Chronic Illness: Wanna Feel Like I Do?
As a person with a few chronic illnesses, I occasionally get asked what it’s like to be sick all the time. There is really no way to understand what it’s like to have a chronic illness unless you have one, but for those who don’t, this list might help give you a basic understanding. Of course every chronic illness is different and every person is different, so this list is not all-encompassing. Instead I attempted to illustrate some of the symptoms of two of the more common chronic illnesses that I deal with: fibromyalgia and asthma. If you know someone who has one of these illnesses or any other chronic illness, remember the next time they cancel on you, snap at you, or just seem down or depressed, that this is what they go through every day. Now, I’m not suggesting you actually try doing any or all of the steps on this list, although you can if you want—your imagination is probably sufficient.
- Fast for 24 hours.
- Attach a 20 pound weight to each limb.
- Lightly bruise every part of your body.
- Turn the temperature up to 100 degrees; after an hour or two turn it down to 50 degrees and stick your hands in ice water; repeat every 1-2 hours.
- Run in place for 5 minutes every time you stand up.
- Put a giant rubber band around your chest; tighten it every time you laugh, cry, run, or inhale smoke or dust.
- In addition to tightening the rubber band, breathe through a straw every time you inhale smoke or dust.
- Sprain at least 2 joints (fingers and toes don't count!)
- Hit your head with a hammer or other blunt object repeatedly.
- Don’t sleep for 24 hours. No caffeine allowed!
- Get punched in the stomach every time you eat (once you’re done fasting).
- Smile,
don’t complain about how you feel, and go about all of your daily activities
like normal.
Like how you feel?