#i participated in a comparative study for flint michigan victims and the twin towers first responder post-inflammatory conditions

[shallowseeker]

Is yours the kind of chronic illness you'll recover from? You definitely don't have to answer or give personal details, but I really hope you feel better!

No, it's okay. It's likely that I won't fully recover, but in the past decade, there have been WAY more treatments available that turn down the immune system and combat scarring. And yes, I'm much better, thanks!💖 In a nutshell,

my immune system malfunctioned after an infection, and now it attacks my body in big, big ways—with a tendency to damage the muscles and lungs!

My situation got even weirder because it started attacking my nerves and heart from 2020 onward, which ... usually ppl with my diagnosis, get respiratory failure, not overt heart issues. (Long story, but I got undiagnosed, then rebiopsied, then rediagnosed the same thing *with extra notes.) Anyhoo, the new developments impacted my mobility and stamina in even crazier ways than I was used to. (I have until recently worked a full-time job and pretty much spent ~5-6 days in a gym with an expensive physical therapist just to keep my body functional. Before, I had an acquired skeletal myopathy, but I was able to run a 5k in 42 minutes... I trained like an Olympian and while had to rest a lot more than most, I could do it!)

Now... I can't even manage one day a week of light activity. It's a big adjustment, even for me! I'm having to noodle on how to best manage it going forward. It's always this confusing situation of "Is this the primary illness, secondary damage, or the side effects of toxic medications?"

I'm doing a pretty good job if I do say so myself.