Living with INVISIBLE ILLNESS

‘I was always sick, tired and in pain while growing up’

LIZA YOUNG

LIVES WITH FIBROMYALGIA, A CONDITION CHARACTERISED BY MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN

You might see Liza Young outside the supermarket, holding a bag of dinner ingredients with two energetic young kids in tow. You’ll notice her bright blue hair and vibrant vintage clothing, but what you won’t see is her agony.

For most of her life, Liza has lived with chronic widespread pain, which at times makes a short walk from a shop to her car unbearable. But what’s worse, Liza will tell you, is that her suffering is invisible.

Ten years ago, Liza was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a condition that affects the nervous system and causes chronic muscle and joint pain. Despite one in 50 people having the illness – mostly women – she says it’s still rarely recognised in the health industry.

“I was always sick, tired and in pain while growing up. The doctors put it down to my kidneys and immune system because I have a few other illnesses and allergies,” says the 37-year-old mother of son Cian, eight, and daughter Aila, three, and wife of Ryan, 34, a water treatment specialist. “I don’t remember ever feeling ‘normal’ but they never nailed anything down.”

When a specialist finally diagnosed Liza with fibromyalgia at 27, it