Living with chronic illness is more than just a health challenge—it’s a complete upheaval of your life, a relentless revolution dictated by symptoms that refuse to yield. For those with conditions like fibromyalgia, each day is unpredictable. There are days where the pain is excruciating, others where it’s tolerable, and some where the pain is so overwhelming you almost don’t feel it—because it’s consumed everything else. And that’s just one dimension.
Some symptoms are not only painful but embarrassing. The sudden, urgent need to find a restroom can feel like a betrayal by your own body. I know people who go days without eating before leaving the house, just to avoid such situations. But that comes with its own costs—physical and mental health risks, and the erosion of basic joy in life. Chronic illness isn’t just a condition; it’s an unrelenting war of compromise.
The Healthcare System’s Betrayal
On top of managing symptoms, many of us find ourselves fighting a second battle—with the healthcare system. The recent tragic shooting of an insurance executive has brought the conversation back to a stark truth: for many of us, access to care feels like a gamble. While patients face life-and-death consequences, insurers often treat decisions with bureaucratic detachment. A denial feels as trivial to them as the color of pen they use to mark it, but to us, it’s devastating.
The VA, in my own experience, is no different. I have symptoms—acknowledged in my file—as being a direct result of my time in Iraq. But my claim was denied. I wouldn’t have the problem if I hadn’t been there, yet here we are. For me, this hasn’t yet been catastrophic, but for others, these denials can be the difference between survival and despair.
A Broken System and a Call for Change
What’s clear is that something has to give. The healthcare system—both public and private—needs a reckoning to include the VA. Gutting the system isn’t the answer, nor is violence. Shooting CEOs or policymakers doesn’t solve the deeper issue; it only perpetuates harm and fuels division. Violence only begets violence.
What we need is systemic reform. A system that values human life over profit, compassion over efficiency. A system that understands that living with chronic illness is a full-time job in itself, one that no one applied for but still requires all of their energy. A system that isn’t an AI algorithm, or an automated machine that hands down decisions, but one that is human.
A Better Path
Change won’t happen overnight, but it begins with people—patients, families, and allies—sharing their stories, advocating for transparency, and demanding accountability. It begins with recognizing that healthcare isn’t a privilege; it’s a right.
To my fellow warriors of chronic illness: your pain, your struggles, your voice—they matter. Keep speaking up. Change starts with a whisper, but together, we can make it a roar. See you out there.
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