Q&A with Olivia Wolfertz: “I would encourage someone going through a chronic illness to see themselves as valuable and brave even despite their limits.”

Olivia Wolfertz runs the blog Unpolished Ponderings, where she shares her love of Jesus and creativity, plus a hopeful outlook on life with chronic illness. I feel so blessed that this Invisible Illness, Visible Worth interview project continues to let me connect with kindred spirits who love stories, creating, and writing!

Olivia created her blogging platform a few years ago as a way to document and cope with her illnesses, including Lyme disease. It’s grown into an outlet where she loves to share what she’s been making lately and what’s encouraging her.

I hope you’re encouraged by this conversation with Olivia on chronic illness, faith, and perseverance.

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Interview with Olivia Wolfertz from Bucks County, PA, age 28
On practicing contentment, choosing what to focus on, and pursuing creativity
with Lyme disease, chronic pain and fatigue 

 

 

Cassie: What is something you love or something God has given you a passion for?

Olivia: I love this question! These past few years have revealed a lot of my core values and passions. It’s been game-changing to discover what really brings me joy and life, especially while navigating chronic illness. 

I would say the biggest passion I have tapped into lately is painting. I love to create art (when I feel up for it), and especially enjoy using watercolors and alcohol inks to paint abstract or ethereal expressions. I delight in creating cards and paintings to send to my friends or people going through a hard time. Painting channels my creative longings and redeems my time by allowing me to produce something tangible that I can also give back to others.

Cassie: Please briefly share the names of your chronic illnesses along with a brief description.

Olivia: I have chronic Lyme disease and related issues, including co-infections and likely other immune system conditions. Other than assuming active infection and damage done to my immune system from years of said infection, much about this is not understood by myself or even the medical community. But basically it means lots of muscle and nerve pain, severe fatigue, sleep issues, brain fog, bouts of flu-like malaise, sleep issues, neurocognitive issues and the list goes on. Not fun!

Cassie: What is one of the most difficult challenges you’ve experienced due to your illnesses? How has that challenge shaped you? 

Olivia: The most consistent challenge is probably navigating the drastic limits it imposes on the rest of my life and the way it affects those closest to me. Being in my late twenties, it has been an ongoing challenge to spend these “prime” years largely on the sidelines of life. It’s been painful to lose dreams, goals, plans and even relationships because of something I have no control over. It’s discouraging when my body vetoes my best intentions and efforts to participate in things that are important to me.

My illness affects my parents, whose support I must rely on daily, as well as my closest friends. Despite my best efforts, so often I am forced to alter if not completely cancel plans and must withdraw from others. At times it can feel like I am burdening or disappointing those around me, even when they assure me otherwise. It’s difficult when those I care about must make sacrifices and deal with disappointments because of my limitations.

That said, these hardships have enabled me to grow and mature in areas that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise. I’m slowly learning contentment with a lot less and realizing what I value most in life. I also have a deeper appreciation for kindness, patience, and compassion in others and can empathize a lot better with those who are suffering. I believe I have become more resilient and am better prepared spiritually, mentally and emotionally to deal with whatever trials may lay ahead in my future.

 

 

Cassie: What is something you would like people to better understand about your illnesses?

Olivia: I truly wish people understood the comprehensive nature of Lyme disease. I want society to grasp how Lyme disease complicates everything—from cognitive ability and energy levels to mental, social and emotional temperament. I don’t think people realize how much effort it takes for those impaired to handle even the basic tasks of a day. So much of the chronic illness struggle is behind the surface, and those struggling receive very little recognition of that because they usually appear normal enough.  I suppose I want the general public to appreciate how burdensome chronic illnesses are to live with, and to refrain from making assumptions about those suffering based on external appearances.

Cassie: Tell me about a time when someone came through for you when you were going through your health struggles.

