Welcome back to Blush & Camo! Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to be here and I’m so happy you are.

Today I’m partnering with Walgreens to share a chronic condition I deal with on a daily basis and how I handle this condition every day.

Starting when I was a teenager I started to have back problems. It began in my lower back and eventually made its way up into my upper back as well. I ignored the pain for years and years thinking this was something that I would just “get over” and my back wouldn’t hurt anymore.

During my time both at West Point and in the Army there were many demands on my body. From swim practices (I was on the swim team at West Point), running, and weight lifting at West Point to ruck marches and field training exercises in the Army; I was constantly putting weight on my back to meet the demands.

The pain kept building and building over the years and I simply kept ignoring it thinking the pain would eventually go away. I never had an injury during all my years of swimming except for the occasional ache or pain that went away after a few weeks.

Then, last January the pain was so unbearable I finally went to the doctor and found out I had two bulged discs in my lower back. The discs were pressing on my spinal nerve causing pain to shoot down to my hip and leg.

After receiving this diagnosis I was shocked. I never had an injury before, and while bulging discs are common, there is no official treatment for them other than going to physical therapy and taking medication to help with the pain. When I was first diagnosed I was on a steroid that I needed to take and it was important I took the medication every day as prescribed. This way I was able to continue meeting all the Army standards while I was in the military and I didn’t cause more damage to my back while I was transitioning out.

Even today, I have to take pain medication as prescribed to help maintain my pain levels so I can focus on creating the best content possible!

This chronic condition is something I will have to maintain my entire life so it doesn’t turn into a herniated disc or worse.

According to the National Health Council 133 million Americans have generally incurable and ongoing, chronic diseases representing more than 40% of the total population in this country. By 2020 this number is projected to grow to 157 million Americans with 81 million Americans having multiple conditions.

Walgreens is doing something to help support all of those Americans.

The Walgreens app provides tools that help you never miss a day of your medication. You can download the app on your phone by going to the app store or simply by clicking here.

The app is an amazing tool to use for these reasons:

• If you’re ever confused about medication, you don’t have to wait until morning to get answers. The Walgreens 24/7 Pharmacy Chat is always available to help.

• It’s important to create a routine for taking your medication. Walgreens offers a pill reminder feature on their app to keep you on track.

• No matter how busy you are, Walgreens services can help you stay on top of your medications. Save a Trip Refill and Walgreens Express to help make medication refills quick and easy! Find out more by visiting your local Walgreens pharmacist.

Have you downloaded the Walgreens app?! Let me know in the comments below!

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Thank you for stopping by Blush & Camo!

xx, Julianna