chronic illness memes

#1: "I'm so happy I got this debilitating illness so I can stay in bed for the rest of my life instead of participating in society and making a difference," said no sick person ever.

I can't say how many days I've felt this way! nothing like some sarcasm to make you go "ha! So I'm not the only one who had this thought!" sometimes its rough when people make it seem like those with debilitating illnesses have it easy - they always get to nap and get to miss work! but believe me... we would much rather be feeling good and get to live a "normal" day to day life. it's not like we get to go wild and skip work and daily life because we're out doing crazy, fun things. no, most of the time we're stuck in our beds, tired and sick and just wishing that we would feel better and that the pain would go away.

________________________________________

 

#2: "Tell me you hope I'm "feeling better" once more & I'll rip your eyes out. Incurable chronic illness doesn't get "better," ASSHOLE.

Maybe the "asshole" is a bit harsh, wouldn't surprise me if this was made after some bad encounter with someone who didn't really understand. But the rest of it I totally understand. The average person doesn't understand that you won't get "better" when it's a chronic thing. It's kind of disappointing every time someone says they hope you "get better" or "feel better" because you want to believe them but in the back of your head you know that this is your life, you're going to have this illness for a very very very long time, and "better" isn't being in good health it just means having your illness be more managed or better under control - it's still always there.

________________________________________

 

#3: Finally appetite enough to eat, not enough hand strength to open peanut butter jar



 

 

can't tell you how many times this happened to me and others I know with chronic conditions! after you finally have a moment when the nausea goes away and you get your appetite back, the fatigue and muscle weakness just don't give you the energy or strength enough to eat. it's a vicious cycle.. there is no winning.

________________________________________

 

#4: I'm sick and tired of being so sick and tired

no explanation needed.

________________________________________

 

#5. dating me is going to be so much fun. and by "fun" I mean "I have chronic illness and you'll have to take care of me." weeeee!

dating with a chronic illness is by no means "easy." last minute cancellations, not being able to eat just anything on the menu at a restaurant, being too tired to go out and do anything adventurous, never being able to be spontaneous. it's frustrating not being able to date like everybody else. I don't want to be a "boring" date. just going on a date is so rare, you can forget about having a boyfriend! looks like the lonely single life for me. I used to date, and had boyfriends before my onset of symptoms, but now I rarely go out. its just too hard to explain and there's definitely guilt about getting serious with someone. I don't want them to feel like they need to take care of me or have to deal with my illness.

________________________________________

 

#6. tell me "but you LOOK good" once more and I will rip your eyes out. just because someone looks "good," it doesn't mean they FEEL good.  

this just sums up everything perfectly! never judge people on looks, there are so much to people beyond looks. ever heard of don't judge a book by its cover? well it applies to people too.



________________________________________

 



#7. Auto-immune disease, because the only thing tough enough to kick my ass is me

 

YES! I love this one because it has a different vibe then most of them that come across as complaining, frustrated, upset, infuriated. This one just shows strength with a hint of humor. I love it, love it, love it! The people with these illnesses may be physically weak and struggle a lot, but because of that, they are some seriously strong people and should not be underestimated. just because someone is sick in no way means they are "weak."

________________________________________

 

#8. Why are there never any good side effects? just once I'd like to read a medication bottle that says, "May cause extreme sexiness."

 

side effects: a definite negative to necessary treatment. as someone who is on over a dozen prescriptions, let me be not the first or last to say that most of the side effects seem way worse than my illness. insomnia, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea (even up to months after medication is stopped), fever, chills, loss of fertility, tremors, headaches, stomach pain, sleep driving (believe me, this is an actual thing... crazy right? like how often did that have to happen that they had to include it on the printout CVS staples to the prescription bag?), blindness, deafness, acne, rashes, worsening pain, and even death. uhhh... so this stuff is actually supposed to help me right? and we'll just cross our fingers that it actually helps me with its intended use and none of the bad stuff happens? but what do I do if some of the terrible things happen? is it work the risk? then, I remember it is completely medically necessary for me to take these medications otherwise my condition will progress much worse. so there's not really much of a choice. so looks like I just have to keep crossing my fingers that none of the terrible side effects happen. I really enjoy the use of this meme. the first sentence just talks about the seriousness of side effects, and they wrap it up with a lighthearted joke. I mean after all, who wouldn't mind some extreme sexiness?

________________________________________

 

#9. you know you've got a chronic illness when your medical chart comes in several volumes

 

well, I just cant agree with this enough. all the doctor's appointments, I feel like I'm there every week. they pull out my file, from just this past year, and the thing is inches thick! I don't even know exactly what is in all of there, but I know there's copies of prescriptions (with all my prescriptions, no wonder why its so thick), doctor's personal notes, x-ray and MRI results, blood tests, urine tests, and just about every other test known to man.

