If there are 22,000 illness’s in this world I should technically be thankful even if I had just ten of them.

Here are just the psychiatrist disorders we have discovered. For full affect, scroll quickly with head tilted back and eyes widened to incredibly height. A few gasps here and there would be helpful.

And here, is the list of illness’s just from the letter A.

• A, Hemophilia (Hemophilia)

• A, Hepatitis (Hepatitis A)

• AAA (Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm)

• AAT (Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency)

• AATD (Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency)

• Abdominal Adhesions (Scar Tissue)

• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

• Abdominal Cramps (Heat Cramps)

• Abdominal Pain

• Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck ( Abdominoplasty))

• Ablation Therapy for Arrhythmias

• Ablation, Endometrial (Endometrial Ablation)

• Ablation, Uterus (Endometrial Ablation)

• Abnormal Heart Rhythms (Heart Rhythm Disorders)

• Abnormal Liver Enzymes (Liver Blood Tests)

• Abnormal Vagnial Bleeding (Vaginal Bleeding)

• Abortion, Spontaneous (Miscarriage)

• Abrasion (Cuts, Scrapes and Puncture Wounds)

• Abscessed Tooth

• Abscesses, Skin (Boils)

• Absence of Menstrual Periods (Amenorrhea)

• Absorbent Products Incontinence (Urinary Incontinence Products for Men)

• Abstinence Method of Birth Control (Natural Methods of Birth Control)

• Abuse (Child Abuse)

• Abuse, Steroid (Anabolic Steroid Abuse)

• Abyssinian Tea (Khat)

• Accumulation of Fluid in the Abdominal Cavity (Ascites)

• Acetaminophen Liver Damage (Tylenol Liver Damage)

• Achalasia

• Aches, Pain, Fever

• Achondroplasia

• Achondroplastic Dwarfism (Achondroplasia)

• Acid Reflux (Heartburn (Reflux))

• Acid Reflux (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD))

• Acne

• Acne Cystic (Boils)

• Acne Rosacea (Rosacea)

• Acne Scars (Scars)

• Acquired Bronchiectasis (Bronchiectasis)

• Acquired Epileptic Aphasia (Landau-Kleffner Syndrome)

• Acquired Hydrocephalus (Hydrocephalus)

• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV, AIDS))

• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

• Acrochordon (Skin Tag)

• ACTH-dependent Hypercortisolism (Cushing’s Syndrome)

• ACTH-independent Hypercortisolism (Cushing’s Syndrome)

• Actinic Keratosis

• Acupuncture

• Acustic Neuroma (Vertigo)

• Acute Bacterial Prostatitis (Prostatitis)

• Acute Compartment Syndrome (Compartment Syndrome)

• Acute Hepatitis B (Hepatitis B)

• Acute Kidney Failure (Kidney Failure)

• Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (Leukemia)

• Acute Myeloid Leukemia (Leukemia)

• Acute Pancreatitis (Pancreatitis)

• Acute Valley Fever (Valley Fever)

• Ad14 (Killer Cold Virus (Adenovirus Infection, Ad14))

• ADD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD))

• Addiction (Drug Abuse)

• Addiction, Sexual (Sexual Addiction)

• Addison Anemia (Pernicious Anemia)

• Addison Disease

• Adenoidectomy (Tonsillectomy)

• Adenoidectomy Surgical Instructions

• Adenoids (Adenoids and Tonsils)

• Adenoids and Tonsils

• Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (Gardner Syndrome)

• Adenomatous Polyposis of the Colon (Gardner Syndrome)

• Adenomyosis (Uterine Fibroids)

• Adenosine (Exercise Stress Test)

• Adenosine Stress Test For Heart Disease (Coronary Artery Disease Screening Tests (CAD))

• Adenovirus Infection (Killer Cold Virus (Adenovirus Infection, Ad14))

• ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD))

