I have been asked so many times over the last almost two years why i decided to start a blog by my close friends and family. These are people who knew my past and my feeling about writing. They knew that writing was never something i likes or would have ever chosen to do just for fun. That being said it didn’t shock me or surprise me that my friends and some family practically laughed at me when I said I was going to start blogging. I was a little offended because I knew why I wanted to blog and I had a goal in mind. But I also knew that I have also hated writing and haven’t really ever been very good at it. But i had to start somewhere.
In January 2017 I had a goal and a purpose in mind as to why I wanted to start writing a blog. Because of all that starting a blog about living and dealing with chronic illness seemed like the next right thing to do. Probably the biggest reason that I felt called to start a blog was simply because of how I felt when I got my initial diagnosis. I felt very alone and like there wasn’t anything out there for people like me, for people who were dealing with not one but MULTIPLE Chronic Illnesses. Thankfully I quickly found a group of people and started my support group on Facebook called Lupie Groupies, so that aspect was taken care of. But I still felt like there was something missing. After years of searching and trying to figure out what the missing piece to the puzzle was, I finally figured it out. There were no blogs out there that combined personal experience with research for the conditions that I was dealing with. Sure, there were a million and one blogs out there about each of my conditions separately but nothing I related to about the conditions I have combined. And not many bloggers who didn’t claim just a certain niche. But talked about ALL THINGS chronic illness. I felt like that this was a hole that really needed to be filled in the chronic illness community.
The second reason I decided to start blogging was simple. I felt like I brought a something totally different to the table. Not only am I a Spoonie, a Warrior, a Lupie I am also a Registered Nurse. Sadly, at this point I can no longer work as an RN but you can’t take the RN about of this Girl! So, you may be thinking how will that help? I feel like it give me a different view. A leg up up if you will. From my education and time as a bedside nurse I learned how to take research and academically written papers and bring them down to a level that everyone can understand without needing to carry a medical dictionary with m. And my readers won’t need one either. I felt this was a HUGE game charger because there is currently so much research being done, but it’s often so hard for people to understand due to the way its written. I wanted to be able to spread the research to everyone who needed to be able to read it/hear it in a way that they could understand it.
But if I am being totally honest with you (and myself), when I started blogging I did it for me. I did it as an outlet. I didn’t necessarily do it so others could read it but I knew if I was feeling misunderstood, frustrated and angry that there were probably hundreds or possibly even thousands of people who were also feeling that way! I hoped that by sharing my writing and what was going on with me, that people would see that they are not alone in their fight. That others are fighting the same or similar fight. I hoped that they could see see that they are not alone in the feeling of depression or frustration. And that they always have a whole family (Lupie Groupies on Facebook) who are always around and available to talk if they need to.
To be frank I started blogging because I felt along in my fight and hopeless. And I wanted others to know that they don’t have to fight this fight along. I truly felt that I was called to start the blog. That it was something I needed to do. Not just for me and my journey but for each of you and your journey. I needed to start a blog all about chronic illness that combined personal testimony with research. I have never been in this for the numbers or the money. I’m always honest with you guys the money does help, but the numbers mean so much more because that means I am reaching more of you than ever imagined that I could. More of you are no longer alone in the fight because you have found this blog and that means way more than any amount of money ever could. If I can help even just one person understand their disease and get them connected to a community I have done my job! If I can provide information to people in a way that they can actually read and understand, I have done my job. Blogging isn’t for everyone, but it has made my life so much more fulfilling knowing that I have had an impact on others who are chronically ill!
With Love,
Amber
