The Chronic Illness Chronicles: Ashlee Edens

I’ve decided to embark on a new writing project that I hope will provide encouragement and a sense of community for those suffering with chronic illness. I hope it will also provide understanding for those that don’t.

As part of this project, I plan to interview a variety of people who deal with chronic illness and call it The Chronic Illness Chronicles. I wanted to provide the people I will interview with an example of what a post will look like, so I thought, what better way to do this than to complete an interview myself?

So, let’s begin…

I’m Ashlee Edens. I’m a 26-year-old full-time mama living in Michigan. I love reading, drawing, and dancing. And I especially love writing: blog posts, poems, children’s picture books, and all sorts of stories!

When were you diagnosed with Lupus?

I was diagnosed at the beginning of 2013. It’s been 6 years.

How has it impacted your life?

Living with Lupus has been hard. It can attack any part of you whenever it feels like it. It could attack my heart, my brain, my kidneys, etc. So Lupus has made me afraid. But it has also showed me to trust in a loving Heavenly Father who is aware of the details of my life.

With Lupus, what have been the hardest things to deal with?

Fatigue. It is really hard having a heart and mind that want to do more than what a body with lupus is capable of doing.

What blessings have happened in your life as you’ve faced Lupus?

When I was first diagnosed, I was told that I might not be able to get pregnant. And that if I got pregnant, I might not be able to carry a baby to term. I have been so blessed that I have been able to give birth to my two wonderful daughters. I’m so grateful for the opportunity that I have to be their mother.

What have you learned? What positive impact has Lupus had on your life?

Lupus has taught me that I have to say “no”. I’m growing to understand my limits. I’ve learned that I need to protect my time and my energy. And that means having to say “no” to some things. The second part to that is not caring what others think about me saying “no.” I sometimes have to pass on social gatherings, events, projects, etc. Us Lupies often fight an invisible battle, we often look fine on the outside. Others can’t see the battle our bodies are fighting on the inside. They don’t understand why I have to pass on something when I look healthy. I’d I’ve learned that it’s okay if they don’t understand. It’s not my job to make them understand, it is my job to protect my time and energy and make the most of them.

What do you do to stay positive?

I try to be grateful for the days without joint pain. The days with less fatigue. When I’m feeling down, I try to think about all of the things I’ve been blessed to be able to do despite lupus.