Any one else dealing with family members who simply don't get it?
I'm sick here, people, really sick. I've yet to see my LLMD for treatment --- so nothing is better. (next month)
I'm so tired I can hardly stay awake but when I do fall asleep I wake up over and over again through the night.
My pain is more severe now, I'm having a hard time thinking and talking, my eyes hurt in the light and are now dry.
I could go on and on...I know you all can relate.
And yet I still have family members asking me to go do this or go do that and what not.
They know I've been sick for two years but it seems to go right over their heads how life changing this disease really is.
I wish they could get it. I try to explain it but I get told stupid things like "in the meantime, eat more fruit and take your vitamins".
I guess I needed to rant for a moment and get it off my chest ...
Feels like the only place I can really do that is where other Lyme sufferers are.
Posted by buzzsflybox (Member # 26808) on :
PLEASE hang in there nel! My family and Gfriend never "Understood" either. I've lost her and most of my family have come to slightly tollerate me by calling me nutz. (I prefer excentric) Try going to the Lyme Literate shrink tho. At least he/she "Listens". God bless & help you. Buzz
Posted by John S (Member # 19756) on :
See Kirk's post. I hear you. I deal with it. It has really caused me to hate the "normal" people sometimes. Unfortunately all we can do is persevere.
I sometimes wish we could have Lyme communities.
Posted by RESOLVED. (Member # 24991) on :
Would any family members agree to watch "Under Our Skin"? I know for some, it's helped their friends and family to finally get it. Good Luck
Posted by Misfit (Member # 26270) on :
I know how you feel. My grown daughters dont get it. Ive just come to a point to where i dont care. I do what i can, when i can. Thats all. I have an understanding DH thank goodness. Even my 9yo says lyme disease sucks. Hes seen me in abject misery. He thinks the dietary restrictions are the worst...esp when the watermelon was brought out and i didnt have any lol. Keep hanging in there...maybe your LLMD can make a believer out of them.
Posted by nellers78 (Member # 26774) on :
I'll just try and communicate things with them better... some of it might be my own fault for not telling everything thing I'm going through. I feel I've tried but maybe I haven't as much as I could. And then again, maybe I shouldn't. I don't want to put all this crap on other people... only my husband and direct family needs to truly get what I'm going through, since they are the ones who are directly affected.
Posted by massman (Member # 18116) on :
Great you have a patient man.
Sucks big time when your own family does not support you. On my bad days I feel like wishing it on almost all family members.
Hang in and talk here.
Posted by littlebit27 (Member # 24477) on :
I get it...no one in my family does. My mom is an RN-doesn't believe in Lyme, keeps telling me I have fibro or RA.
No matter how many times I tell my husband about my symptoms it just doesn't sink in. No matter how many times I tell him it could takes years to get rid of this crap he tells me 'your not getting better maybe it's time to look for a different dx.'
Sometimes I just look at him and say Are you Serious??
My anxiety and irritability are through the roof. My pain is tremendous.
My PCP thinks I'm a drug addict-it's easier for a drug addict to get pain meds then a person in true Chronic pain who takes her meds as prescribed every time.
I wish I could just say I'm done, go away Lyme, I want my life back.
My husband has watched some of Under our Skin-he fell asleep watching it...nice.
I tell him how I'm feeling, but I think he just gets more annoyed than anything else that I'm still complaining about the same old ****.
I try to stop talking about it with him..but I always end up slipping up.
I get it, I really wish I had support. It sucks going through this "alone."
Posted by John S (Member # 19756) on :
IF THE IDSA, CDC, AND NIH REALLY DID ITS JOB, THEN THEY WOULD UNDERSTAND! THEY DON'T BELIEVE IT BECAUSE THE SYSTEM THEY BELIEVE IN DENIES IT!
Posted by Kirk (Member # 24483) on :
I just posted about two posts dealing with this very thing. My family attributes every complaint I have to a different thing, and they have been subtly suggesting that I am a hypochondriac.
Well 38 years of never having been a hypochrondriac bought me about 6 months of respect and consideration from these people.
I've stopped caring about what they say, they just don't get it, its that simple. I'm keeping my problems to my self and working hard to think positively.
Posted by TheCrimeOfLyme (Member # 4019) on :
Been there, done that. I dumped a five year + boyfriend over it, and pretty much turned away any family that didn't get it.
If the ones outside your roof don't get it- it can be "no big deal" if we simply don't tolerate them. If its UNDER the roof... look out. Someone has to change, and it isn't us... we're sick
Posted by kellephant (Member # 24885) on :
i totally get the feeling that no-one gets it... everyday. it is SO frustrating!
i try to remember that at least Jesus gets it and knows my pain.
it's VERY frustrating though! sometimes im tempted to just cut everyone out of my life, but unless someone has a chronic illness, it's just impossible for them to understand.
if there's one good thing that has come out of my years of sickness... it's that i have the ability to empathize properly with other ill people now. you really have to go through this yourself before you can truly "get it"