My Invisible Illness Became My Greatest Strength

“You only have 3 months to live.”

At 14 years old, life became more serious. Life became less simple. My day-to-day life revolved less around being a teen and more around staying alive. That’s not something any teen should have to worry about, but I did.

I always wondered “why me?” Why do all these other kids get to be kids when my life has to be so difficult? That’s when it hit me.

This is MY life. This isn’t anyone else’s. I have the power to take control of this situation and I can handle it however I want to. I don’t need to compare to anyone else because I will never be anyone else.

My invisible illnesses make life harder; I know that. But I also know that I can use my invisible illnesses to make me stronger. I can use these adversities to help people who struggle with the same thing and show them that they’re not alone. This choice is mine because I want to control my health and not let my health control me.

If you’re ever feeling down due to being gluten-free, an invisible illness, or literally anything else in life, tell yourself this. It IS hard, it DOES make you different than other people, but more importantly, you don’t need to be like other people. You can be whatever amazing person that you want to be and that all starts with you. 💪🏼⠀