Olivia: There are a few significant people that come to mind, but someone who really stands out is my first boss, now informally know as my “godmother!” I was a little over two years into my first real job in media relations when I started to develop significant Lyme disease symptoms. Naturally the process of navigating this new illness created difficulties in my work life—but my boss walked through them with me in the most gracious, understanding and supportive way possible. Her compassion, patience, and above-and-beyond assistance was the main reason why I was able to hang in my job as long as I did. I will never forget her constant, sacrificial kindness to me and am proud to say that she continues to be a lifelong friend.

Cassie: What advice or encouragement would you offer to someone going through chronic illnesses?

Olivia: I know that many people will say things like “hang in there,” or “thing will get better soon,” but I personally don’t find those statements encouraging. Mostly because nobody truly knows what will happen and too many times such statements offer false hope. I do love when people who know me point out areas in my life that they are proud of me for. It reminds me that I am still a valuable person even in the midst of my struggle, and affirms that my hard work in just getting through each day is recognized. I would encourage someone going through a chronic illness to see themselves as valuable and brave even despite their limits, and if I knew them personally, I would point out some specific areas that I think they are handling really well all things considered.

 

 

Cassie: What is something God is teaching you recently?

Olivia: Recently God has been teaching me a lot about Christ-centered hope versus worldly hope. This past year has probably been the toughest one yet of my illness. Despite four years of intense treatment, my body seems to only be getting weaker and more sensitive. I have been wrestling with a lot of disappointment, frustration and unmet longings. But this has also exposed me to areas where I have set my ultimate hope more on getting better or having a certain lifestyle rather than truly setting my hope on eternity. God has been challenging me to see that He is still better than anything this world has to offer and that His promises and presence are able to hold me up even when pain and disappointment continue to linger. It’s still a battle to trust Him at times, but I truly believe surrendering to Him brings greater joy and freedom.

Cassie: What is something you are most thankful for right now?

Olivia: I am thankful for a lot, but something I am really appreciating right now is the opportunity I have to explore other areas of interest. I mentioned painting earlier, but blogging is also truly something that I likely wouldn’t have had time to explore if I never got sick, and it has become something I now can’t imagine doing without. These new endeavors have opened up new doors and helped me encourage people that I may never get to otherwise.

Cassie: Are there any resources you can recommend that encourage you through your chronic illnesses?

Olivia: On the whole I am usually not the biggest fan of chronic illness-related support groups, or even many chronic illness blogs, because I find that they can be negative places (with a few exceptions). What personally encourages me the most is anything that ignites my faith and gets my eyes off of my difficult circumstances. That encouragement comes from my local church and Bible study, relationships with supportive friends, as well as spiritually nourishing books or podcasts that build up my faith. I would recommend for anyone in a similar situation to focus on what nourishes and builds them up over anything that puts too much emphasis on their suffering or tempts them to compare their lives to others.

Cassie: I’m a bookworm and I have to ask: Read any good books lately?

Olivia: Always! I also love reading and I usually have two books going at once—one spiritual or more practical and one fiction. I like books that provide practical or spiritual insight, but also books with an imaginative plot that I can get lost in. Recently I have gotten into C.S. Lewis’ classics, which have been on my list for a while, and I have really enjoyed reading some of Kaitlyn Davis’ young adult novels. Her stories are creative and captivating, and her latest release, The Raven and the Dove, is no exception!

Cassie: What is something else you would like people to know about you?

Olivia: I love blogging because I can literally write about whatever I want and find the process very therapeutic and redeeming. I love connecting with others through Unpolished Ponderings and invite anyone to check it out.

I also am starting to get more serious about sharing my artwork and custom stationary and currently have a separate Instagram account for that (@unpolishedponderings_art).

Thank you for sharing some of your story Olivia!

We hope you enjoyed this interview and learned something new!
We’d love to hear from you in the comments, so please let us know if you related to Olivia’s story, discovered new information, or have any questions for us!

 

Read more Invisible Illness, Visible Worth interviews here.

Interested in being interviewed? I’d love to help share your story! Find the details here.

Opinions and views are those of the interviewee. This blog post is meant for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.

 

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