• ADHD in Adults

• ADHD Parenting Tips (Tips for Parenting a Child with ADHD)

• Adhesions After Surgery (Abdominal Adhesions (Scar Tissue))

• Adhesive Capsulitis (Frozen Shoulder)

• Adolescents (Teenagers)

• Adrenal Gland Tumor (Pheochromocytoma)

• Adrenal Insufficiency (Addison Disease)

• Adrenal Pheochromocytoma (Pheochromocytoma)

• Adult Acne (Rosacea)

• Adult ADHD (ADHD in Adults)

• Adult Behavior Disorders (Mental Health (Psychology))

• Adult Brain Tumors

• Adult Onset Diabetes (Diabetes Mellitus)

• Adult Onset Still (Still’s Disease)

• Adult Stem Cells (Stem Cells)

• Adult-Onset Asthma

• Adults, Autism (Autism and Communication)

• Advance Medical Directives

• AFP Blood Test (Alpha-fetoprotein Blood Test)

• African Salad (Khat)

• Aganglionosis (Hirschsprung Disease)

• Age Spots (Freckles)

• Age-Related Macular Degeneration (Macular Degeneration)

• Ageusia (Taste Disorders)

• Agoraphobia

• Agranulocytosis (Neutropenia)

• AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV, AIDS))

• Air Sick (Motion Sickness)

• AKU (Alkaptonuria)

• Albinism (Birthmarks and Other Skin Pigmentation Problems)

• Alcaptonuria (Alkaptonuria)

• Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

• Alcohol and Teens

• Alcohol Dependence (Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)

• Alcohol Intoxication in Teens (Alcohol and Teens)

• Alcohol Poisoning in Teens (Alcohol and Teens)

• Alcohol, Pregnancy (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome)

• Alexander Technique for Childbirth (Childbirth Class Options)

• ALK (Keratoplasty Eye Surgery (ALK))

• Alkaptonuria

• ALL (Leukemia)

• ALL (Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia)

• Allergic Asthma (Asthma)

• Allergic Cascade

• Allergic Conjuctivitis (Pink Eye)

• Allergic Conjunctivitis (Eye Allergy)

• Allergic Granulomatosis And Angiitis (Churg-Strauss Syndrome)

• Allergic Purpura (Henoch-Schonlein Purpura)

• Allergic Reaction (Anaphylaxis)

• Allergic Rhinitis (Hay Fever)

• Allergies (Allergy)

• Allergy

• Allergy Meds, Nasal (Nasal Allergy Medications)

• Allergy Shots

• Allergy to Drugs (Drug Allergies)

• Allergy to Milk (Lactose Intolerance)

• Allergy Treatment Begins At Home

• Allergy, Diaper (Diaper Rash)

• Allergy, Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis)

• Allergy, Eye (Eye Allergy)

• Allergy, Food (Food Allergy)

• Allergy, Insect (Insect Sting Allergies)

• Allergy, Latex (Latex Allergy)

• Allergy, Plant Contact (Poison Ivy)

• Allergy, Rash (Rash)

• Allergy, Skin Test (Skin Test For Allergy)

• Alopecia Areata

• Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency

• Alpha Thalassemia

• Alpha-1 Proteinase Inhibitor (Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency)

• Alpha-1 Related Emphysema (Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency)

• Alpha-fetoprotein Blood Test

• Alpha-galactosidase Deficiency (Fabry’s Disease)

• ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)

• ALT Test (Liver Blood Tests)

• Alternative Therapy for Multiple Sclerosis

• Alternative Treatments for Hot Flashes

• Alveolar Osteitis (Dry Socket)

• Alveolus Cancer (Oral Cancer)

• Alzheimer’s Disease Causes, Stages, and Symptoms

• Alzheimer’s Disease Financial Planning (Financial Planning in Alzheimer’s Disease)

• Alzheimer’s Disease Patient Caregiver Guide

• AMA (Antimitochondrial Antibodies)

