Eileen Davidson aka Chronic Eileen
Location?
Vancouver BC Canada
Diagnosis/Diagnoses?
Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Fibromyalgia and all that come with it! Like a whole lot of anxiety and depression.
Bio (Who are you? What do you do? Tell me about yourself)
I am a 32 year old single mother to a 5 year old named Jacob. I advocate Arthritis through my personal blog www.chroniceileen.com and as an ambassador with The Arthritis Society, the largest registered non-profit charity for arthritis in Canada! I also occasionally contribute to The Mighty and Healthline.
Is there anything that helps you to rise above your condition? (Include anything that has worked for you. Examples: conventional medication, supplements, alternative treatments, diet, your faith, religion, healers, spirituality, exercise. Please also include any advice, tips or tricks you may have).
I am still in search of the perfect medication combination to combat my chronic illness but have found exercise (yoga, elliptical, water aerobics, walking) and a good diet help tremendously, as well as the sauna. Losing 50 lbs helped my pain and confidence. Patient advocacy keeps me positive and motivated.
What does life look like at its best with your condition? (Describe what a good day looks like)
A good day is when I can make my kids bed time!
What challenges have you faced in regards to your specific situation?
Being a single mother with chronic illness is a challenge because my son is only 5, his energy and my chronic illness do not match. Also I am pretty sure arthritis makes stepping on lego even more painful than it already is.
They say our life experiences shape who we are. How has your condition molded you to the person you are today? How has it inspired you and what strengths have you gained from your health journey?
My initial diagnosis sent me into a deep depression and I hit my rock bottom. I was over weight, I drank, I went off meds, I was suicidal, bitter and angry at everything. I hated myself…. But then I started to open up about my illnesses and saw that some people were there for me and weren’t judging me, I was only human and I wasn’t alone. I became an advocate to hopefully help someone one day who was in the same shoes as me.
What is the one life motto or mantra that helps you to keep fighting/going on with your condition and why?
If I am going to be the sick girl, I might as well kick ass at it.
Want to see more of Eileen?
Follow her on:
www.facebook.com/chroniceileen
www.istagram.com/chroniceileen
