Illness

I woke up feeling a little queasy today. It could have been something I ate, or I could have a little stomach bug. Whatever the cause, it was unpleasant. Lying in bed this morning, I debated whether I was going to call out sick but decided against it because that would mean that I was caving into whatever I had and there was a good chance I would feel better later in the day.

I remembered back about 20 years ago to the days when I had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Every day was a struggle getting out of bed and going on with my life. Everything hurt and I just wanted to sleep. But there were so many things that needed doing; a small child needing caring for, I had to “bring home the bacon” and maintain my job, I had to cook dinner for my family, and sleep was not an option. I was lucky though. My case was not that bad and I beat it. It took 3 years and a lot of vitamins, but I eventually got better and the effects of the illness faded into the background.

Not all people have that luck. There are some who are sick for years, hanging on until the end. Not much is known about autoimmune illnesses like Epstein Barr, Lupus, MS, Fibromyalgia, and others, and they are not always the kind that make one so sick it is obvious to everyone around them. Even doctors don’t agree that some of them are “real” diseases and dismiss them. I often wonder what the causes are and whether there is some cure out there just waiting to be found, or better yet some way to prevent them. In the meantime, we just have to press on regardless, and we have to be a little more understanding with others because even if they look okay on the outside, they may be suffering on the inside.