About a month ago, on an ordinary Wednesday night, I got an email from someone named Katelyn Verstraten, a journalist at CTV Vancouver with an interest in health and science reporting. She wanted to write a piece about invisible illnesses, and she wanted to tell my story. She wondered if I would be interested in talking to her more about it.
Ummmm, yes please! Sign me up! I was blown away that someone I’d never met before was even interested in my story.
We set up a Skype meeting for the following week. I was excited, but also nervous, because I’m usually much better expressing myself with written words than with spoken ones, but I needn’t have worried because talking to Katelyn was awesome. After our near hour and a half conversation my mom asked me what we had talked about and I wasn’t even sure. We had talked about everything!
The next day, with my totally worth it “I talked too much” hangover, I wondered what she would even end up writing about. What had we talked about? What hadn’t we talked about? The details were already blurry.
Earlier this week Katelyn sent me a preview of the story and I was so impressed because somehow she had taken my hour plus of rambling and picked out the parts that were most important, the parts that made me think, “I’m so glad she included this!” whether or not I even remembered saying it. Oh, and when I mentioned in passing that my best friend was really excited about this whole thing, she decided to get her involved as well. How fun is that?
So anyway, after all that pre-ramble, here’s the link to the story!
‘Finding my miracle’: The hidden struggles of living with an invisible disease
Big thanks to Katelyn Verstraten and to CTV News Vancouver for this opportunity!
Finding my Miracle 
This article should be given to every doctor . It should be required reading and learning in Med Schools. Thank you so much. Kathryn
Thanks Kathryn! As patients we often feel like we’re in an echo chamber, and the things we say and write are mostly only heard and read by other patients, but I think this article is a good first step out of that chamber.
Found this blog through ctv. My life is very similar. Got sick during pharmacy school in Toronto 13 years ago. It’s a rough time to get sick. You haven’the established your own life yet you’ve not been sick since childhood so you’ve dreamt of having a normal life. Having an invisible illness also has it’seems good and bad points. You’re allowed to blend in when you’re having a good day but people don’t realize that when you’re at the worst you’re at home just trying to get through the hour. I feel lucky to have a medical background and been able to do my own research and advocate for myself. Unfortunately I can get a lot of pushback from physicians because they don’t know that I have good awareness of what is going wrong with my body and am not a huge complainer. I do realize doctors are human but they are not very good at admitting when they are wrong! I have some good stories:)
Haha I have some good stories as well 😉 It’s definitely a really tricky balance, the balance between being informed and educated and advocating for yourself, but doing so in a way that doesn’t put out the doctor you’re seeing in a way that will end up making it even more difficult to get the care you need. Sometimes it feels ridiculous how much thought and attention I give to not just what I need to say, but how I need to say it.
Wow! Ms. Verstraten really captures your spirit, your struggles, your challenges and your ‘joie de vivre’! Bravo!
Joie de vivre! I like that! Thanks so much 🙂
How awesome for you to be heard and validated in such a great article but also to take your awareness-raising to the next level. Everyone living with invisible illness will appreciate it very much. I wish you could get the ultimate reward of a healthy body that works, though. You surely deserve it. Also, I’d like to see more of those hats and scarves that you make on your blog! 😉
Sending my thanks to you and Katelyn for putting the story together. xx
Thanks Jodie – I don’t know if you have instagram or not, but I post almost everything I make on instagram @carefulscrochet 😉
Ok, thanks for that Catherine. I found and followed – love your motto there. I joined IG this year @jodiebodiecrochets 🙂
Terrific article Katelyn, thanks for sharing it Catherine
My gosh Girl, I got tears! I give Katelyn a huge hug for publishing this!
Always yr next door friend!
Love,
Val
Thanks Val! It was great working with Katelyn, and it was a great opportunity. Sending hugs your way!
It was amazing working with you, Catherine! It’s stories like yours that inspired me to go into journalism in the first place, so thank you for sharing it with me. You rock!
What a great article!!!