Guilt can be insidious. It serves to keep us down and tends to worsen our impression of its root cause (no matter what that cause, external or internal). I’ll boldly say that much of the time we make ourselves feel guilty even when our loved ones are supportive and wish the best for us.
But what if the guilt is coming not from the several things you can’t do, but from the things you CAN do?
Sounds silly, doesn’t it? Feeling guilty for being ABLE to do things or feeling self-conscious about sharing positive news or about enjoying a bit of that elusive thing called remission.
Not long ago I was at a meeting with other people living with RA during which we were asked as a group about remission. What does remission mean to us? Who had achieved remission?
I have a confession. I was hesitant to say too much because unlike some of the other RA folks in the room, I agreed with my doctor when she determined I was currently in remission. During a recent appointment, I reported no pain or swelling during the past couple of months. (Never mind, I honestly forgot about the minor flare-up I experienced earlier in the summer while we were talking).
I had no tender or swollen joints when she examined me. My inflammatory markers remain low.
I’m doing great!!!
I feel guilty saying so because I know that so many people are not doing well. There is so much pain and angst within our online RA community that sometimes it feels unfair to talk about the good things. But I was encouraged to do just that.
Read this post in its entirety:
From RA Guilt to Gratitude
No comments:
Post a Comment