Introducing Our First Regular Contributor: Arushi Lohiya

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Introducing our regular blog contributor, Arushi Lohiya

Marketing & Branding strategist | Fibromyalgia Warrior | Patient Advocate | Published Poet | Animal lover

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Hi all, I’m a regular blog contributor for Spoonie Village and this is my first post! I thought you might like to know a little bit about me:

• I graduated top of my class from Iowa State University, USA in marketing and was a national level sports player

• I managed to combine both my passions and land my dream job in sports marketing. I was accelerating up the corporate ladder (with brands like Coca Cola, ESPN, Kingfisher Beer) and basically living my dream.

• However, in 2012 at the age of 22 I got diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition that causes extreme pain in muscles joints and nerves. Since then, I have not spent a single day without pain. And due to this excruciating pain, I can’t sit or stand for more than 15 minutes and am forced to spend my days lying down prone confined to my bed. To support my weak muscles, I tie about 10-15 crepe/ace bandages all over my body. I haven't sat up for over eight years now. Fibromyalgia has left me disabled both physically and emotionally.

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A slave of my own body,

Don't have any say.

No longer the life of the party,

Fibromyalgia left me astray.

Had to change my personality,

A constant price I pay.

Pain reduced my sociability,

Ambition had to be locked away.

Saddled with this invisible disability,

Gotta keep a brave front on display.

With limited physical mobility,

Struggling to get through the day.

Hanging on to the probability,

Faith will not betray.

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While Fibromyalgia turned my life upside down, I have somehow made peace with my current situation through remotely working from home as a freelance marketing, branding and social media strategist for the past 8 years. I have embarked on a quest to spread awareness about the condition. Surprisingly, fibromyalgia has given me a huge gift - discovering the poetry in me.

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In spite of being the destroyer

Surprisingly, You are also my teacher

Opened my eyes to reality

Brought so much clarity

Separated the fair-weather friends

Who come and go like trends

Sometimes strangers stand tall

Even when close relations fall

In spite of my clipped wings

Found happiness in the smallest things

So much still to appreciate

Daily victories to celebrate

You gave me anguish

But also the strength to vanquish

Monster F, you heartless creature

Never thought would call you my teacher

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I have been using poetry to spread awareness about fibromyalgia, as well as my journey through this fight, in order to inform people of what goes on behind the scenes. I make sure I’m very vocal about the condition in order to remove the social stigma and combat the isolation that comes with a chronic disease.

I am taking baby steps at maintaining my balance on the tectonic shift that this Fibro earthquake has caused. I plan to share titbits of my life's chaos with you all and, in turn, hope to cause, at the very least, a positive ripple effect in our spoonie village and spread some love and smiles.

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/arushilohiya/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/arushilohiya7

Whole post recording read by Jenni Pettican