My husband and I were at the store and a woman, a DISCERNING woman, commented on my decorated sling. My husband said proudly, “She’s wearing a sling because she just had a pacemaker implanted!”
I know he’s doing everything in his power to make this a positive experience. This made me reflect on the difference between “getting fibromyalgia” and “getting a pacemaker.
The major differences between people’s reactions:
Having a Pacemaker:
-
How are you feeling?
- Here, let me do that for you”,
- “Don’t over exert yourself”
- “It’s ok that you are sleeping all the time, your body needs rest to heal.”
- “You are going to feel so much better as a result of this”
- “Isn’t technology wonderful!”
- “My Uncle (Aunt, friend, Father, co-worker) has had a pacemaker for 59 years”
Having Fibromyalgia:
- (“I don’t dare ask how she’s feeling because she’ll tell me”)
- “Do as much as you can because it’s not good to be sedentary.”
- Have you tried ________ ?(fill in the blank.)
- You look fine.
