Everything
in life has become a competition. People find a way to one-up each
other in just about every facet of life:: I'm smarter than you...I
have a better car than you...I can play
that sport better than
you...I have more possessions (of some kind) than you. But when it
comes to chronic illness(es) and comparing and one-upping each other,
that's just...sad. When people with chronic illness(es) are saying::
I have more illnesses than you...worse illnesses than you...worse
symptoms than you...worse treatments than you...
That's
just horrible.
Often we
list our illness(es) in an effort to connect with one another, to
share experiences and advice; but in doing this it can become a
competition in seeing who has the most illnesses and who has the
worst symptoms and who has the worst treatments. Why does being SICK
have to be a competition? Somehow it turns into—not always, but
sometimes—a contest to see who has the most illnesses (from the
most petty to the most severe), to see who has the worst symptoms
(when people share the same disease), to
see who's experienced the
worst treatments, who's seen the most whackado doctors (though those
can be very funny stories), and the list goes on. I am ALL for
advocacy, for educating, for comparing stories, but when it comes to
people telling me their situation is worse than mine...lets not even
go there. We are not here to one-up, to compete, to garner sympathy
from those around us (because isn't that what we always say?). We are
there to be a Community. And a Community sticks together.
The
Chronic Illness Community...The Spoonie Community, needs to be one
that sticks together, not one that excludes or becomes divided due to
differences. We are bonded in a sisterhood and brotherhood that NONE
of us wanted to be in,
but it is one that we are in nonetheless.
America is a “melting pot”, so is the Spoonie Community;
therefore, we should accept everyone for their variances, their
opinions, their experiences without trying to put each other down. We need to remain encouraging, uplifting, and positive for each other. When we see another in our midst who is suffering, offer them love and assistance. Don't try to belittle another person's experiences compared to yours...we're all suffering in our own way.
We're all (roundabout-ly) in this together, so lets stay that way.
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