Feel Better Soon

When you live with a chronic illness you hear that all the time. “I hope you feel better soon”. While it’s a truly appreciated sentiment, it’s also a phrase that is hidden in plain site, showing how much most people truly aren’t aware of what it’s like to live with a chronic illness.

“Feel better soon” implies that someone has an illness or injury that they will eventually recover to their normal activities. A person living with a chronic illness doesn’t get to do that. We are living a constant loop of pain, sickness, and surprise symptoms to the point that we wish we literally and finally could just simply “feel better soon”.

I saw someone on Twitter speaking about the pain she was having due to an illness she was living with (Rheumatoid Arthritis). As I wrote my comment to her I was about to end with saying, “feel better soon”, when it hit me (well, I’ve thought it many times before, but this time it really hit me)… Instead of saying the norm, I should say what she and I are really hoping for. So instead I finished with, “I hope your pain lowers soon”.

When you live with a chronic illness, you know that unless you are one of the lucky few that go into full remission, the pain never completely goes away. That doesn’t even include the fatigue, cognitive issues, mobility issues and social isolation, financial stress, family stress; everything takes a bigger toll on the body of the majority of people living with a chronic illness or disease.

Even more so with invisible illness/diseases (An illness that a person lives with, but generally looks healthy to the naked eye). Even though there are people that are truly sick, it’s not unusual that they are treated with a more, “Come on, you can do it. Just try a little harder!” attitude. (cough) “A brother’s best friend’s aunt has the same thing, and they are doing just fine”. Little do they realize that there are different stages of chronic illness and diseases; and that no two people are alike when it comes to any given diagnosis.

Most people don’t even realize what it took to get the energy just to take a shower today.

Trust me when I say I’m as tough and stubborn as they come, and I have been through the wringer a few times over since I have been in “full chronic illness mode”. If someone says to me that they hurt too much or can’t do it anymore, that pretty much says it all in my book.

I still have dreams of getting my life back one day, so I can only imagine what it’s like for someone else.

If only we really could just feel better soon.