Something I should have started years ago

I've been dealing with chronic illness for most of my life. You deal, get on with things as best you can and just aim for as close to "normal" as you can get.

No matter what the illness, if it goes on long enough, you eventually start asking, "Why?" Why me? Is there some cosmic lesson I'm supposed to learn from this? Why does one person get to run a triathlon while I *feel* like I've run one after only having brushed my teeth.

I've decided two things:
1) "Normal" has got to be the most subjective term in existence
2) The only meaning illness has is the meaning you give it.

I've chosen to put my experiences with...

• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS aka CFIDS)
• Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)
  
• Fibromyalgia
  
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
  
• Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
  
• Neurally Mediated Hypotension (NMH)
  

...to work for anyone else sharing those conditions or the symptoms associated with them.

To be continued...