• Amblyopia

• Amenorrhea

• American Trypanosomiasis (Chagas Disease)

• Amino Acid, Homocysteine (Homocysteine)

• AML (Leukemia)

• Ammonia Dermatitis (Diaper Rash)

• Ammonia Rash (Diaper Rash)

• Amniocentesis

• Amniotic Fluid (Amniocentesis)

• Amyloidosis

• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

• ANA (Antinuclear Antibody)

• Anabolic Steroid Abuse

• Anal Cancer

• Anal Fissure

• Anal Itching

• Anal Tear (Anal Fissure)

• Analysis of Urine (Urinalysis)

• Anaphylactoid Purpura (Henoch-Schonlein Purpura)

• Anaphylaxis

• Anaplastic Astrocytomas (Adult Brain Tumors)

• Anemia

• Anencephaly (Spina Bifida and Anencephaly)

• Anesthesia Related Hyperthermia (Malignant Hyperthermia)

• Aneurysm (Vascular Disease)

• Aneurysm (Brain Aneurysm)

• Aneurysm of Aorta (Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm)

• Aneurysm Of Belly (Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm)

• Angelman Syndrome

• Angiitis (Vasculitis)

• Angina

• Angio-Osteohypertrophy Syndrome (Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber Syndrome)

• Angioedema (Hives)

• Angiogram Of Heart (Coronary Angiogram)

• Angioplasty (Coronary Angioplasty)

• Angle Closure Glaucoma (Glaucoma)

• Ankle Pain and Tendinitis

• Ankylosing Spondylitis

• Annulus Support (Heart Valve Disease Treatment)

• Anorexia Nervosa

• Anovulation (Vaginal Bleeding)

• Anoxia Encephalopathy (Encephalopathy)

• Anserine Bursitis (Knee Bursitis)

• Anterolisthesis (Spondylolisthesis)

• Anthrax

• Anti-CCP (Citrulline Antibody)

• Anti-citrulline Antibody (Citrulline Antibody)

• Anti-cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Antibody (Citrulline Antibody)

• Anti-nausea (Antiemetics)

• Anti-Reflux Surgery (Fundoplication)

• Anti-vomiting (Antiemetics)

• Antibiotic Resistance

• Antibiotic-Caused Colitis (Clostridium Difficile Colitis)

• Antibiotic-Resistant Tuberculosis (Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR TB))

• Antibiotic-Resistant Tuberculosis XDR-TB (Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR TB))

• Anticardiolipin Antibody (Antiphospholipid Syndrome)

• Antiemetics

• Antimicrosomal Antibody Test (Thyroid Peroxidase Test)

• Antimitochondrial Antibodies

• Antinuclear Antibody

• Antiphospholipid Syndrome

• Antisocial Personality Disorder

• Antithyroid Microsomal Antibody Test (Thyroid Peroxidase Test)

• Antitrypsin (Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency)

• Antro-duodenal Motility Study

• Anxiety

• Anxiety Disorder (Anxiety)

• Anxiety, Separation (Separation Anxiety)

• Aortic Dissection

• Aortic Heart Valve Replacement (Heart Valve Disease Treatment)

• Aortic Stenosis

• APC (Gardner Syndrome)

• APD (Auditory Processing Disorder in Children)

• Apgar Score

• Aphasia

• Aphasia with Convulsive Disorder (Landau-Kleffner Syndrome)

• Aphthous Ulcers (Canker Sores)

• Apnea, Sleep (Sleep Apnea)

• Apophysitis Calcaneus (Sever Condition)

• Appendectomy

• Appendectomy (Appendicitis)

• Appendicitis

• Appendix (Appendicitis)

• Arachnoiditis

• ARDS

• Areola (Breast)

• Arm Cramps (Heat Cramps)

• Arrest, Cardiac (Sudden Cardiac Death)

• Arrhythmia (Irregular Heartbeat)

