constantly be saying “I’m fine” when I’m not…

[Image: 6-piece blue colored background with a Siamese cat.Text reads: TOP: “Look at stairs.” BOTTOM: “Cry.”]

I can’t be the only one who gets upset at the bottom (or even top) of staircases on bad pain days.

[Image: 6-piece blue colored background with a Siamese cat.Text reads: TOP: “Sits on floor.” BOTTOM: “Can’t get up.”]

And it sucks to always be the only one sitting in a chair! And if I do sit on the floor then my friends have to help me up which is embarrassing…

This goes for sleeping too…. Sleepovers and camping trips are wonderful until I have to get up off of the floor in the morning…

[Image: 6-piece blue colored background with a Siamese cat. Above cat, text reads: “Professional singer.” Below cat, text reads: “Chronic lung disease.”]

Goodbye, lyric coloratura soprano range and successful performance career. Hello, recurrent pleural effusion/pneumothorax/pneumonia/bronchitis.

[Image: 6-piece blue colored background with a Siamese cat.Text reads: “Eight different medications. Apparently not enough.”]

Got two new ones, old ones got upped.

[Image: 6-piece blue colored background with a Siamese cat.Text reads: “Clearly two chronic illnesses are not enough. Four is a much better number”]

[Image: 6-piece blue colored background with a Siamese cat.Text reads: “Use laptop battery as heating pad”]

[Image: 6-piece blue colored background with a Siamese cat.Text reads: “The school nurse is your best friend”]

I go to the nurse’s office at least once, usually twice a day. We have a nice chat sometimes. She even lets me take her keys so I can get my medicine without waiting for her. She doesn’t question it when I come in anymore and told me I can take whatever I need. We’re pretty tight.

[Image: 6-piece blue colored background with a Siamese cat.Text reads: “My chi is not the problem.”]

[Image: 6-piece blue colored background with a Siamese cat.Text reads: “Drop cane on arthritic foot”]

I am still getting used to this dang thing….

[Image: 6-piece blue colored background with a Siamese cat.Text reads: “Be pain-free and not able to leave the house or be in pain and able to leave the house. You choose.”]

Everyone knows that you shouldn’t drive while on narcotics. In order for me to be pain-free, or somewhat pain-free, I have to take Vicodin. So everyday I get the choice of: being able to leave the house while in an extreme amount of pain or not being able to leave the house while having relief from the pain.

[Image: 6-piece blue colored background with a Siamese cat.Text reads: TOP: “Get engaged” BOTTOM: “Can’t wear ring because of joints”]

My fiance thinks I’m joking, but I really want the one ring so I can wear it around my neck and tell people “I can’t put it on, the Nazgul will find me. Duh you guys.” 

[Image: 6-piece blue colored background with a Siamese cat. Text reads: “Stairs and stares”]

[Image: 6-piece blue colored background with a Siamese cat.Text reads: “Christmas gift from Grandma: box of Celebrex samples”]

It really sucks having arthritis and little-to-no money for doctor appointments, but sometimes there’s a benefit to having the same disease as your grandma.

[Image: 6-piece blue colored background with a Siamese cat.Text reads: “Top: Orthopedist tells you to see a rheumatologist, rheumatologist tells you to see an orthopedist.  Bottom: Lather, rinse, repeat”]

I wish that House hadn’t invented the “diagnostition,” because it’s getting a little old being shuffled from doctor to doctor, and never getting answers.