17 Problems Only People With Autoimmune Diseases Understand

Dedicated to the 50 million people in the United States with autoimmune diseases. #fightforimmunity

Posted on October 04, 2014, 21:31 GMT

Catherine T Community Contributor

This post has not been vetted or endorsed by BuzzFeed's editorial staff. BuzzFeed Community is a place where anyone can create a post or quiz. Learn more or post your buzz!

1. The hardest part is explaining your disease.

2. And spending all that time in bed or at the hospital means you get to know yourself like, REALLY well.

3. When you first got sick, your doctors probably thought you were faking it.

4. Even though you knew that you weren't, due to the incredible amount of pain you were in.

5. When you finally got diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, you first wanted to tell all the doctors who didn't believe you.

6. The struggle to fight exhaustion is real.

7. Trying to exert yourself via any form of strenuous exercise?

8. Sometimes it's hard to follow your doctor's advice on dietary restrictions.

9. But you're not perfect, so there are cheat days.

10. Which you immediately regret.

11. Flare ups can come on pretty quickly.

12. So making plans with your friends can be tough.

13. In fact, even when your disease is under control, you're always prepared for things to change.

14. Stress is particularly bad for your disease.

15. So you've learned how to pull yourself together, even in the toughest of times.

16. And even though sometimes you feel down...

17. ...in the end, your disease has made you a better and more unique person.

So haters to left, cause there are 50 million of us, and we're here to stay!