No Reason

Another misconception of SO MANY chronic illnesses is the reason.

Thousands of the illness we know and see today have no known cause or cure.
We hear that phrase a lot.
Every fundraiser, every awareness campaign, every research initiative - 'no known cause or cure'.

We know that something causes it.
We know that something will cure it.
We probably have the technology to do so, but unless we figure out exactly what we are dealing with, a cure cannot be found unless accidentally stumbled upon.
This entire idea of being able to diagnose a disease - the fact that we have a name and a general list of symptoms - but also not being able to pinpoint a cause, seems like a paradox.
How can we know so much about a disease and equally as little about it, simultaneously?

It is human nature to figure out puzzles. We are always on a new quest for knowledge. So when you present a problem to someone who revels in solving problems but then tell them that there is no known reason for this problem, it can be more than just a little bit frustrating.
It also goes beyond this idea of not knowing the cause of a disease.
It is having unknown triggers, unexpected flare-ups, and no explanation for why symptoms occur when they do.
Want even more frustration? This even occurs in diseases with KNOWN causes.

Take Hereditary Angioedema for instance. This disease is, obviously, inherited. It is the absence of a particular protein in the blood, and results in tissue swelling. Locations may include, but are not limited to, face, tongue, extremities, abdomen, intestines, esophagus, trachea, other internal organs... It is considered a rare disease.
Some known triggers include physical or emotional trauma, hormonal changes, adrenaline increases, stress of any kind, or nothing at all.
You could, very literally, just be lying in bed, reading, and suddenly notice the top of your hand blowing up to the size of a baseball. No trigger.

This is one of the most frustrating parts of illness.
We keep track of our schedules in a serious way. I do, at least. I try to log what I eat, what I do, how I feel, where I go, and anything that may be known to trigger any type of episode. That way, when I have a flare-up, I can look at my log and try to decipher the reason for being so ill.
I forget sometimes that these illnesses do not need a reason to wreak havoc. Illnesses seem to have motivations, actions, and minds of their very own. You can do every single thing right and still suffer severe symptoms.

I have said before that my Crohn's Disease has become more predictable, a little more stable even. What I mean by this is, for the last several years, nearly every really awful day has happened for a tangible reason. I still have many of the symptoms I have always had, but they are more predictable. My flares do not usually occur out of nowhere. I am having fewer and fewer 'no reason' intestinal attacks.
I mean, the reasons my body does retaliate are still ridiculous... actually they are bullshit, let's be honest here... but at least I have a better grasp on what level of flare-up I will experience from which triggers.

I know I have a disease. (Several, really).
I know what symptoms to expect.
I know that I will likely never be completely healthy.
I know the potential long-term complications.
I know the cause of some of my illnesses, but not others.
I know that certain treatments work and which ones have not worked.
I know that there are no known cure for what I do suffer from.
I know some of the triggers and dangerous activities that can make my illness worse.

I do not always know what to do to ease my own pain. I am never without pain.
I do not know all of the activities that will trigger a flare-up.
I do not know the causes.
I do not know exactly what triggers my disease flare-ups.
I do not know if I will ever see a cure.
I do not know what remission feels like...yet...
I will always experience some sort of complication or progression of disease.
I do not know how to successfully reach remission, though I keep on trying every single day.

We all want to figure out a reason why we are so ill and why we experience so much pain. We want to pinpoint a reason for a flare-up or progression of illness. We want to solve the puzzle - or at least one side of it (the cause or the cure).

The answer - the true and difficult answer - is that sometimes there is no reason at all.