________________________________________

 

#10. but you look so healthy! NO.

nothing like the grumpy cat to get out some frustration. reminds me of #6. "looking healthy" doesn't mean you're actually healthy. looks can be deceiving and people with invisible illness struggle with this hurdle all the time. often they are not recognized or given as much support as those with visible conditions.

________________________________________

#11. I've wasted so much of my life waiting for the doctor

 

a problem of people with chronic or invisible illnesses is that you are always always always always at the doctor. and that means spending a lot of time in waiting rooms. how much could they do with all the time spent at the doctors? probably a lot.

 

 

 

____________________________________________________________

 

my thoughts on the meme movement's

impact on illness....





 

As someone with a chronic illness, this meme made me laugh. It makes light of a serious dilemma using some humor. I think it accurately sums up the feelings of someone with a chronic condition or any sort of disability.

I think the use of memes, a current trend across the internet, it useful in helping people with chronic or invisible disabilities make others understand, vent and get out their frustrations, and share some lighthearted laughs. I think that this can be helpful in someone's struggle. The world can be a serious, cold place when it comes to ignorant people who don't understand these illnesses. It's a healthy way to get out some frustrations and shed some light on certain situations. It helps people with chronic conditions find one another. Finding these things on shared spaced on the internet can help people make connections with others who are like them and it can give them a sense that they are not alone. Although people with invisible illnesses and serious chronic conditions are the minority, through things like this they are able to establish a sense of community. they can share experiences and life struggles and find a new support system that can help them with the circumstances of their life.

i'm brianna couture: personal instance of invisible illness

This video, I'm Brianna Couture, is about a girl with a neuromuscular disease called mitochondrial disease. How would you expect her to look? How do you tell which of the 3 girls is her? How do you tell who's healthy from who's not when it comes to invisible illness?

 



 

highlights from the video:
- there are almost 33 million people in the US with a severe disability ( keep in mind this video was from 6 years ago, so the number now is most likely higher )
- only 10 million use an assistive device, so 67% DO NOT use these devices
-you can't tell who has an invisible illness from those who don't
-not all people who are sick "look" handicapped
-sometimes these people who "look" the same, can't act the same as healthy people
-these people want "respect, credibility, admiration, belief"

commentary:
- when it comes to invisible illness, it is honestly impossible to tell who is sick from who isn't. so the next time you see someone park in a handicapped spot, or use an elevator, and think that they're somehow 'abusing the system' or taking advantage of something that is there to  help "real" handicapped people, stop and remember this video. remember that not everyone who is sick looks sick, not everybody who has an invisible illness get belief. in a public sphere they are often ridiculed, given nasty looks, and encounter a general lack of understanding from ignorant people. these people are severely disabled and struggle tremendously with their illness on a day to day basis, so the last thing they need is any more difficulty or any more stress.
- as someone with a disability that includes severe joint pain, muscle pain and weakness, and other physical obstacles, I sometimes need to use an elevator at school. the one in my dorm requires a special key that only the cleaning people have since all the students take the stairs. every single time someone sees me go into the elevator they say "you can't take that...it doesn't work for us" "why do you get to use it?" "what's wrong with you?" "what's up with your legs?" 
some days I debate if its worse for me to painfully and slowly drag myself up the stairs just so I don't have to deal with it, but then again I will run into kids in the stairwell that will ask me the same kinds of questions or huff and puff that I'm not going fast enough for their liking even when there's plenty of room for them to go around me.
this is why for so long I've been struggling on whether or not to get and use a handicapped parking spots. would it be incredibly useful for the times when I'm really struggling, but is it worth all the negativity and comments from ignorant people? that I haven't decided yet.

things to never to say to someone with a chronic, invisible illess

as someone with an invisible, chronic condition, I have heard it all. some things were kind, appropriate, and sincere. other things... not so much. I've complied a list of things you should NEVER never never NEVER never never say to someone with an invisible or chronic illness...

 

WARNING!!!

do not say these things

• "but you don't look sick"
• "it can't be that bad"
• "it must be nice not having to go to work"
• "you just need a positive attitude"
• "well, it could always be worse"
• "you need to get out more"
• "everyone gets sick and tired"
• "who wouldn't want a nap?"
• "at least you get to take naps..."
• "I wish I could sleep that much"
• "there's people worse off than you"
• "it's all in your head"
• "you need to eat healthier"
• "are you sure it's not just depression?"
• "maybe if you exercised more"
• "you're exaggerating"
• "you look fine"
• "you look great - you must be getting better"
• "I know exactly how you feel"

what's an "invisible" illness?

