top of page

The many colors of chronic illness

Writer's picture: Molly NooriMolly Noori

More often than not, living with chronic illness means feeling like you are swirling around in a chaotic storm of ever changing colors. Each has their own hue, their own gradient, each threatening to blend with another to create a new shade. These colors, although uninvited, are vibrant and can add beauty and dimension to your life if you allow them to.

But, you will always mourn the version of yourself that you once were. The faded version- still lingering in the background, and despite being not nearly as strong as the new version, she persists. Almost impossible to let go of. A ghost that reminds you of who you used to be and what you dreamed of becoming. There are some days where you want nothing more than to be that version of yourself again.


I think anyone going through new diagnoses or any kind of loss or significant change 100% needs to mourn that loss. Take time and grieve. But when you're ready you will discover how incredibly strong and brave you are. You will learn to embrace the colors in a way that makes sense for you and your life. You will learn all about the meaning of resilience.


My friend Juana- the beautiful graphic artist pictured, graciously agreed to collaborate with me on this project and share what resilience means to her in the context of living with Fibromyalgia and Lupus.

Resilience, to me, is the strength to keep going even when life feels overwhelming. Living with fibromyalgia and lupus has taught me that true resilience is about pushing through pain and challenges, refusing to let them define me. It’s about finding the courage to face each day head-on, no matter how hard the journey, and never giving up on myself.

Everyone with chronic illness experiences symptoms differently and the way those symptoms are felt -even hour to hour- can be quite variable and nebulous. This makes defining resilience, in the context of health, inherently complicated.

What does resilience mean to you?

What do you do in your day to day life to celebrate it...to fight for it?


This image was done in camera, using a combo of gels, fog, a large mirror to the side of Juana, and shutter dragging. The goal was to capture Juana in a chaotic storm of color- representing her struggle with chronic illness, while simultaneously capturing the old version, her "ghost" in the reflection.

7 views0 comments

Comments


  • Youtube
  • Facebook
  • Instagram

© 2023 by Molly Noori Powered and secured by Wix

bottom of page