{"id":577,"date":"2025-04-08T14:14:44","date_gmt":"2025-04-08T14:14:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/?page_id=577"},"modified":"2025-04-15T14:14:48","modified_gmt":"2025-04-15T14:14:48","slug":"chronic-illness","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/chronic-illness\/","title":{"rendered":"CHRONIC ILLNESS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"custom-photo-row\">\n  <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_8588-790x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"Photo 1\">\n  <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_8591-777x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"Photo 2\">\n  <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_8589-848x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"Photo 3\">\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83e\udde0<strong> My Chronic Illness Journey &amp; Chiari Malformatio<\/strong>n<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Living with chronic illness is a journey I never expected to take, but it\u2019s one I\u2019ve learned to navigate day by day. From Chiari malformation to the long list of other conditions I manage, including EDS, endometriosis, adrenal insufficiency, and a VP shunt, my body often feels like it\u2019s fighting me. \ud83e\udd15<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">I\u2019m not here to sugarcoat the reality. Some days, it\u2019s hard. REALLY hard. \ud83d\ude1e There are days when I can barely get out of bed, and other days when I push myself too hard and pay the price later. But there are also moments of joy, clarity, and realizing how strong I am \ud83d\udcaa. And even on the tough days, there are little bits of joy to be found.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">One thing I\u2019ve learned through it all is that it\u2019s okay to ask for help, and it\u2019s okay to slow down. \u23f8\ufe0f Slowing down has been one of the biggest lessons I\u2019ve learned, especially when my body needs a break. It\u2019s something I still struggle with. \ud83e\udd26\u200d\u2640\ufe0f<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">This page is where I\u2019ll share my experiences, tips, and real moments of living with chronic illness. I\u2019ll offer resources that have helped me along the way and insights into how I manage the day-to-day struggles. \ud83d\udcad Most importantly, I want this space to be one of connection. You\u2019re not alone, and we can navigate this together. \ud83d\ude4f<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">So, if you\u2019re living with a chronic illness or know someone who is, I hope you find some comfort here. It\u2019s not always easy, but we can still find ways to appreciate the beauty in the chaos. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">\u270c\ud83c\udffc\ud83d\udc9c\ud83d\udcab<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-posts-id-577_d27093-d6 .kb-post-list-item{display:grid;}<\/style><ul class=\"wp-block-kadence-posts kb-posts kadence-posts-list kb-posts-id-577_d27093-d6 content-wrap grid-cols kb-posts-style-boxed grid-sm-col-2 grid-lg-col-3 item-image-style-above\"><li class=\"kb-post-list-item\">\n\t<article class=\"entry content-bg loop-entry post-1048 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-chronic-illness category-self-care\">\n\t\t\t\t<a aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"post-thumbnail kadence-thumbnail-ratio-2-3\" href=\"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/%f0%9f%a5%b4-hormonal-dance-of-doom\/\" aria-label=\"\ud83e\udd74 Hormonal Dance of Doom\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"post-thumbnail-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_9535-768x1024.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-post-image\" alt=\"\ud83e\udd74 Hormonal Dance of Doom\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_9535-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_9535-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_9535-600x800.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_9535-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_9535-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_9535-scaled.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a><!-- .post-thumbnail -->\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-content-wrap\">\n\t\t\t<header class=\"entry-header\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-taxonomies\">\n\t\t<span class=\"category-links term-links category-style-normal\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/category\/chronic-illness\/\" class=\"category-link-chronic-illness\" rel=\"tag\">CHRONIC ILLNESS<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/category\/self-care\/\" class=\"category-link-self-care\" rel=\"tag\">SELF CARE<\/a>\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/div><!-- .entry-taxonomies -->\n\t<h2 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/%f0%9f%a5%b4-hormonal-dance-of-doom\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">\ud83e\udd74 Hormonal Dance of Doom<\/a><\/h2>\t<div class=\"entry-meta entry-meta-divider-dot\">\n\t<span class=\"posted-by\"><span class=\"meta-label\">By<\/span><span class=\"author vcard\"><span class=\"fn n\">mc.nicknick<\/span><\/span><\/span>\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on\">\n\t\t\t\t<time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-04-23T15:55:05+00:00\">April 23, 2025<\/time><time class=\"updated\" datetime=\"2025-04-23T17:18:10+00:00\">April 23, 2025<\/time>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-meta -->\n\t<\/header><!