tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post638800944530020727..comments2024-03-22T13:46:31.211-04:00Comments on Getting Closer To Myself: “The Enemy Is Your Body”Lesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-60915110960758698322009-12-18T21:47:31.251-05:002009-12-18T21:47:31.251-05:00"I think the immortality complex that plagues..."I think the immortality complex that plagues the medical system is something derived from society-at-large. In grad school, for instance, we are made to push ourselves through an academically rigorous program, sometimes comprising ourselves and our health because we are young, we are supposed to push ourselves to the bone and never look back. So symptoms are attributed to stress and ignored until they reveal themselves to be much more than we bargain for. The main point here is that there is too much needless and senseless death and destruction of life happening. Young people are not supposed to die from horrible diseases."<br /><br />AMEN SISTER!!d'Artagnanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03027328289217391930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-11260969042021103522009-09-19T00:15:54.346-04:002009-09-19T00:15:54.346-04:00Thanks, all, for your great comments! You've ...Thanks, all, for your great comments! You've all certainly given me a lot to think about.Lesliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-8532890110577079872009-09-16T13:40:59.141-04:002009-09-16T13:40:59.141-04:00Great post....
I had the head of the disability o...Great post....<br /><br />I had the head of the disability office here at my University tell me in an email that just because I have a disease, doesn't mean I am disabled. HELLO...if it limits me from getting things done...then there ya go lady! Aka I am disabled then...brittahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17364260264700856613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-2582950283392155722009-09-16T12:08:03.581-04:002009-09-16T12:08:03.581-04:00I must say you did luck out with the weather! We ...I must say you did luck out with the weather! We are expecting rain for ours this Saturday - imagine that...here in Oregon. Our walks tend to have the same split with few people who fit that space between 'official' disability and "I'm fine...really." It's that no man's land where the majority of us reside. Hearing others tell us that the one place we may feel we do belong (ourselves) isn't a welcoming space either is not only inaccurate - it's just plain cruel.mariahttp://www.mylifeworkstoday.com/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-49527768262726964232009-09-16T10:59:52.921-04:002009-09-16T10:59:52.921-04:00wow, You left me speechless.wow, You left me speechless.Jeremy Wertheimerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10403971985255734462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-79837024144264506582009-09-16T10:39:56.286-04:002009-09-16T10:39:56.286-04:00"The body is reduced to being seen as the ene..."The body is reduced to being seen as the enemy, as a set of symptoms that make up an illness, not as inhabited by a person who has thoughts, feelings, hopes, and dreams." you have it right there. that is exactly what is wrong with the medical system and the societal view of disease. this is from my massage text book: "it is the pathogen that is undesirable, not the client, and all clients must be treated with respect, dignity, and kindness." from studying buddhism i have started attempting to think positive thoughts about my own body. so instead of wishing someone would remove my g.i. tract when i ingest gluten, i try to think some happy, calm, appreciative thoughts. it might seem silly but the negative thought cycles definitely don't help me view my body, because of the disease, as a good thing.jenn p.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02313062323094226765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-51028410354075464692009-09-16T10:30:21.895-04:002009-09-16T10:30:21.895-04:00Thanks so much for a very thought-provoking post. ...Thanks so much for a very thought-provoking post. <br /><br />I am in an Arthritis Walk in my city in a few weeks. I AM looking forward to it - I like getting together with others who have RA. But, in my experiences volunteering with the Arthritis Society I have also encountered things that have really bothered me. Specifically, I've noticed a tendency to play up every symptom, medical procedure, medication, etc. that arthritis patients experience or undergo as being absolutely devastating. There seems to be an unwillingness to acknowledge people with arthritis who both suffer with the illness and lead functional, fulfilling lives. You're either feeling fantastic and have no problems, or you're nearly bed-ridden. There's no acknowledgement of people like me, who depend on medication, who feel pain every day, but who also have good days and lead reasonably active lives. <br /><br />I can't believe the things that researcher said. I don't know if I feel quite the same way as you do about the state of medical science; I do think people are working hard to learn more about diseases, and that it has to be a process - although yes, I absolutely agree symptoms in younger people are frequently downplayed. With my recent cardiac diagnosis, I'm trying to learn to accept that nobody knows exactly what's going on. It's been difficult, but I'm slowly getting better at it. But you're right; to say that our bodies are our enemies is the ultimate insult from someone who clearly has no understanding of what it's actually like to have a chronic illness. <br /><br />My body is not my enemy. The illnesses that have invaded it are enemies, but my body is an amazing thing for having lived with arthritis for 24 years, for having adapted to scoliosis, for undergoing cardiac surgery. That's what I believe (most days). <br /><br />That was a lot of rambling, but this post really struck a chord with me. I'm so sorry to hear of your fellow student. I hope writing about it can help you find some peace.Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07842890893365738906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-38843672394741762142009-09-16T09:42:13.767-04:002009-09-16T09:42:13.767-04:00Leslie - this is a good post, but I think the doct...Leslie - this is a good post, but I think the doctor was right about clinical trials. If we are concerned about the lack of new drugs for our illnesses, we have to be willing to volunteer for clinical trials. Walking and raising money are all well and good, but no drug will ever go to market without being tested on people with the disease first. And that requires people with the disease to step up. Clinical trials don't require you to donate your body to science - just to accept a little more risk in an already risky situation.<br /><br />I don't think the main problem with illness and health care is the lack of new drugs. I don't think new drugs can or will solve all our problems as sick people. But I think it's hypocritical of the people who do think new drugs are the answer to expect someone else to do the clinical testing to prove those drugs work. In that senese, I think the doctor was right - even if he was a jerk otherwise.Duncan Crosshttp://duncancross.netnoreply@blogger.com