"Please Understand That…
- Just because I smile and don’t “look sick,” doesn’t mean that I’m not in pain. I work very hard at staying positive and not inflicting my pain on others. (I try to be in pain without being a pain.)
- I have to carefully budget my energy so that I can at least take care of the essentials in my life. So please don’t be offended if you ask me to go somewhere or do something with you and I tell you I can’t. It’s not that I don’t want to –– it’s just that I cannot physically handle it at the time. Truly, “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”
- If I have to cancel plans at the last minute or go home early, it is not because I am being rude or inconsiderate. I never know when my symptoms will flare. Though my heart may have the best of intentions, my body just may not cooperate.
- Another symptom of FM and CFS is cognitive functioning problems (i.e. memory loss, difficulty concentrating). If I forget something or you ask me about something and I look at you blankly, it’s not because the subject is unimportant to me. It’s just a function of my illness that I can’t always control. I may need you to remind me or give me clues to jog my memory.
Although there are many other symptoms, these are the ones that have the greatest impact on my life and my interaction with others. I am trying hard to find a balance in my life that will allow me to be all I need and want to be for myself, my family, my friends and my work. Your understanding will help me find that balance.
Note: This article is an updated version of a piece I wrote to share with my family and friends shortly after I was diagnosed.
I am writing this, not because I want your sympathy, but because I need your understanding. I know that it is difficult for someone who hasn’t experienced it to comprehend what it is like to have fibromyalgia (FM) and/or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). I hope this will help you understand a little better how I feel.
Updated: September 21, 2006"
Excerpt from Please Understand Me - Author Unknown. About.com
http://chronicfatigue.about.com/od/familyfriends/a/understand.htm
2 comments:
I understand fully. In fact from what you have written I understand you more than I've ever understood myself, but reading what you have written has helped me understand myself. Does that make sense?
Another ME sufferer.... x
Hi Sara,
i wish i could say that i had written this but it is a piece that i found on the internet ( and i am unsure who the author is?) and thought very helpful.
It does put in to words exactly what i, you no doubt and many others go through and have a deep need of: understanding & acceptance.
It does make sense what you have written and i am very glad it has helped you to read this, it helped me too.
Take care,Juliette X
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