im so lucky that my chronic illness hasn't been told to me yet (or prob even named at this point, i've had it since i was born) i just know it exists- and i keep getting hammered with different meds for it ._. the doctors keep saying they don't know what sickness it is but oh my god i get the worst cramps of my entire life and i've been hospitalized many a time, it mostly effects my stomach and intestines so i make sure i have a charger with me in case because i mostly draw on my tablet, but i always have a source of heat nearby because that helps me get rid of the pain, like a heat fan that i can lay in front of or a heating pad, but if im at school or something my 504 only let me walk around the hallway so i kinda just have to suck it up and suffer there.
i dont really have too many life hacks other than heating pads tho so
Are you down with the sickness
And if you are, how do you manage the pain that comes with it?
Background: I have Fibromyalgia, Psoriatic Arthritis, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, etc and just so happen to be allergic to all normal pain medications... NSAIDs. So stuff like aspirin is off the table.
I've tried a lotta stuff to help but I find a ton of advice generally doesn't apply to hand intensive stuff like drawing.
Share your life tips..... your Life Hacks.... what do y'all do when your hands are like balloon animals..... when your body is a temple but an old one filled with booby traps
not sure if this is the best section to plug it, buuuuut we might as well try LMAO
i have polyarthralgia (arthritis without the arthritis) and generalized chronic pain! the main thing i do is keep on drawing. if i have idle hands for too long, they start to hurt, but i don't overdo it because then that starts to hurt as well. i also find that putting my hands in warm water helps loosen them up and gives me some relief. icyhot and tiger balm help some, but on my hands i hate the sensation so i avoid it at all costs. cbd oil capsules also help, but thats become too expensive for me to reasonably keep up with unfortunately! as for when my hands swell up, i take an ice pack and wrap it around my hands for a short while, and it usually helps it lessen in aggravation some.
im not good at putting into words what exactly i do but i hope some of this helps someone!
idk if this counts but I have hip dysplasia, (I've had many surgeries on it but it never healed. I'm supposed to get another surgery this spring to get my rods taken out. I can usually ignore the pain but sometimes it just gets to be too much. I take Tylenol every day about every 6 hours. (Sometimes when the pain is bad Ibuprofen works better, but its long-term effects are worse, but idk i haven't looked into it that much because i don't wanna think bout it) I also like to ice my hip and make sure it's propped up so my toes are reached towards the ceiling.
This doesn't really affect my drawing, but it does affect my everyday life (especially as a fairly active swimmer) and I just wanted to share since yall can relate.
idk if this counts, i searched it up but i have severe depression that heavily affects my life, including drawing unfortunately. and im not sure if this counts but my cramps HEAVILY affect me as well, including giving me anxiety attacks and lack of ability to breathe, as well as dizziness
I have chronic upper-respiratory allergies that affect my sinuses all year round, seasonal eczema, and I also have GAD and depression as a result of issues absorbing serotonin. I recently got on medication for both situations (I take corticosteroids for the former two, and SSRIs for the latter), and I'm doing a lot better.
Up until recently though, since I was 5, this was just what I thought was normal. I had to set aside time for myself to recover from skin break-outs and sinus infections, and also from panic attacks and depressive episodes. I learned a lot of coping mechanisms to keep myself occupied while recovering, like making sure I was eating well for my current health state (including drinking water), making myself as physically comfortable as possible without painkillers, ensuring I was keeping up with hygiene (with the help of my spouse), and distracting myself from the current state of things with stuff that made me happy, and blocking out a lot of what was causing me undue stress.
Stress and dehydration make everything hurt 10x worse, in my experience.
I have had severe OCD since I was 11, which frequently interferes with my ability to draw and write. While it isn't a constant in my life -- like it was at one time, forcing me to request an accommodation for typed notes in school -- often, I'll have to erase chunks of writing and re-write it again and again. Magical thinking. I might cause catastrophe if I don't.