An invisible illness is anything that doesn't qualify as a 'visible' illness or disability. It's something that you can't sense or see with your own eyes. Invisible disability varies widely. People with an invisible disability vary widely. For some, this means they may not use an assistive device - a walker, a wheelchair, a cane, crutches, etc. These people can look like anybody else; they "don't look sick." But on the inside, these people can have very serious conditions.

examples of invisible illnesses
obviously, every single invisible illness cannot be listed. some are rare, some are common, and there is everything in between. but, it can't hurt to give some examples so that it will help people understand invisible illness and it's wide variety of forms. Invisible illness comes in all different sorts of shapes and sizes. So here are some invisible illnesses...

• lupus
• this condition causes autoimmune problems and inconsistent symptoms. the immune system attacks its own tissues and organs. people with lupus can be infected by various types of inflammation to the joints, skin, heart, lungs, and other organs. people are often misdiagnosed or go undiagnosed for a long period of time because the symptoms can mimic other diseases and problems.
• crohn's disease
• with a variety of symptoms including weight loss, cramps, constipation, diarrhea, fever, anemia, nutritional deficiencies, and many more, Crohn's becomes difficult to diagnose because many of these symptoms can be caused by other factors. They have to effectively rule out other conditions before coming up with a diagnosis, a series of tests have to be done involving blood, antibodies, endoscopic procedures, and stool samples.
• parkinson's disease
• while later staged Parkinson's is much easier to identify and diagnose, it is much more difficult to determine in the early stages. there are no precise tests that a doctor can do to determine Parkinson's, most of it is done by ruling out other diseases and judging from a doctor's experience and standpoint. many of the symptoms of Parkinson's are not precise, and can include but are not limited to tremor, stiff muscles, slow movement, weakness of throat/face muscles, walking difficulty, decreased dexterity, muscle/joint cramps, increased sweating, low blood pressure, dementia, and confusion.
• multiple sclerosis
• multiple sclerosis, like all of the above mentioned illnesses, do not have one precise test. it requires a specialist to diagnose MS. multiple sclerosis, commonly abbreviated as MS, can cause damage to the brain or spinal cord. depending on where the damage was, the symptoms can vary. some of these symptoms can include muscle weakness or stiffness, blurred or foggy vision, blindness, tingling sensation, numbness, lightheadedness, dizziness, vertigo, urinary incontinence, constipation and bowel disorders, sexual dysfunctions, memory loss, reduced attention span, depression, anxiety, and fatigue.
• lyme disease
• Lyme disease, can be acute or chronic depending on the timeframe from start of infection to diagnosis. this is a tick-borne disease, or in some cases can be given from a mother to her fetus. Lyme usually manifests in flu-like symptoms, joint pain and a red bulls eye rash, although many who are ill with the disease say they have never gotten such a rash and were unaware that they have been bitten by a tick. the diagnosing process is complicated by unreliable tests and widespread misinformation about the disease. in the later, chronic stages, Lyme can be characterized by severe joint pain, muscle pain and weakness, whole body pain, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, dizziness, confusion, difficulty sleeping, and much more.

Get Well Health

characteristic of most of these invisible illnesses is the fact that they all lack reliable, precise tests. coincidence? probably not. there's a lack of information and proper testing of invisible illnesses.

definitions & labels

what does "disabled" mean? who is disabled? what are the characteristics of a chronic illness? what does it mean to have an invisible illness? putting a label on things can be problematic in the sense that it can lump people into groups and can exclude others with varying experiences, but it essential in defining these things to lay the groundwork of understanding these concepts.
________________________________________________________________________

disabled   adjective
: incapacitated by illness or injury, also : physically or mentally impaired in a way that substantially limits activity especially in relation to employment or education (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

______________________________________________________________________________________

According to the World Health Organization chronic illnesses & diseases are:

"...diseases of long duration and generally slow progression. Chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes, are by far the leading cause of mortality in the world, representing 63% of all deaths. Out of the 36 million people who died from chronic disease in 2008, nine million were under 60 and ninety per cent of these premature deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries."   WHO | Chronic diseases 

________________________________________________________________________

Social Work Today describes invisible illness...

"The term invisible illness refers to any medical condition that is not outwardly visible to others, even healthcare professionals. Invisible illnesses encompass a broad range of conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, dementia, psychiatric illness, autoimmune disorders, and even cancer.

While individuals with visible illnesses—those requiring canes or wheelchairs or causing physical manifestations ... those with invisible illnesses, such support [and understanding] may not be as forthcoming [as those with visible illnesses]. And for those with invisible illnesses that remain controversial in the medical community and public eye, support may not come at all.  

 Invisible Illness - What You Can't See Does Hurt Her 

_______________________________________________________________________

check out this video from YouTube... definitions are good for understanding, but this clip shows more about what its like to be someone with an invisible illness or a chronic disability than words on a page can...