Illnesses Unseen
January 23, 2026
By Rose Marie Rideout 

Sorry for those who are suffering from:

PTSD, OCD, Depression, Arthritic, Osteoarthritis,
Rheumatoid pain, Fibromyalgia, Crohn's disease, Diabetis,
Cancer, ADHD, Autism, Epilepsy, Migraine and Dementia.

This is a list of only a few and many of them I deal with everyday.

My husband has PTSD
My daughter suffers with Asthma and Migraines
My sister has Dementia
My brother suffers with Crohn"s
Our son has OCD
Our grandson 6 years old has Brain Cancer and ADHD
Six of my family have Diabetis, lost one sister with it
I suffered with Depression for five years
I suffer with Arthritic and Rheumatoid pain for years now
Two of our grandchildren have Autism
Our son suffers with Fibromyalgia
I've known people with Epilepsy

  None of these are seen but believe me they are all real.

  I watch my husband over the years with PTSD and his anxiety through the roof. He has been in therapy for years and years and is still taking treaments to this day. Hopefully this will help him soon.           .                                                                        
 My daughter has had Asthma sense she was a young child and she knows what it is like to not be able to breath, As a young  adult she suffers with Migraines and has to park her car and  has often had call for someone to go get her because she was so sick and in so much pain.                                                                                                       

My sister has Dementia and it breaks our hearts to watch her deteriorate over much time. She can't say three words together,. she has to be told and showed how to eat and her memories are stolen from her. She needs twenty-four hour supervision and lucky to have a wonderful husband there.                                                                 

My brother suffers from Crohn's which is a cronic inflammatory bowel disease, often leading to abdominal pain, fatigue and so much more and there is no cure for this.
                                     

      Our son has OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder as he feels he has to do the work such as housework, cooking, laundry.  and of course I believe some women may like this.                                                               

Our little six year old grandson has Brain Cancer, he has had four surgeries and has to go for blood work every Wednesday and Chemo every Friday and aksed his mom, if he would always be sick. It broke her heart as they can't get all the Cancer. He doesn't fully understand what is wrong with him. He was granted his wish and went to Bumuda to swim with the Dolphins in November past. Before Christmas he was diagnosed with ADHD. He is medicated for that and it makes a big difference in him. Everyone who has met him just adores him. He always has a hug and     smile to share. He is a very pleasant young boy.                                                              
  Six of us in the family and my husband has Diabetes and it has taken our oldest sisters life way too soon. We try our best to    watch our sugars by watching what we are eating. It can run    your life and stands in the way of a normal life.                        

 I suffered with depression for five long years. I didn't care if the housework got done or if the beds were made. I lost all interest in things I use to enjoy. I forgot how to play guitar, how to quilt and the most important thing to me was my writing of poetry, songs, novels and short stories. I just couldn't do any of that for five years. It steals your emotions and love for life.

I'm not the only one in this world who suffers with different types of Arthritis, from my neck to my lower back and from my hips down my legs which makes it very hard at times to walk and stairs caused us to sell our home and by a bungalow so I could still do my housework and cook meals but my precious  husband took over doing the vacuuming and washing the floor.

  Two of our grown grandchildren are Artistic and I have come to understand that it is hard for them to be around a crowd of people. They like to spend quiet time being by themselves. We love them and accept that they can't come to  family gatherings.

  Another one of our sons really suffers from Fibromyalgia. It seems that every part of his body hurts. Sometimes when I hug him, he'll pull back and I know that I hugged him a bit too hard. He's a hard worker and never misses time because of it. We are very proud of him.                                                                             
    No one in our family has had Epilepsy but I've know someone with it. It is a brain disorder causing recurrent seizures. It can stem from a head injury and often from a stroke, infection, or genetics. It can be managed with treatments like medication, diet or surgery, though it carries many risks like physical         injury.                                                                                              

   There are so many more unseen illnesses that are not mentioned here but I do hope that what I've shared here really gives some understanding for those who don't believe in unseen illnesses. Maybe the next time you hear someone say they are suffering in some kind of pain or discomfort of some sort, please feel for them. It isn't just an excuse of some kind, it's pain.                                                                                         

I thank you for reading my words.