Why, on days you can sleep in, do the children wake up at least 30 minutes earlier than you normally would on a busy day? Why is it that when you are in a great mood they listen and behave perfectly, yet when you are having a horrible day and need them to behave, they act like they were raised by a pack of wolves? Because they are psychic...or they are secretly plotting against you!
Being a person with a chronic illness makes the above scenario even more frustrating. I have to admit...I admire, and send my deepest sympathies, to all those working parents out there! When my daughter was born I was lucky enough to work from home, because of the MS. When I was pregnant with my son I was laid-off. Yes, the company laid me off when I was 6 months pregnant so they could give my job to the General Manager's son who could not find a job in the failing economy...but that's a story for another day. Back to my point - I have a hard time taking care of all the household duties as well as the kids and their schedules without working a full-time job. To me it is unimaginable, even physically impossible, how working parents manage to get everything done in a 24 hour period AND manage to get at least 1 hour of sleep per night, even when having to deal with "psychic" episodes! And come to think of it, I swore one time when I woke in the middle of the night I heard the two of them talking in Mayhem's room...maybe it's time to buy that video Barbie...
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Disease for Sale!
I have come to the conclusion that you must become a salesperson when you have a chronic illness. Example: Friend: "Hey! How are you?"
You: "Good! I'm feeling OK!"
Reality - You are in excruciating pain, are so tired you can't see straight and can't even remember your own name.
See, this is not the information others want to hear for a number of reasons. First of all, it makes them feel horrible to know that someone they care about is going through something so awful. Second, they feel even worse because they can't do anything to make it better - that's what we as humans are programmed to do when something is wrong, we fix it and make it better. Lastly, we (those of us "blessed" with illness) remind people of their own mortality, how fragile life is and how your world can be turned upside-down in a heartbeat.
I have known many great "salesman"...my father is a great salesman, both in reality as well as illness-wise. One of our conversations went a little something like this...
Dad: "Hi honey! How are you?"
Me: "You know, hangin' in there. Kids are doing good, hubby is doing good. How are you?"
Dad: "Oh, how is Princess' school going?"
Me: "It's good! She loves it...wait...how are YOU doing?"
Dad: "So, she really likes it, huh? Is she making new friends?"
Me: "Dad, how are YOU doing? You didn't answer my question."
Dad: "Well, I have to go in for surgery...but it's outpatient, you know, no big deal."
Me: "Holy cow! Dad, what are you having done?!"
Dad: "Just some skin cancer, nothing big. It's not the bad kind, just snip a few pieces and then I'm home!"
As you can see, I have been trained by the best.
It's easier to tell the people you love only a part of what is really happening and how you are feeling rather than hear the hurt in their voice and see the agony through the tears in their eyes. So...other than the crippling pain, debilitating fatigue and dementia-like memory problems..I FEEL GREAT!!!
You: "Good! I'm feeling OK!"
Reality - You are in excruciating pain, are so tired you can't see straight and can't even remember your own name.
See, this is not the information others want to hear for a number of reasons. First of all, it makes them feel horrible to know that someone they care about is going through something so awful. Second, they feel even worse because they can't do anything to make it better - that's what we as humans are programmed to do when something is wrong, we fix it and make it better. Lastly, we (those of us "blessed" with illness) remind people of their own mortality, how fragile life is and how your world can be turned upside-down in a heartbeat.
I have known many great "salesman"...my father is a great salesman, both in reality as well as illness-wise. One of our conversations went a little something like this...
Dad: "Hi honey! How are you?"
Me: "You know, hangin' in there. Kids are doing good, hubby is doing good. How are you?"
Dad: "Oh, how is Princess' school going?"
Me: "It's good! She loves it...wait...how are YOU doing?"
Dad: "So, she really likes it, huh? Is she making new friends?"
Me: "Dad, how are YOU doing? You didn't answer my question."
Dad: "Well, I have to go in for surgery...but it's outpatient, you know, no big deal."
Me: "Holy cow! Dad, what are you having done?!"
Dad: "Just some skin cancer, nothing big. It's not the bad kind, just snip a few pieces and then I'm home!"
As you can see, I have been trained by the best.
It's easier to tell the people you love only a part of what is really happening and how you are feeling rather than hear the hurt in their voice and see the agony through the tears in their eyes. So...other than the crippling pain, debilitating fatigue and dementia-like memory problems..I FEEL GREAT!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)