• Arrhythmia Treatment (Ablation Therapy for Arrhythmias)

• Arsenic Poisoning

• ART (Infertility)

• Arteriosclerosis (Heart Disease)

• Arteriosclerosis (Peripheral Vascular Disease)

• Arteriovenous Malformation

• Arteritis (Vasculitis)

• Artery (Peripheral Vascular Disease)

• Arthralgia (Arthritis)

• Arthritis

• Arthritis In Children (Juvenile Arthritis)

• Arthritis Physical and Occupational Therapy

• Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis (Ankylosing Spondylitis)

• Arthritis, Degenerative (Osteoarthritis)

• Arthritis, Gout (Gout)

• Arthritis, Infectious (Septic Arthritis)

• Arthritis, Juvenile (Juvenile Arthritis)

• Arthritis, Lyme (Lyme Disease)

• Arthritis, MCTD (Mixed Connective Tissue Disease)

• Arthritis, Plant Thorn (Plant Thorn Synovitis)

• Arthritis, Pseudogout (Pseudogout)

• Arthritis, Psoriatic (Psoriatic Arthritis)

• Arthritis, Quackery (Quackery Arthritis)

• Arthritis, Reactive (Reactive Arthritis)

• Arthritis, Reiters (Reactive Arthritis)

• Arthritis, Rheumatoid (Rheumatoid Arthritis)

• Arthritis, Sarcoid (Sarcoidosis)

• Arthritis, Scleroderma (Scleroderma)

• Arthritis, Sjogren Syndrome (Sjogren’s Syndrome)

• Arthritis, SLE (Systemic Lupus)

• Arthritis, Still (Still’s Disease)

• Arthrocentesis (Joint Aspiration)

• Arthroplasty (Joint Replacement Surgery Of The Hand)

• Arthroscopy

• Artificial Kidney (Hemodialysis)

• AS (Asperger Syndrome)

• Asbestos-Related Disorders

• Asbestosis (Asbestos-Related Disorders)

• Ascending Aorta Dissection (Aortic Dissection)

• Ascites

• Aseptic Necrosis

• ASL (Sign Language)

• ASPA Deficiency (Canavan Disease)

• Aspartoacylase Deficiency (Canavan Disease)

• ASPD (Antisocial Personality Disorder)

• Asperger Disorder (Asperger Syndrome)

• Asperger Syndrome

• Asperger’s Syndrome (Asperger Syndrome)

• Asperger’s Syndrome (Learning Disability)

• Aspiration, Joint (Joint Aspiration)

• Assisted Reproductive Technology (Infertility)

• AST Test (Liver Blood Tests)

• Asthma

• Asthma Complexities

• Asthma in Children

• Asthma Medications

• Asthma, Adult-Onset (Adult-Onset Asthma)

• Asthma, Exercise-Induced (Exercise-Induced Asthma)

• Asthma: Over The Counter Treatment

• Astigmatism

• Astrocytoma (Brain Tumor)

• Asymptomatic Inflammatory Prostatitis (Prostatitis)

• Atherosclerosis (Heart Attack Pathology: Photo Essay)

• Atherosclerosis (Peripheral Vascular Disease)

• Atherosclerosis Prevention (Heart Attack and Atherosclerosis Prevention)

• Atherosclerotic Renovascular Disease (Renal Artery Stenosis)

• Athetoid Cerebral Palsy (Kernicterus)

• Athlete Foot (Ringworm)

• Athlete’s Foot

• Atonic Seizure (Seizure)

• Atopic Dermatitis

• Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema)

• Atrial Fib (Atrial Fibrillation)

• Atrial Fibrillation

• Atrial Flutter (Heart Rhythm Disorders)

• Atrial Tachycardia, Paroxysmal (Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia (PSVT))

• Atrioventricular Reentrant Tachycardia (Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome)

• Atrophy, Vaginal (Vaginal Dryness and Vaginal Atrophy)

