(Relative) Health

I seem to have picked up some variant of flu/cold/plague/ebola yesterday, which has me sidelined from life today (unless, of course, you count eating frozen chocolate covered banana slices as being in the game). This minor illness has got me thinking about some of my long-term health issues. ...Just a little thinking with the teeny bit of brain power I can muster when the evil dwarves inside my head aren't punching the inside of my skull with their brass knuckles and pouring acid down my tender throat. 


Sometimes it is easy to get down on oneself because of long-term health related issues, such as gluten intolerance. I know that this is something I struggle with from time to time, because I'm not just a glutard -- I'm broken in many ways. If I had lived before science and it was truly survival of the fittest, I would have been selected against as a child when it became apparent my visual capabilities were in the realm of 20/600. But hey, I look cute in glasses. That last sentence was brought to you by optimism! When I so start to feel like my health issues are preventing me from enjoying life to its fullest, I take some time to pause and think about all of the things my health does allow me to do. Like go for long walks, read books and look at fabulous things in magazines, craft delicious meals, make my friends laugh, and so on. Sure there is some stuff I can't do, but there is plenty I can, too. Sometimes I also engage in a little downward social comparison (aka, It Could Always Be Worse). Gluten intolerance is shitty, but it isn't as shitty as actually having brass-knuckle-clad dwarves living in your head. Neither gluten intolerance nor any of my other health issues will kill me as long as I am a responsible adult and exert the effort to manage my care. Life isn't easy and sometimes it takes active effort to find things to be happy about. Sometimes my gluten allergy is hard to cope with, but then I remember how lucky I am to be surrounded by people who are willing to adapt with me to meet my needs. While acknowledging this doesn't instantaneously make me feel better about my health, it does remind me that no one ever has to face their health challenges alone. If you feel alone, be brave and take the first step to find help. You're not alone. 


And on that serious note, I am off to make more tea with honey and devour some more frozen banana slices. Effing dwarves.