SHIIP - Super Hero Invisible Illness Program
Making the invisible VISIBLE
Making the invisible VISIBLE
We at DISC INC have identified that most people whom suffer from Chronic Invisible Illness suffer from more than one disease, syndrome or disorder. We also realise that this impacts greatly on the effects of day to day living resulting in social and financial disadvantges for the person and in some circumstances this can result in someone finding themself homeless.
We at DISC INC have developed the SUPER HEROES INVISIBLE ILLNESS PROGRAM to not only create awareness through education but also through our various facebook pages. The Invisible Illness facebook support page is made up of people all of whom suffer from chronic invisible illnesses, it enables them to talk in a closed forum with people whom can identify with the impact of the various illnesses and how it effects their day to day living. We also over see a carers support facebook page as we acknowledge their need to also talk to people and an education awareness facebook page for the general community
We at DISC INC have developed the SUPER HEROES INVISIBLE ILLNESS PROGRAM to not only create awareness through education but also through our various facebook pages. The Invisible Illness facebook support page is made up of people all of whom suffer from chronic invisible illnesses, it enables them to talk in a closed forum with people whom can identify with the impact of the various illnesses and how it effects their day to day living. We also over see a carers support facebook page as we acknowledge their need to also talk to people and an education awareness facebook page for the general community
Not all Super Heroes Wear Capes.... But maybe they should!
On a cold yet sunny winter’s morning, I couldn’t help but to feel excited about waking up in my own bed. I have an invisible illness you see and I never know when it is going to visit me.
Imagine having the power of a super hero, invisible powers. The ability to endure all life throws at you. The strength to push past any obstacle put in your way the determination to succeed beyond all your expectations to see the world in a way that can only be viewed by those whom have the ability to see. People unlike you and me, they are people with Invisible illness.
Ensuring my output of energy is matched by my input of energy I set about planning my week. Knowing that at any time I may come up against a force that will push me beyond my limits; a brick wall of sorts that will see me brick by brick slowly but surely destroy, so I can go on to fight another day. You see like a super hero my invisible illness can kick in at any time of the day, leaving me powerless to when it over rides my body making me a super hero of sorts.
Growing up I was fascinated by wonder woman not only was she beautiful she had the ability to do so much, she was courageous beyond words, each day was an adventure. Never knowing what will happen next, so too is life. Life is an adventure and for all of us that journey is different, for those with invisible illness it becomes a journey of courage and strength in ways that only a super hero or fellow sufferer could understand.
Imagine you wake and discover you physically can’t put one foot in front of the other, that despite every effort your ability to walk seems impossible, that holding your mobile phone to your ear to chat to a friend is beyond you as you no longer have the strength to simply hold the phone up. That your body aches to your bones in a way that you can only describe as frozen or that simply getting through a day without the need to have a rest can be achieved. Imagine what it is like to realise that life as you knew it will never be the same again.
Our health is something we take for granted and when it fails us it has an impact on our life our ability to function we become a different person to the one we once were as whilst we can’t fly like super hero’s we certainly now see the world in a way that is truly amazing. We appreciate the importance of true friends the value of time and see the beauty in the most simplistic of things sadly we also see discrimination we experience isolation and at times we feel that life really is unfair.
Yet like super heroes we choose to control as best we can our destiny, we become a chameleon enchanted by how one day we can be on top of the world and the next it is on top of us. We learn to disguise when we are in pain, our smile is bigger than that, that greets you at Luna Park. We are courageous beyond words as we fight an internal war that cannot be seen but is felt in every waking moment, our sleep is hindered our friends are few as many think we are hypercondriactes as we always look far better than we are because as adults we are conditioned to believe in what we can see as opposed to believing in what we can’t. We have strength like you couldn’t believe, as some days the pain we endure is far greater than your mind could imagine. We are determined to be seen by those whom we hold dear we want them to understand just as we want recognition in our ability and if that means we can no longer work then that needs to be acknowledged it shouldn’t be yet another fight we have to battle.
Life shouldn’t be preplanning so that you can get the most out of it, life should be free willed with the excitement of whatever unfolds, it is suppose too be an adventure it’s not about waking up on a cold sunny winters morning grateful that despite your being sick with the flu you managed to survive the night without having to go to the hospital because your invisible illness decided to attack and destroy one of or some of your major organs. That waking in your own bed was incredibly exciting and that in doing so you discovered you were a super hero whom managed to survive yet another attack and is able to fight another day.
