Happy Invisible Illness Awareness Week
In case you didn’t know it, this week is Invisible Illness Awareness. If it wasn’t for a mention on a few mingraine-related blogs, I never would have known. It’s certainly a very quiet little official week. I guess that’s only to be expected from a bunch of invisible illnesses.
Which, of course, leads me to the obvious question –
What the Hell is an Invisible Illness?
Well, I thought the quick answer to that would be found at the National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week website. How wrong I was. After scrolling through jewlery advertisements for those stupid little ribbon-shaped pins and bracelets, badges for this product and that seminar and even a big thank you to Christian Sheep Magazine or whatever it’s called, in a tiny little corner of the bottom of the webpage did I actually find the information to what I was looking for.
An “invisible illness” is an illness that can’t be seen on your face or body instantaneously, unlike such illnesses as leprosy.
Huh?
Most illnesses look pretty damn visible once you get to know somebody for two minutes. They’re clutching their heads, projectile vomiting or screaming at you bloody murder for getting into their aura. For example, it’s very apparent when someone is having an attack of cluster headaches or a are in the mainc phase of bipolar disorder. So, I’m still not entirely sure what they’re talking about.
Those Ribbons Are So Over
After clicking through the National Chronic Invisible Man Syndome Whatever website, I also have no idea what the point of the chairty is, except to sell pins and bracelets. Can we stop it with the ribbons already? They’re everywhere now and have lost their uniqueness. They just blend in with the landscape like air molecules.
Now, as regular readers of this blog know, I’m not the brightest spark in the blogosphere. I also have three “invisible illnesses” (major depression, migraines and chronic headaches) and yet I can’t muster up anything but skepticism for this “awareness week”. It looks like a front for the jewelry industry. And if I’m skeptical of it, then others will, too.
Sponsor some legislation or a clinical trial and then I’ll change my mind.
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