Irina McLean

Pain is my old pal

Here’s a sharper version for a fundraising page. It keeps your voice but tightens the message and strengthens the ask:

For most people who know me, I never say I’m ill. I used to hide it. I felt I had to prove or explain myself, especially when people would say, “But you always look so well.”

And yes, I do look well in public. But nobody sees the moments when I am in pain. I use the word suffer deliberately. You never know when it will hit. You cannot plan for it. It comes out of nowhere, and you just have to deal with it.

Over the years, I’ve learned to live with it, to accept it, to respect it. And now, in a way, I even celebrate it. My pain has become my superpower. It forces me to stay organised, to stay strong, to keep going, even when things change suddenly.

A long time ago, I made a decision. This would not define my life. It would not change who I am, and it would not stop me from achieving things or enjoying life.

That’s why I’ve joined this fundraising project for Arthritis UK.

Because I know this: without treatment, I wouldn’t have the life I have. And not everyone is as fortunate. In many places, people simply don’t have access to the care they need.

Even with the treatment I receive, I want more. Better treatments. Better support. Real progress. That only happens through research.

So this May, I’ll be walking as much as I can.

If this speaks to you, please support the cause. Every contribution matters.

Thank you.