Sunday, February 26, 2012
Me: “The worst part about Crohn’s disease is the realization that I’m fallible. Physically. That I’m not really invincible.”
“The pain isn’t nice, but it only lasts 2 or 3 days, I can deal with it, and when I’m not in pain I’m more or less normal. Well, aside from the emergency trips to the bathroom. (Sometimes it sneaks up on you.)”
“I’ve been in pain, I’ve been extremely uncomfortable, I’ve had things put down my throat and up my ass that I wouldn’t put there voluntarily, but that’s not so bad compared to the realization that my body is not perfect, healthy.”
A friend of mine (AFOM): “Are you saying there are things you would put up your ass voluntarily?”
Me: “I’m saying I’ve lived 40 years and never been truly sick. Never been hospitalized. No major surgery. All the injuries I’ve had I’ve recovered from. Now I’ve got this thing that won’t get better. Ever.”
AFOM: “Waaaa. You’re saying you’ve been so healthy that, until now, you’ve had no conception of illness.”
Me: “Yes, the experience of true illness is new to me. It overshadows everything else.”
AFOM: “Waaaaaaa. Your life, your quality of life is beyond so many people’s reach. Have you thought about kids growing up in the third-world? I imagine they get acquainted with the concept of illness pretty quickly.”
Me: “But they never have to go through what it’s like to lose one’s health, they lose it so early they don’t know what they’re missing.”
AFOM: “Are you saying third-world children are lucky?”
Me: “I… Hmm.”
AFOM: “Everything that’s put up your ass you totally deserve.”