There are many invisible illnesses some well recognised and some that are not Please take note the next time someone tells you that they are unwell that they suffer from an illness that whilst you can’t see it, it impacts on their life greatly and remember then that you are in the company of a super hero of sorts. Those whom suffer from invisible illness are inspiring people for they learn to live in the moment to make the most out of every opportunity.
I have written this in recognition of those whom suffer from all invisible illnesses as I want their daily struggles to be known, I want people to know that not all super heroes wear capes, they are people like you and me only they deal with something far greater in life that is invisible and can’t be seen they are survivors worthy of being known as a super hero.
Leonie Thomas
Founder/director and invisible illness sufferer
On a cold yet sunny winter’s morning, I couldn’t help but to feel excited about waking up in my own bed. I have an invisible illness you see and I never know when it is going to visit me.
Imagine having the power of a super hero, invisible powers. The ability to endure all life throws at you. The strength to push past any obstacle put in your way the determination to succeed beyond all your expectations to see the world in a way that can only be viewed by those whom have the ability to see. People unlike you and me, they are people with Invisible illness.
Ensuring my output of energy is matched by my input of energy I set about planning my week. Knowing that at any time I may come up against a force that will push me beyond my limits; a brick wall of sorts that will see me brick by brick slowly but surely destroy, so I can go on to fight another day. You see like a super hero my invisible illness can kick in at any time of the day, leaving me powerless to when it over rides my body making me a super hero of sorts.
Growing up I was fascinated by wonder woman not only was she beautiful she had the ability to do so much, she was courageous beyond words, each day was an adventure. Never knowing what will happen next, so too is life. Life is an adventure and for all of us that journey is different, for those with invisible illness it becomes a journey of courage and strength in ways that only a super hero or fellow sufferer could understand.
Imagine you wake and discover you physically can’t put one foot in front of the other, that despite every effort your ability to walk seems impossible, that holding your mobile phone to your ear to chat to a friend is beyond you as you no longer have the strength to simply hold the phone up. That your body aches to your bones in a way that you can only describe as frozen or that simply getting through a day without the need to have a rest can be achieved. Imagine what it is like to realise that life as you knew it will never be the same again.
Our health is something we take for granted and when it fails us it has an impact on our life our ability to function we become a different person to the one we once were as whilst we can’t fly like super hero’s we certainly now see the world in a way that is truly amazing. We appreciate the importance of true friends the value of time and see the beauty in the most simplistic of things sadly we also see discrimination we experience isolation and at times we feel that life really is unfair.
Yet like super heroes we choose to control as best we can our destiny, we become a chameleon enchanted by how one day we can be on top of the world and the next it is on top of us. We learn to disguise when we are in pain, our smile is bigger than that, that greets you at Luna Park. We are courageous beyond words as we fight an internal war that cannot be seen but is felt in every waking moment, our sleep is hindered our friends are few as many think we are hypercondriactes as we always look far better than we are because as adults we are conditioned to believe in what we can see as opposed to believing in what we can’t. We have strength like you couldn’t believe, as some days the pain we endure is far greater than your mind could imagine. We are determined to be seen by those whom we hold dear we want them to understand just as we want recognition in our ability and if that means we can no longer work then that needs to be acknowledged it shouldn’t be yet another fight we have to battle.
Life shouldn’t be preplanning so that you can get the most out of it, life should be free willed with the excitement of whatever unfolds, it is suppose too be an adventure it’s not about waking up on a cold sunny winters morning grateful that despite your being sick with the flu you managed to survive the night without having to go to the hospital because your invisible illness decided to attack and destroy one of or some of your major organs. That waking in your own bed was incredibly exciting and that in doing so you discovered you were a super hero whom managed to survive yet another attack and is able to fight another day.
There are many invisible illnesses some well recognised and some that are not Please take note the next time someone tells you that they are unwell that they suffer from an illness that whilst you can’t see it, it impacts on their life greatly and remember then that you are in the company of a super hero of sorts. Those whom suffer from invisible illness are inspiring people for they learn to live in the moment to make the most out of every opportunity.
I have written this in recognition of those whom suffer from all invisible illnesses as I want their daily struggles to be known, I want people to know that not all super heroes wear capes, they are people like you and me only they deal with something far greater in life that is invisible and can’t be seen they are survivors worthy of being known as a super hero.
Leonie Thomas
Founder/director and invisible illness sufferer