The same goes for drawing. Sometimes I'll just delete an entire canvas for no other reason than a delusion that it is cursed.
I don't know if I'd count but I have a form of muscular dystrophy. My body doesn't generate as much of a particular protein as it should and that's really all I know? Maybe I should look more into it.
Ooh, wah-ah-ah-ah!
I dunno if this does count, but I have Graves Disease (Hyperthyroidism) and might have ADD. I've loved writing but it's hard to focus on what I want to write or do with whatever I'm doing. (I find a lot around me and if I'm rushing I'd get y'know, pain in my lower sides)
I four diagnosed mental illnesses (MDD, GAD, CPTSD, DID) and working on a fifth diagnosis (ADHD)... not the best! I also have endometriosis, hormonal issues, and a deformed uterus. Working with doctors to figure out if I have fibromyalgia or arthritis right now. Overall, not fun stuff.
I don't have any real "life hacks", but getting plenty of water and taking walks helps a lot if you can. The first thing I do when I get up is take my medication, drink some water, and open my windows to let the sun and clean air in. It really helps me feel better!
HistoryAddict If you're talking about pelvic cramps, I have had the same issues for years and it turned out to be endometriosis. Its really hard to get doctors to take AFAB reproductive health seriously so that may be why you haven't been evaluated for it. I would ask, its more common than you think!
I got ADHD and a back that's fucked up ten ways, so gearing up to do anything fun is like "ok will I be too distracted to do this, or too in pain, or BOTH, WHO KNOWS???"
Honestly besides pain relievers/prescribed meds and such, a big thing for me is just...being kind to yourself. Somedays you will have days that are frustratingly non-productive. The best thing you can do is not beat yourself up about it. Life isn't a competition even if society really wants us to treat it that way.
Ive got anxiety and depression along with OCD, misophonia, dermatillomania, and a learning disorder to top all that off. Im also currently waiting on a diagnoses for what causing my chronic joint pain, its either an HSD or hEDS and im on an nsaid and a different med so it doesn't screw up my stomach. Drawing is a huge coping mechanism for me, but it can be hard when it causes pain/ is too painful to draw. I hope this dosnt sound wrong, but im glad to see that there are other people feeling a similar way
When I was born I suffered from a brain hemorrhage that left me with Cerebral Palsy and I've managed through 27 years of life with it. I had to wear weights in Elementary school and went through a lot of Physical and Occupational therapy during school hours. Luckily for me I was able to walk and have been upright even though doctors told my mom I'd probably be in a wheelchair. I SHOWED THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY!
It wasn't until after I hit 19 that my body really started losing it. During my childhood however I got into all kinds of trouble and would injure myself constantly, and now I deal with chronic anxiety and pain in my lower back, knees, and ankles. (I've actually sprained both my ankles thrice over and have broken one) knees hurt more on days the weather acts up, where I live it's especially hard to deal with. The back pain is muscular which I'm happy to know nothing is wrong with my spine but there's only so much I can do. (I'm thinking it might be muscular dystrophy but don't have a valid diagnosis)
Also after having really bad pain in my lower area I found out I have PCOS, another thing to add to the list. 😥 Fortunately, I don't see it as that big of a deal just that my body produces too much of a certain thing and the upkeep is what's tedious.
I was given excercises to do for myself but and lazy so I deal with the pain daily if not hourly. I normally take ibuprofen for inflammation but have taken too much in the past and thinned my blood--i don't want to be dependent upon it again.
I really just take everything in stride, there are days when the pain is too much and I just lie in bed wanting to cry, and others where I can sit for a few hours without feeling exhausted.
For me I write rather than draw but I'm getting back into art after a long break that was forced on me. Also, working on two book manuscripts I kind of have to be conscious about characters and the story so I've sketched out a few. Hopefully I'll have more drive to do more!!! (If anyone wants to know what I'm writing please ask!! I don't really get to talk to my friends about my books and would love to gush 🥺)