Does Chronic Illness Define Me?

This is a question that I think we all ponder when we have a chronic illness.

The short answer is NO.
My entire being does not begin and end with illness. It is a large portion of my persona, as it pervades every part of my daily life, but it does not define me as a person.

Sure, I might be known as 'the sick girl' or 'the girl with Crohn's', and illness certainly presents some unique limitations, but that does not mean I am defined by it.

Due to illnesses I suffer from, I can no longer play volleyball, for instance. That is a limitation. I could try to play, but I would be severely risking my health. If I were incapable of playing volleyball due to a lack of athleticism or talent, however, I would not be defined by that lack of talent. It is simply a fact.

There are many activities that I cannot participate in. I am limited by illness, by lack of talent, or by a general lack of desire. If I do not want to travel to Thailand, for example, my being is not defined by this lack of desire. Traveling to Thailand is not something I have ever dreamed about doing, but no one thinks twice about this limitation. If I were to say, however, that my illness prevents me from traveling to Thailand, then there is this undertone of judgement for allowing my illness to control my life.

I am not my illness.
I suffer from illness. My daily experiences are affected by my illness - and I use that to my advantage in my writing - but I am not Crohn's Disease, or Ankylosing Spondylitis, or Hereditary Angioedema. I have these. It is just a fact.

Do I allow illnesses to control my life?
As much as I would like to utter a resounding NO, it is more complicated than that.
I have limitations, and if I push too hard or ignore those limitations, the consequences can be unbearable. I mean, I could just run wild and put myself in the hospital on a weekly basis, but is it worth it? Just like every other person, I need to weigh my limitations, consequences, and what activities are worth the impending pain and suffering.

Yes, my life and choices of activities are heavily determined by the state of my illnesses. Yes, my limitations are primarily due to illness. Yes, it affects every part of my life. Illness and pain, however, do not define my entire persona. It's part of the package, just like my fears and quirks and anxiety and punctuality are part of the package. Just because I follow my limitations does not mean that I have allowed illness to define me, it just means that I have carefully weighed my options and that I acknowledge that, like everyone else, I have my own limitations.