It took two jobs, one where I almost ended up in the hospital, to realize my disease, despite my radioactive treatment, does affect me still. And I do have limitations I didn't have in the past. It's frustrating. I get told, "You keep quitting jobs, don't you care about your future? You don't have a retirement plan!" And I'm like well, I don't know what to tell you if a job causes me to nearly be hospitalized then I'm not doing it. My health is so much more important. The flare-ups can be so severe and debilitating. The last time this happened, I couldn't function for an entire week.

What I have learned is to focus on what you can do, not what you can't do. If you have days where it's harder, ask for help if you can. Or do the intermittent breaks (which is what I also do). If there are days you just can't, forgive yourself and self-care. There will be another day. My disease has taught me so much about appreciating things that I used to take for granted. With mine, I nearly was in a wheelchair at one point. It is a lot of suffering, but it really gives you a whole different perspective on what you appreciate, value, and how to empathize with others who suffer from chronic illnesses and diseases. I really started writing poetry again around the time I was diagnosed and I began to write a poetry book. It's filled with poems that I hope will be relatable or teach other people what it's like to go through a serious and severe illness and pursue the road to overcoming it and healing. It's supposed to be a healing book about recovery.

Don't give up, keep going.