You know, at least, as I've said
before, Lupus is good for a laugh. It cracks me up when people ask
how I am. Not in a rude way or anything like that. It's just that
when sick is the norm, one simply does not know how to respond to
that question.
So, I generally just literally laugh
out loud (I'll explain why in a minute.) and say something like,
“Meh, I'm OK, I guess.” Because no one wants to hear about anyone
elses aches and pains and it's the polite thing to do.
But, if I were to be dead honest, to
the best of my ability, it would go something like this:
“Well, today, it's just my usual
overwhelming daily pain, whereas, yesterday, I had exploding diarrhea
and the day before, I couldn't move my hips to get out of bed., so I
guess, in comparison, I'm dandy.”
But of course, I'm not going to say
that. It's rude and I'm not. Hence the laughter at the thought of it.
There's something else that makes this
all amusing to me too though. Something else that makes, “How are
you?” a humorous inquiry when sick is normal.
It's that I couldn't answer that
question accurately, even if it was polite to do so. Because, you
see, I actually have no idea how I am. Ever.
When you're chronically ill, you can
feel perfectly “normal” or even much better and not be aware that
your body is secretly plotting your destruction behind your back.
You can also feel like crap and have
all your tests come out the best they ever have.
Now folks, I get it. Really I do. My
loved ones, friends and even acquaintances who politely ask about my
health and are just concerned. I appreciate it. I value their
friendship. I do. More than you know. But when sick is normal, “How
are you?” is just such an ironically hilarious question.
I know. Funny/Not funny. But me? I
choose funny over desperate, desolate and whiny. Because, let's face
it, when sick is the norm, those are pretty much your choices.
I hope that I never lose my sense of
humor, no matter how normal sick becomes. And thanks to the twisted
chuckles I get from Lupus, I probably won't.
