“I spend half my time trying to convince others how serious Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is,
and the other half trying to convince my self that it’s not!”
– Chris, Atlantic County Support Group
(submitted by SGL Betty McConnell)
Author: Pat
Best Statement Overheard at a Support Group Meeting
ANYWAY
People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
People favor underdogs but only follow top dogs.
Fight for some underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you’ve got
anyway!
Many thanks to Jacui Niederle, co-leader of Middlesex Co.
Chapter for sharing this wonderful piece with us.
Next Time Someone Asks That Question …
Q: What kind of work do you do?
CFIDS Answer: I have a non-traditional job.
Q: What is it that you do?
A: I work a 24-hour, seven days a week job that I’ve had for 4 years without vacation time.
Q: What kind of crazy job is that?
A: It does sound crazy, and especially because IT chose ME. It is the hardest work I have ever done. I don’t know day to day what the job requirements will be. And I don’t have the choice to quit it, as much as I’d like to.
Q: Why can’t you leave it?
A: My work is to live with and heal from a very severe, chronic illness that has been around a long time but it still is not well understood. It’s like having your own business in that only one person – me – knows as much about my body and what I should do each day to encourage it to do better.
Q: I never thought of living with a chronic illness as work. Do you miss traditional work?
A: There’s nothing I’d love more than to get well and work in a normal job. But as long as it is out of the question, I have to do the best I can with my current work.
Q: Do you at least get benefits from your work?
A: Not tangible ones like paid holidays, insurance or a savings plan, and I could really use one of those. But I do get a lot of skill-building, like people in traditional work.
Q: What skills could being chronically ill give you?
A: Patience. Assertiveness. Developing boundaries. Humor. Asking for help. Setting priorities. Letting go of what I can’t control. Listening. Better communication. Courage. Tackling impossible challenges. Creativity. Resourcefulness. Imagination. Making do. Stretching limited resources. Flexibility. Pacing. Trusting myself. Trusting others.
Q: (Speechless. Wanders off thoughtfully.)
Many thanks to Judy Kruger for creating
and sharing this original piece!
Do you work?
Parts of me do!
E I Choices
by Saundra Sharp
Buy a juicer or go to the beach
Have a colonic or pull your teeth
Try homeopathy and eliminate grains
Too many choices, I’m going insane.
Chiropractic treatments and Chelation I.V.’s
Organic Foods and Mega doses of C
Acupuncture therapy and meditation tapes
Another new hope or another mistake
Try macrobiotics and eliminate meat
Choose only healing foods to eat
While Sauna detox often works
Sometimes programs make you worse
Wear only cotton with no perma press
Easier by far is not getting dressed
Constant searching for answers and clues
Suggestions from everyone on what to do
Try it all, I’ve heard it said
Think I’d rather stay in bed
Another day and another choice
Inside my head I hear this voice
Stop the chatter the message implies
Let the answer come from inside
Trust your instincts, trust your heart
Gather the strength that they impart
Make decisions, right or wrong
Nothing is hopeless, till choices are gone
———————————
*E I is environmental illness and is also known as MCS – Multiple Chemical Sensitivity