Having been diagnosed with severe pain, or total, ulcerative colitis, I always find myself trying to explain to healthy people what it is like to live in constant discomfort and pain. It's not as easy to do as they think or imagine — that much is clear when I can see the half-comprehension in their eyes as I attempt to define my disease to them. Often times in the past, I'd compare it to a terrible period that never ended, complete with menstrual cramps that could cripple a full grown man. Eventually, I started to explain my disease using one simple sentence: "It's like having food poisoning from Taco Bell that never ends."
To live with a chronic disease, one must understand the entire embodiment of the word adaptability. Whether the disease is one of chronic pain or fatigue, it doesn't matter — the human body and mind will adapt in ways most healthy people are unable to comprehend. Often times, people have adapted so well in living with their chronic disease that many of their closest friends and relatives fail to realize the full extent of the effects the disease has on them. Why? Simply because they do not appear sick. If you don't have a runny nose, a visible rash, a raspy voice, or happen to be a senior citizen, well, it is hard to understand how a person could be ill.
The reality of living with a chronic disease isn't a reality that one volunteers to enter. It is a tough world of self-denial, expensive medications, anxiety, fear of rejection, and a constant fight with depression. A person with a chronic condition can even know more about drug side effects than their own pharmacist or doctor. It can be even tougher when those you love don't understand why you can't do all that they can, even with medications. The fact that I don't appear ill is often the reason they are unable to understand my needs and fears.
Eventually, I grew frustrated that people — healthy people — didn't understand why I was exhausted all the time, and soon, I found it necessary to explain how I lived day-to-day. Now, I have my own way of explaining my chronic disease to people when they fail to comprehend my anxiety and fatigue. My explanation goes somewhat like this:
Imagine a world where the word healthy equates with wealthy, meaning healthy people have an almost infinite amount of money stored in their banks, pockets, and wallets. They never worry about not having money because that is hardly ever their problem. If need be, they only need to stop for a moment at the nearest ATM before they can get to spending again. Now, imagine that in this world, having a disease or chronic issue equates with poor. These people with diseases mind everything they do, everything they spend, and constantly worry about whether or not they can afford even the simple things in life, like a hot bubble bath or ice cream. Those with 'financial' difficulty can get help from the government (pretend things like food stamps and unemployment are like medications and therapy), but often times that is not enough and can be a blow to one's pride. If they 'overspend', they pay a hefty fine, and if they 'borrow', they have interest rates and debt that they may not be able to pay off. They can't just "walk it off" if it takes more than what they have in the 'bank' to do so.
...I believe that this analogy explains the situation rather well. It puts in perspective the concept of good health, as well as the concept of bad health, using terms that everyone can understand. Essentially, with this analogy, health is compared to money, which everyone understands in every language.
To live with a chronic disease, one must understand the entire embodiment of the word adaptability. Whether the disease is one of chronic pain or fatigue, it doesn't matter — the human body and mind will adapt in ways most healthy people are unable to comprehend. Often times, people have adapted so well in living with their chronic disease that many of their closest friends and relatives fail to realize the full extent of the effects the disease has on them. Why? Simply because they do not appear sick. If you don't have a runny nose, a visible rash, a raspy voice, or happen to be a senior citizen, well, it is hard to understand how a person could be ill.
The reality of living with a chronic disease isn't a reality that one volunteers to enter. It is a tough world of self-denial, expensive medications, anxiety, fear of rejection, and a constant fight with depression. A person with a chronic condition can even know more about drug side effects than their own pharmacist or doctor. It can be even tougher when those you love don't understand why you can't do all that they can, even with medications. The fact that I don't appear ill is often the reason they are unable to understand my needs and fears.
Eventually, I grew frustrated that people — healthy people — didn't understand why I was exhausted all the time, and soon, I found it necessary to explain how I lived day-to-day. Now, I have my own way of explaining my chronic disease to people when they fail to comprehend my anxiety and fatigue. My explanation goes somewhat like this:
Imagine a world where the word healthy equates with wealthy, meaning healthy people have an almost infinite amount of money stored in their banks, pockets, and wallets. They never worry about not having money because that is hardly ever their problem. If need be, they only need to stop for a moment at the nearest ATM before they can get to spending again. Now, imagine that in this world, having a disease or chronic issue equates with poor. These people with diseases mind everything they do, everything they spend, and constantly worry about whether or not they can afford even the simple things in life, like a hot bubble bath or ice cream. Those with 'financial' difficulty can get help from the government (pretend things like food stamps and unemployment are like medications and therapy), but often times that is not enough and can be a blow to one's pride. If they 'overspend', they pay a hefty fine, and if they 'borrow', they have interest rates and debt that they may not be able to pay off. They can't just "walk it off" if it takes more than what they have in the 'bank' to do so.
...I believe that this analogy explains the situation rather well. It puts in perspective the concept of good health, as well as the concept of bad health, using terms that everyone can understand. Essentially, with this analogy, health is compared to money, which everyone understands in every language.