Invisible Illness
12 Aug
Check out this great post about balance and chronic illness.
September 14-20 is National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week. I’ll be blogging about it that week. Here’s a preview post.
The worst part about invisible illness, for me anyway, is that people forget. If you have a broken foot, people see the cast and remember. No one knows I have TMJ Disorder just by looking at me. When I’m eating in public, I feel like I should wear a sign: My momma raised me right. I’m trying to chew with my mouth closed but my jaw doesn’t work properly.
Chewing gum is absolutely forbidden when you have jaw trouble. Yet, even close family members still offer me gum, and I’ve had TMJ Disorder for five years.
My husband, David, has severe Psoriatic Arthritis. Folks look at him and see a healthy young man. People that know David well forget how bad he’s hurting because he doesn’t use a cane or a wheel chair.
One example in particular sticks out in my mind of how easily we forget about people with invisible illness. David and I both see several of the same doctors. One day, I saw one of our mutual doctors who had just seen David a few moments before. He was asking me how my day had been, and I mentioned my mother, mother-in-law, and I had trimmed the trees in my front yard. The doctor said, “Hey, be careful. David’s going to be upset you’re doing his job!”
Oh, how quickly we forget.
Even I forget sometimes and ask David to move a piece of furniture. Or, someone will invite us to do something like attend a Mavericks game, and I accept the invitation, only to realize later that there’s no way my husband can handle that much walking, let alone sitting in a hard metal chair for hours.
I always feel so guilty when I forget. David is bedridden at times. How could I forget he has a chronic illness like arthritis? How could I suggest he wakeboard a few months after a weekend of having to dress him?
People forget. God does not.
Isaiah 44:21 (NIV)
“Remember these things, O Jacob, for you are my servant, O Israel. I have made you, you are my servant; O Israel, I will not forget you.
Isaiah 49:15 (NIV)
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!
We are so blessed that God is not only omniscient, but God actually cares about his children’s troubles.
It’s okay if you forget that I have TMJ Disorder or David has arthritis. But please, try to be kind and considerate to everyone. You never know what they’re going through or what invisible illness they may have.
I miss gum!
One of the bloggers I’ve been following for a while posted about her chronic illness recently. Made me think of you. http://theblessednest.blogspot.com/2009/08/creating-welcoming-home.html
Amen, sister! Great post!
Kerri
OH, I forgot to say I like your new picture!
Thank you, Kasey and Kerri!
When you eat in public just chomp extra loud, slurp your soup and blow bubbles in your drink. Get people to stare. Then all you need to do is just laugh.
Ha, ha, Provident Woman, that would be great. Of course, maybe I could just go out to eat with Brother #2. If I say the table is dirty he says, “It’s fine, look!” and then licks the table. I’m not exaggeratign. He literally licks the table. No one would pay any attention to me with him around! Doesn’t that make you want to carry Lysol in your purse?