Sick Girl Steppin’ Out

I think, especially at this age, there is an inherent need, even when ill, to attempt to keep things as normal as possible; to attempt to live the life that any other twenty-something would be living. For me, this means being able to do all the things my girlfriends do, and not have to give a second thought to it. But leave it to illness, there’s always something there to remind me…

It’s rare that I treat myself to being pampered. And it’s rare that I talk about the “lighter” side of illness. And since I got sick, it is an even rarer occurrence for me to put a lot of effort into my appearance, unless I have a reason to do so. Maybe my friends would say I’ve “let myself go.” And maybe I’ve got some issues to work through, but that’s not the point.

The point is, an interesting article was recently brought to my attention. I’m not even going to tell you what the article was about specifically. You can Google it. But the best line in the article is, “She [some doctor] advises people who have diabetes, chronic kidney or liver disease, skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis, or weakened immune systems to avoid waxing altogether.”

To be honest, I was a little stunned when I read this article, with it’s staunch warning to people with “weakened immune systems” (that is, unfortunately, me…). It isn’t something that would have ever crossed my mind. Why would anyone ever give a second thought to going to get a manicure, pedicure, or other salon/spa treatment? I’ve certainly heard of people getting fungal infections from unclean nail salons, but killer infections? Not so much.

I realized why this is. Sick people aren’t supposed to think about primping, let alone actually do it. It’s one thing if you’re a guest on Oprah and she rewards you with a day of luxury at a spa. It’s another to say, I’m going out of town this weekend and feel like getting a manicure and a pedicure. Or even to say, I feel like doing something nice and relaxing for myself today.

And the truth is, I’m not flexible enough to reach my toes, and my hands shake too much to really attempt a half-decent manicure on myself. So I’d rather shell out the money once in awhile to have it done by a professional…but certainly not at the expense of my health (what little I have of it, anyway).

And I’ll just go ahead and say it: I’m aware I have deformed toes. I have freakin’ arthritis people, get over it. (Now everywhere I go, everyone’s going to be looking at my feet) Oh well!

I’ve come to learn recently how important self-care can be, and no matter how selfish I may feel, that I have to be first on my list and treat myself well…or no one else will. But of course, leave it to illness to add another complication to this whole relaxation, self-care bit… I’m certainly not advocating that these kinds of activities, which might make us feel alive, human, “normal,” be thrown out the window. But…

My advice for the day? Unfortunately… Think before you primp. Because illness isn’t supposed to be fun, right? I think, in some ways, society still has yet to catch on to the fact that there are a hell of a lot of sick people in the country and the world who are attempting to live “normal” lives. There’s still that image of a “sick person” being unkempt, disheveled, miserable, and better kept out of sight, so as not to scare small children. Apparently, we’re never supposed to get out of bed in the morning, let alone get a little happy/fancy with ourselves...