-- .entry-header -->\n\t<div class=\"entry-summary\">\n\t\t<p>Menopause is wild. Some days I feel okayish while other days I want to scream, cry, or nap in the fridge. Hormones go rogue, sleep disappears, and my patience? Yeah, she left the group chat a while ago. I stopped HRT this week, not because it wasn\u2019t helping, but because the break from progesterone every&#8230;<\/p>\n\t<\/div><!-- .entry-summary -->\n\t<footer class=\"entry-footer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-actions\">\n\t\t\t<p class=\"more-link-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/%f0%9f%a5%b4-hormonal-dance-of-doom\/\" class=\"post-more-link\">\n\t\t\t\t\tRead More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> \ud83e\udd74 Hormonal Dance of Doom<\/span><span class=\"kadence-svg-iconset svg-baseline\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kadence-svg-icon kadence-arrow-right-alt-svg\" fill=\"currentColor\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"27\" height=\"28\" viewBox=\"0 0 27 28\"><title>Continue<\/title><path d=\"M27 13.953c0 0.141-0.063 0.281-0.156 0.375l-6 5.531c-0.156 0.141-0.359 0.172-0.547 0.094-0.172-0.078-0.297-0.25-0.297-0.453v-3.5h-19.5c-0.281 0-0.5-0.219-0.5-0.5v-3c0-0.281 0.219-0.5 0.5-0.5h19.5v-3.5c0-0.203 0.109-0.375 0.297-0.453s0.391-0.047 0.547 0.078l6 5.469c0.094 0.094 0.156 0.219 0.156 0.359v0z\"><\/path>\n\t\t\t<\/svg><\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-actions -->\n\t\t<\/footer><!-- .entry-footer -->\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/article>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"kb-post-list-item\">\n\t<article class=\"entry content-bg loop-entry post-954 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-chronic-illness\">\n\t\t\t\t<a aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"post-thumbnail kadence-thumbnail-ratio-2-3\" href=\"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/%f0%9f%a4%94-living-with-a-body-that-doesnt-follow-the-rules\/\" aria-label=\"\ud83e\udd14 Living with a Body That Doesn\u2019t Follow the Rules\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"post-thumbnail-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/69F6E374-46D1-4955-9CA7-D649EE97E816-768x512.png\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-post-image\" alt=\"\ud83e\udd14 Living with a Body That Doesn\u2019t Follow the Rules\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/69F6E374-46D1-4955-9CA7-D649EE97E816-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/69F6E374-46D1-4955-9CA7-D649EE97E816-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/69F6E374-46D1-4955-9CA7-D649EE97E816-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/69F6E374-46D1-4955-9CA7-D649EE97E816-800x533.png 800w, https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/69F6E374-46D1-4955-9CA7-D649EE97E816.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a><!-- .post-thumbnail -->\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-content-wrap\">\n\t\t\t<header class=\"entry-header\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-taxonomies\">\n\t\t<span class=\"category-links term-links category-style-normal\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/category\/chronic-illness\/\" class=\"category-link-chronic-illness\" rel=\"tag\">CHRONIC ILLNESS<\/a>\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/div><!-- .entry-taxonomies -->\n\t<h2 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/%f0%9f%a4%94-living-with-a-body-that-doesnt-follow-the-rules\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">\ud83e\udd14 Living with a Body That Doesn\u2019t Follow the Rules<\/a><\/h2>\t<div class=\"entry-meta entry-meta-divider-dot\">\n\t<span class=\"posted-by\"><span class=\"meta-label\">By<\/span><span class=\"author vcard\"><span class=\"fn n\">mc.nicknick<\/span><\/span><\/span>\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on\">\n\t\t\t\t<time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-04-11T12:19:11+00:00\">April 11, 2025<\/time><time class=\"updated\" datetime=\"2025-04-15T14:12:47+00:00\">April 15, 2025<\/time>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-meta -->\n\t<\/header><!-- .entry-header -->\n\t<div class=\"entry-summary\">\n\t\t<p>Living with multiple chronic conditions Chiari, EDS, adrenal insufficiency, endometriosis, cluster headaches, and peri menopause to name a few can often feel like navigating an unpredictable maze \ud83c\udf00. The unpredictability of symptoms, the mental and emotional weight of managing them, and the constant need to be aware of what\u2019s happening in my body is exhausting&#8230;<\/p>\n\t<\/div><!-- .entry-summary -->\n\t<footer class=\"entry-footer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-actions\">\n\t\t\t<p class=\"more-link-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/%f0%9f%a4%94-living-with-a-body-that-doesnt-follow-the-rules\/\" class=\"post-more-link\">\n\t\t\t\t\tRead More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> \ud83e\udd14 Living with a Body That Doesn\u2019t Follow the Rules<\/span><span class=\"kadence-svg-iconset svg-baseline\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kadence-svg-icon kadence-arrow-right-alt-svg\" fill=\"currentColor\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"27\" height=\"28\" viewBox=\"0 0 27 28\"><title>Continue<\/title><path d=\"M27 13.953c0 0.141-0.063 0.281-0.156 0.375l-6 5.531c-0.156 0.141-0.359 0.172-0.547 0.094-0.172-0.078-0.297-0.25-0.297-0.453v-3.5h-19.5c-0.281 0-0.5-0.219-0.5-0.5v-3c0-0.281 0.219-0.5 0.5-0.5h19.5v-3.5c0-0.203 0.109-0.375 0.297-0.453s0.391-0.047 0.547 0.078l6 5.469c0.094 0.094 0.156 0.219 0.156 0.359v0z\"><\/path>\n\t\t\t<\/svg><\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-actions -->\n\t\t<\/footer><!