How do you reassure people?

October 2, 2011

Telling a stranger or an acquaintance about my health issues can be difficult, only because it is hard to make them understand.  We all know that, right?

I find it infinitely harder to talk to loved ones about it, especially when there’s something negative happening.  How do you tell your loved ones that things are bad?  The last thing I want to do is upset people.  Even when they are being the most wonderful, supportive friends and family I could ever want, I can see they’re hurting, and that is more painful than anything I deal with on a daily basis.  That’s why I don’t tell them most of what I deal with.  And that’s why I started this blog: it’s much easier to complain to anonymous readers than to upset my loved ones.  Plus, if you’re reading this then you probably have similar conditions, so you understand.  You know that as bad as things are, they’re probably not as bad as what’s in the minds of family and friends.  But how can I convince them of that?

More than anything, I want to reassure my family and friends right now that I am ok.  Yes, I need to take a few months off of work, but really, I’m ok.  I mean, sure, I’m not really ok, because if I was, I wouldn’t need the time off.  Yeah, I know that.  But aside from that, I’M OK!  REALLY!  I guess it would be more convincing if it was as true as I want it to be.

I wonder how other people handle this?  Is there any possible way to tell your loved ones that you’re worse without upsetting them?  I guess not.  I’d be upset of the situation were reversed.  But it still feels lousy.  This has been an incredibly difficult and emotional ordeal, and as I write this post, this is the first time I’ve cried.  Suddenly, I can’t stop the tears.   I can handle my own problems, but causing pain to others is unbearable.  This is the pain that no one warns you about.

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2 Comments | Educating, Expectations, Isolation, Kindness, Rants, Raves, Support, Thoughtfulness | Permalink
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Great folks make it all a little less bad

September 22, 2011

For two months I had a friend’s party scheduled in my calendar.  I was excited to go.  This is a group of people I don’t get to see as often as I’d like and I knew it would be fun.  Then I had an episode and all plans were kaput.  I didn’t even get to email him about it until afterwards.

 

This is a couple I really like, and they know I have health problems, but we’ve never gotten into all of the details.  [Then again, I don’t get into details with anyone, so I guess that’s my issue.]  I really hated missing the party, but I also felt bad because I’d cancelled plans with them so many times recently.  I just can’t seem to get a handle on my health, or any sense of predictability.  This is hard for me to handle, but even harder to explain.  So I emailed each of them, apologized, explained, and included a link to the spoon theory.

 

They are such wonderful people.  He wrote back and explained that an old girlfriend had (and has) fibromyalgia and that he understood why I kept having to cancel.  He said not to worry and that he’d keep inviting me to things.  Then he posted the spoon theory on Facebook and encouraged others to read it!  His partner emailed me and said that when I show up they’re thrilled and when I don’t they’re thinking of me.  She said not to worry, that she’d keep inviting me to things.  They each said that I don’t have to explain or apologize.

 

These are fantastic people in so many ways.  They are sweet and giving and always thinking about others.  Still, you never know how people will respond, right?  I’ve certainly had people feel insulted when I skipped important events, even though it was not my fault and couldn’t be helped.  But to have people in your life who understand?  That makes all the difference.  If you don’t have people like this in your life, please get some.  Positive relationships can make it all bearable.

 

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1 Comment | Educating, Expectations, Kindness, Raves, Support, Symptoms, Thoughtfulness, Unpredictable | Permalink
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Remembering to ask for help

September 19, 2011

I’m spoiled.  I know that.  I have a fantastic support system.  Just knowing they are there if I need them makes me very lucky and very spoiled.

I’m not good at asking for help.  I never have been and it’s possible that I never will be, but I’m a ton better than I was.  After 20 years of symptoms, I’ve learned that there are times when it’s important to ask.  I still don’t ask for help as much as I should, but I do it more than I used to.

After throwing my laundry in the basement dryer last night, I ran into a neighbor on my way back to my apartment.  She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s a few years ago and I have offered many times to help her with errands or tasks around the building.  She has never asked for anything, but when I see her in the building I hold doors open for her and I help her carry things.  Last night, she asked if I could pick up something for her at the grocery store.  I told her that she had great timing, because I was planning to go after work today and I’d happily pick up anything she needed.  She seemed apologetic, kept asking if I could really manage it (she knows I have health issues too), and then started to offer an explanation.  I waved off her explanation and assured her it wasn’t necessary.  She looked uncertain, but finally believed me.  I think she was hesitant to ask for help from someone who also has limitations, but at the same time, she knew I understood.  I understand the way most people don’t.

My neighbor has friends.  I know they help her.  But I also know how hard it is to ask the same people to go out of their way constantly.  I’m so thrilled that she finally felt comfortable asking me for help.  I hope she asks again.  Some days I won’t be able to do it, but on the days I can, I’ll be only too glad to.  And I’m glad she’s accepting that it’s ok to ask.

 

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How do you explain “it”?

September 13, 2011

I came across this video today, and it got me thinking about the different levels of understanding that other people have.

 

Of course, the people who best understand what it’s like to live with chronic illnesses are the people who have chronic illnesses themselves.  If you’ve got them, you probably have a pretty good understanding of the difficulties, the unpredictability, the social isolation.  Yeah, fun stuff, right?

 

I’d say the next layer are the people who knew me back before the illnesses/symptoms.  These are the friends and family who don’t have CIs themselves, but they’ve watched me go through it.  They’ve been there for me, supported me, seen the ups and downs.  I may not tell them everything, but they know more than anyone else possibly could.  And they know what to expect.  They don’t get upset or even question if I have to cancel plans at the last minute.  They ask in advance if I need to sit down, if I need different food, if they can help in any way.  These people make it all more manageable.  Thank you.

 

Then there are the strangers who just assume they understand.  They don’t get it.  On good days, I try to educate them.  On not-so-good days, I just ignore them.  I’d love to educate everyone, but some days, it’s just not worth it.

 

Hardest of all, there are co-workers, acquaintances, and new friends.  These are the folks like in the video above.  They honestly want to understand, they truly try, and most often, they miserably fail.  They equate my illnesses with their recent bout of flu, they think my pain is like the time they sprained an ankle, they assume my exhaustion can be cured as theirs can, by going to bed early for some extra sleep.  They don’t see why my health problems are so different from theirs, why I can’t just push through the symptoms.  It’s harder to educate them because they are close enough to really care, so they offer too many unhelpful suggestions.  It’s important to educate them because I will keep coming into contact with them over and over.

 

Over the years I’ve gotten better at explaining my symptoms and limitations, but I still haven’t found a way to truly convey it all.  If anyone has any suggestions, I’d love to hear them.  In the meantime, I’ll just keep trying to get my point across, a little bit at a time.

 

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