I have no mystical deck of cards, but I can tell the future. I feel the nerve pain start to work its way around me like a vice and I know, with certainty, that tonight will be painful. I will not be able to take off my own clothes.

My fate continues: for the next few days, my body will revolt. A low-grade fever will set in and other symptoms, like devoted fans, will follow. I had taken a day trip out, walking around York’s cobblestones and this was the consequence. Other days, I will attempt a long walk and come back feeling refreshed, with my muscles sore because I made them sore for once.

This is not uncommon for those with a chronic illness. What can work out one day, can leave you bedridden the next. Add on top of this the stressors of constant doctors’ appointments, symptom tracking, medication, and it can be difficult not to feel like you’re barely treading water.

How to work out with a chronic illness: “Why more isn’t always better when it comes to exercising post-flare up”