A Word About Unseen Illness and Disability

Originally Written:  May 30, 2009

Vol. 1, Issue 1


Hello Cruel World!  Just kidding, welcome to my first personal blog!

Today I want to talk a little bit about unseen illnesses.  The people closest to me know that I suffer from severe chronic migraines and severe Fibromyalgia.  When I was 34, I was in a really bad car accident that resulted in neck surgery. I now live with a titanium plate in my neck to help support the vertebrae that were fused together as a result of damage from the impact.  I recovered from the accident just fine, but then about a year later I noticed a sharp increase in my migraines and a lot of all over body pain and severe fatigue.  I went to my doctor and after extensive testing was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia.

Many people don't know what Fibromyalgia is and because it isn't something you can see like an amputated leg or a disfiguring injury, people won't know that you have it unless you tell them.  What I have found is that the fatigue and pain slows me down so much that it does get mistaken for laziness or a lack of drive, which is both unfortunate and unfair.  I have good days and bad days.  On my good days I can function for a short period of time almost as normal as everyone else.  On bad days I may not even be able to get out of bed. 

On the up side, I try to make the most of each day and on my good days I thank God and treat them as precious moments.  They are making advances all the time in the treatment of this unfortunate disease and it is my hope that someday they will find a cure.  At the moment, there is no cure.  You treat the symptoms and hope for the best.  I think my biggest peeve is when someone says, "If I can do it, I don't see why you can't."  Well world it's like this.  If I only get three hours of sleep or push my body past my personal limits, I can end up hospitalized. Or at the very least in bed for a day or two, perhaps weeks, and maybe even have to take a steroid dose pack to control the pain and regain my ground.  Everyone has limits and we need to respect those differences.  God did not pull out the cookie cutter from his kitchen drawer when He created man and woman.  Not everyone was made the same and we all struggle with different problems, be them physical, mental or family issues, we all have hardships!  A healthy friendship is based on respect.  Without that respect, the friendship cannot flourish and grow deeper.  So before you judge someone because they cannot do what you do, perhaps you should ask yourself if there is more to the situation than meets the eye.

So my quote for the day is from the Bible. "Love one another as I have loved you."  The next time you open your mouth to say something about another person, first ask yourself:  "Do I know what is really going on in this person's life?  Am I being overly critical?  What is the benefit of my comment?  Am I lifting this person up or tearing them down?   Is it possible that I feel that I am better than this person and by stepping on their feelings, I affirm myself?" Hmmm…..food for thought.   I hope the right choice is made for the benefit of everyone involved.

Have a great weekend!

Bobbie

© Robynn “Bobbie” Dinse / Bobbie’s World Blogs

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