Perfectly Healthy Person (PHP): "I wish I could X" X being a certain physical accomplishment/
Me, Woman with Chronic Diseases (WCD): "Why can't you? All you'd have to do is try."
PHP: "Well, I don't want to try."
WCD to herself: "Sheesh, stop wishing for things you're perfectly capable of doing if you'd just try!"
Here's my beef. In order for me to do the things I do, I have to try really hard, I have to plan very far ahead, I have to work out EARLY in the morning (cause that's when I have energy), I have to research, study and confer with my other WCD's, I have to carry pills, an injection kit and wear a Medic Alert bracelet. I have to tell friends, acquaintances and race directors my freaking health history and show them where my meds and Emergency Injection kit are. I have to risk dehydration if I don't take my pills right. I have to risk going to the hospital if I start throwing up. Through trial and lots of error, I have to take pills the whole time I'm working out. I go to bed early and don't socialize in the evening because I want to accomplish the things I wish for.
Please, if you wish for something and you CAN do it. Just DO IT or don't mention it!
If you wish for something and you don't want to try to do it even if you can, keep your wishes to yourself. It's a insult and taunt to me for a person to be fully capable of easily doing something and saying they wish they could do it but paying no attention to what it took me to accomplish the same thing.
A "simple" goal for me and many of us with Addison's is not so simple. Running (or any physical activity) is not just putting on shoes and going out the door, there's so much more to it than that. Just the logistics can be intimidating and exhausting let alone accomplishing the actual physical goal.
End rant.
4 comments:
Oh Dusty. Once again you've echoed my thoughts. I've been wondering lately, if you knew half of your life was going to be 'normal' and the other half would be spent struggling, what would you do differently? I think I would have done a lot more.
This is so true and it epitomizes thoughts that I try to stifle many, many times. Please keep ringing the bell. My mantra: do what you can for as long as you can...
This is so right! And it applies not only to physical goals, but to career, academic goals, etc. Sometimes I wish people knew how much hard work, pain (and yes, tears) I put in to do what they take for granted and do so easily. But I keep it to myself...
Thanks for your blog!
I couldn't agree more. I have long recognized the courage it takes to live with certain diseases (cancer, MS etc.). It took me a long time to realize that living with Addison and getting out there and doing (even if it just means getting up and going to work) takes a whole lot of strength and courage sometimes. What's the alternative right? Thanks for your thoughts Dusty.
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