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A review by gracie_reads_everything
The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness by Meghan O'Rourke
5.0
Meghan O’Rourke is a fantastic writer and I really resonate with her story. Living with a chronic condition is difficult to explain to others and a constant source of frustration. I endure severe environmental allergies that require me to take handfuls of pills a day, which still don’t fully curb my symptoms, and a semi-vague muscle condition that causes constant pain and stiffness that radiates through my body and ebbs and flows unpredictably.
These conditions don’t tend to illicit much sympathy from others due to lack of understanding. Many people have seasonal allergies, but it’s hard for people to realize that I take anywhere from 3-7 pills a day solely for curbing my symptoms (as I write this I’m on my second sinus infection in a month due to the chronic inflammation in my sinuses). I am also unable to go hiking (an activity I really enjoy) or do outdoor sports or activities due to the severity of my allergies.
I’ve lived with pain and shoulders that crack with movement since I was about twelve or thirteen, but didn’t seek treatment because my pain was dismissed and normalized. For a long time I learned to live with it. Only at 25 did I learn I have muscle and joint issues genetically, and did I find any relief with muscle relaxers and physical therapy.
It’s amazing to me that I lived this long with untreated pain, and I still have to reassure myself of the reality of my conditions due to being gaslit for so long. After seeking treatment, I’ve been able to have the necessary tools to cope better with the pain and discomfort, even if there is no real “cure” for these conditions. I’m grateful for O’Rourke’s story and the validation & increasing awareness of chronic conditions.
These conditions don’t tend to illicit much sympathy from others due to lack of understanding. Many people have seasonal allergies, but it’s hard for people to realize that I take anywhere from 3-7 pills a day solely for curbing my symptoms (as I write this I’m on my second sinus infection in a month due to the chronic inflammation in my sinuses). I am also unable to go hiking (an activity I really enjoy) or do outdoor sports or activities due to the severity of my allergies.
I’ve lived with pain and shoulders that crack with movement since I was about twelve or thirteen, but didn’t seek treatment because my pain was dismissed and normalized. For a long time I learned to live with it. Only at 25 did I learn I have muscle and joint issues genetically, and did I find any relief with muscle relaxers and physical therapy.
It’s amazing to me that I lived this long with untreated pain, and I still have to reassure myself of the reality of my conditions due to being gaslit for so long. After seeking treatment, I’ve been able to have the necessary tools to cope better with the pain and discomfort, even if there is no real “cure” for these conditions. I’m grateful for O’Rourke’s story and the validation & increasing awareness of chronic conditions.