-- .entry-footer -->\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/article>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"kb-post-list-item\">\n\t<article class=\"entry content-bg loop-entry post-922 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-chronic-illness\">\n\t\t\t\t<a aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"post-thumbnail kadence-thumbnail-ratio-2-3\" href=\"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/living-with-chiari-a-decade-of-strength-struggle-and-survival-%f0%9f%a4%95\/\" aria-label=\"\ud83e\udd15 Living with Chiari \u2014 A Decade of Strength, Struggle, and Survival\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"post-thumbnail-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_8773_Original-768x768.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-post-image\" alt=\"\ud83e\udd15 Living with Chiari \u2014 A Decade of Strength, Struggle, and Survival\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_8773_Original-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_8773_Original-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_8773_Original-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_8773_Original-800x800.jpg 800w, https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_8773_Original-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_8773_Original.jpg 1895w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a><!-- .post-thumbnail -->\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-content-wrap\">\n\t\t\t<header class=\"entry-header\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-taxonomies\">\n\t\t<span class=\"category-links term-links category-style-normal\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/category\/chronic-illness\/\" class=\"category-link-chronic-illness\" rel=\"tag\">CHRONIC ILLNESS<\/a>\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/div><!-- .entry-taxonomies -->\n\t<h2 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/living-with-chiari-a-decade-of-strength-struggle-and-survival-%f0%9f%a4%95\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">\ud83e\udd15 Living with Chiari \u2014 A Decade of Strength, Struggle, and Survival<\/a><\/h2>\t<div class=\"entry-meta entry-meta-divider-dot\">\n\t<span class=\"posted-by\"><span class=\"meta-label\">By<\/span><span class=\"author vcard\"><span class=\"fn n\">mc.nicknick<\/span><\/span><\/span>\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on\">\n\t\t\t\t<time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-04-11T00:03:10+00:00\">April 11, 2025<\/time><time class=\"updated\" datetime=\"2025-04-15T14:23:56+00:00\">April 15, 2025<\/time>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-meta -->\n\t<\/header><!-- .entry-header -->\n\t<div class=\"entry-summary\">\n\t\t<p>I was diagnosed with Chiari malformation in November 2013, and life hasn\u2019t been the same since. In January 2014, I had decompression surgery. Not because I had time or options, but because a kink in my brainstem left no choice. That surgery saved my life\u2026 but recovery?\u2026..that was a whole other story. \ud83e\udee3 Post-op complications&#8230;<\/p>\n\t<\/div><!-- .entry-summary -->\n\t<footer class=\"entry-footer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-actions\">\n\t\t\t<p class=\"more-link-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/living-with-chiari-a-decade-of-strength-struggle-and-survival-%f0%9f%a4%95\/\" class=\"post-more-link\">\n\t\t\t\t\tRead More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> \ud83e\udd15 Living with Chiari \u2014 A Decade of Strength, Struggle, and Survival<\/span><span class=\"kadence-svg-iconset svg-baseline\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kadence-svg-icon kadence-arrow-right-alt-svg\" fill=\"currentColor\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"27\" height=\"28\" viewBox=\"0 0 27 28\"><title>Continue<\/title><path d=\"M27 13.953c0 0.141-0.063 0.281-0.156 0.375l-6 5.531c-0.156 0.141-0.359 0.172-0.547 0.094-0.172-0.078-0.297-0.25-0.297-0.453v-3.5h-19.5c-0.281 0-0.5-0.219-0.5-0.5v-3c0-0.281 0.219-0.5 0.5-0.5h19.5v-3.5c0-0.203 0.109-0.375 0.297-0.453s0.391-0.047 0.547 0.078l6 5.469c0.094 0.094 0.156 0.219 0.156 0.359v0z\"><\/path>\n\t\t\t<\/svg><\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-actions -->\n\t\t<\/footer><!-- .entry-footer -->\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/article>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\ud83e\udde0 My Chronic Illness Journey &amp; Chiari Malformation Living with chronic illness is a journey I never expected to take, but it\u2019s one I\u2019ve learned to navigate day by day. From Chiari malformation to the long list of other conditions I manage, including EDS, endometriosis, adrenal insufficiency, and a VP shunt, my body often feels&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-577","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"mc.nicknick","author_link":"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/author\/mc-nicknick\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"\ud83e\udde0 My Chronic Illness Journey &amp; Chiari Malformation Living with chronic illness is a journey I never expected to take, but it\u2019s one I\u2019ve learned to navigate day by day. From Chiari malformation to the long list of other conditions I manage, including EDS, endometriosis, adrenal insufficiency, and a VP shunt, my body often feels...","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/577","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=577"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/577\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1035,"href":"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/577\/revisions\/1035"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybeautifullychaoticlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}