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adult) (ADHD in Adults)

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Parenting (Tips for Parenting a Child with ADHD)

• Auditory Brainstem Response (Newborn Infant Hearing Screening)

• Auditory processing disorder (Learning Disability)

• Auditory Processing Disorder in Children

• Augmentation, Lip (Lip Augmentation)

• Aural Hematoma (Hematoma)

• Autism (Autism and Communication)

• Autism and Communication

• Autoimmune Cholangiopathy (Primary Biliary Cirrhosis)

• Autoimmune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP))

• Autoimmune Thyroid Disease (Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis)

• Autoimmune Thyroiditis (Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis)

• Automatic Behavior (Narcolepsy)

• Autopsy

• Autosomal Dominant PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease)

• Autosomal Recessive PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease

• Avascular Necrosis (Aseptic Necrosis)

• AVM (Arteriovenous Malformation)

• Axillary Hyperhidrosis (Hyperhidrosis)

Do you feel lucky now?

The last person to fully count all the known illness’s was a long time ago, and he estimated well over 22,000 diseases on this earth.

Thats over 10 Massachusetts General Hospital’s (the largest in New England) filled to the brim with patients each beholding their own individual illness.

Not all of them are strictly colds and fevers. Alice in wonderland syndrome, Elephantiasis, Werewolf syndrome, Exploding Head Syndrome, Blaschko’s lines. Google them, if the US congress has been kind enough to let us access wikipedia for a few more days (another post for another time.)

People think the world is out to get them if this happens.

Or if they’re computer happens to flash this

Maybe you’ve got a few hours amidst this

Or it’s a day following the list of first world problems.

It becomes to incredibly easy to slip daintily into the grumpy stupor beliveing that the world is either

a) out to get you

b) has already got you

c) is currently sitting on your head.

I can’t pretend to be Mother Teresa and say pompously I’ve never done it. With two diseases up my sleeve I still become arrogant and ungrateful for something as small as a roll I bought from the bakery that is technically half the size of the last one I bought and hence a complete catastrophe to my wallet. And my mind. And my stomach. Or that last week I couldn’t find my second hand belt so I began an aggressive punch up with the wall and screamed to the grim reaper to claim me now. My life was over. My belt was gone.

The wall won the fight.

And the grim reaper said he was busy.

And what’s not included in these lists of endless strangely worded names of diseases are other things we still brush over because we so often believe we might be ‘too high up’ to be touched by such misfortune. I’m quite certain ‘Poor’ isn’t a classification on diseases, but who’s to say it doesn’t affect someone just as badly, if not worse, than anything written up there? Abuse and family deaths are also quietly not included, but become just as suffocating when they occur.

And sometimes it hits you all in one go.

I was a healthy person, so happy I was on the verge of excess annoyance to my peers. Then I developed one mental illness. Along came another. We lost a lot of money, and then suddenly a family member died.

A part of me wishes it never happens. Don’t we all? We wish our life could represent something like a movie, only minus the dramatically bad worded plot in the middle that always resolves with a kiss and ungodly intimacy I wont be describing here. But there’s another inkling that knows if I hadn’t been exposed to all this, even if I don’t ever make it out the other side, I will be incredibly gratefull for what I once had. At moments all this excess baggage upon my life made me less gratefull; I was so caught up in my own problems the world became a complete fuzzy reception, and I could  not longer push myself into it.

I become gratefull that my bones are intact. My hair is on my head. There is food in the kitchen. There is some money in a bank. There is family circling around me. My heart beats 58 times a minute. I can walk. I can talk. I can see. I can hear. I can feel. I can think. I can remember.

I’m yet to find what the definition of ‘live’ is,

But I’m sure one day I’ll do that too.

Right now, I’m gratefull for whatever I have,

Even if I never have it again.

And if I never have it in the first place.

Because I should hope, that somebody else in the world does.

What are you gratefull for?