Let's Pretend We Don't Feel This Bad - Chronic Illness Tools

This article can be reprinted without asking specific permission. Just reprint "as is" and leave the resource box at the bottom. I'd love to know if you used it on your blog or newsletter. <a href="http://www.restministries.org/admin-contactus.htm" target="_blank">Please contact me</a>. Thanks, Lisa

Let's Pretend We Don't Feel This Bad - Chronic Illness Tools
by Lisa Copen

Have you ever been tempted to just pretend that the life you are living is different than the reality? If you have, you can quickly imagine a new life by just hanging out for a few minutes with a 6-year-old. Since my son seems to want loads of interaction around any scenario that is different than the one he is having. Each sentence seems to start with "Mom, let's pretend..."

In just the last few weeks I have pretended to be a chef, mailman, grocery store clerk, librarian, waitress, and a clerk at a DVD rental place.

He's been a stranger knocking on our front door with the 3D glasses from a movie (that he wouldn't even wear during the film.)

He has been the adventurous Indiana Jones with his hat and whip, while I've been his sidekick to back him up when being attacked by a man-eating plant.

I've been the gardener coming to clip his shrubs.

We've been American Idols singing the Beach "Guys" (his words).

And I've repeatedly had to pretend to be frightened by fake roaches, a giant squid and rubber lizards.

There is never a dull moment around our house as we wait to see what scene he decides he wants us to play out next. He of course, claims the roles of director, producer and leading star celebrity. If he can learn to write a theme song we'll have our own little Clint Eastwood. Course, he'd prefer to be Harrison Ford. After all, he is the start of both Star Wars and Indiana Jones.

Each scene we act out he seems to think I can improve upon, and so the director in him makes us do it over and over. I try to be creative, but sometimes I just want to toss aside the Indy and go buy myself a Barbie. At least I could brush her hair.

A few times after we've done "Take 7," creatively fatigued and I've told him, "Mommy is tired of pretending to be scared. I just want to rest. Go get Daddy."

What does this story have to do with living with a chronic illness? Illness involves a special balance of having to pretend.

A pharmaceutical company has a new commercial on television for a medication that treats rheumatoid arthritis, the illness I have. And I can say it is finally a commercial that makes sense to me. It shows a split screen with the woman on the left side, before taking her medication and she is not able to participate in activities she once did. After taking her medication, she slides over to the right side of the screen, where her family is having dinner. Now she is able to participate. It's nice to see the right side of the screen having an every day activity too; no sky diving or waterskiing, just dinner with people she loves.

Sometimes we aren't able to find any medication or treatment that can help us cross over to the side of life that we'd like to be living, but we can pretend. What do I mean?