Help me live long and prosper!...(sorry)

[Catbells]

Hello! I'm a chronically ill student nerd with more dreams than spoons. I would especially love to meet other disabled/chronically ill nerd fighters to share my journey with!

 

A bit about me:

• I'm a final year vet student living in the UK
• I love to read, draw, paint and write. I'm a lover of sci-fi, video games and true-crime podcasts (my latest obsession)
• I suffer from Joint Hypermobility Syndrome, which causes me chronic pain and weakness in most of my joints, and chronic fatigue, which is just unneccessary
• I'm also a mental illness warrior
• I'm currently very deconditioned due to recent worsening fatigue which has left me unable to consistently exercise, but I'm working with a wonderful personal trainer to very slowly build back up to regular exercise
• I'm a vegetarian with food aversions and an unfortunate dislike for a lot of healthy food (ouch)

 

Goals!

• My short term goals are to improve my diet (less sugar, more veg) and build back up to a consistent, manageable, varied and enjoyable exercise routine
• Medium term goals include building up my muscle strength again to where everyday activities are not so hard on my body, and reintroducing running
• Long term I want to build tons of muscle, get really strong, take up all the other sports and exercises that I either used to love or want to try, and be able to handle and lift my heaviest patients without damaging myself. That's pretty much just for starters!

 

I'd love to meet some new people, find an accountability buddy if possible (someone else with similar health issues and/or goals would be wonderful) and if anyone has any tips for me I'd very much appreciate it!

 

And I think that's everything I wanted to say...

 

[Holda]

Nice to meet you Catbells, I think I saw your post in the FA forums and that someone directed you to a group, if not, I'll try to find that info for you.  Love your long term goal.  Your future patients are lucky to have someone so committed looking out for them!

[ShadowEye]

I am really sorry to hear that you are having to deal with that, I honestly can't imagine and I have no chronic issues with myself and to see someone who has it way harder than I do who probably has a lot more motivation than I do is truly inspiring. I have a pretty badly broken leg and had to get surgery almost 2 months ago, I am going to the doctor today and hopefully I will be walking again. I am afraid that I will start walking and give up on myself again and let things get back to how they were before. I am telling myself now that when I do get to walk and exercise I need to be working out harder than I ever have before. I could have broken my leg bad enough to the point where I wouldn't ever be able to walk again. I never wear a helmet so it could have turned out even worse than that. I wish I felt I had more people to support me but I am starting to realize that I can only truly rely on myself. I think helping others will make it a bit easier to help myself out in the future. I hope you reach all of your goals  and if you ever need to come to someone for support I am open to being here for you.