"Get Well Soon" vs. "I Hope You Feel Better"
Throughout my entire chronic life, friends and family have often said “Get well soon” or “I hope you feel better”. There was a time when hearing either sentiment made me cringe, but that was until I realized that only one of those statements really offends me.
I will never get well with psoriatic arthritis
Those of us with psoriatic arthritis are never going to get well. It is a chronic illness, meaning never-ending. There is no cure. Unless by some miracle a cure is found in my lifetime, those who are hoping and waiting for me to get well won’t get their wish.
Feeling better is still an option
The reason I no longer get upset when someone expresses that they wish that I felt better is that it is possible. Unless I am feeling 100%, there is always a chance of feeling better. Better isn’t the same as being well, it can be experiencing a slight or major improvement.
When every inch of my body is screaming out in pain, the slightest amount of relief is welcome and considered better.
They simply aren't helpful when living with PsA
I feel like the person who wishes for me to feel better understands that I will never be well. They aren’t waiting for me to be who I was before becoming ill; they just want me to feel better than I am feeling at that moment.
Even if they don’t understand my illness, they know enough to realize that there are different levels of pain that I can function better at than others. Instead of getting upset or angry with those who are wishing me to “get well”, I calmly explain to them that it won’t happen.
I share that I can and often do feel better, but even at my best I will never be cured.
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Which do you prefer:
How do you respond when someone says “Get well soon”?
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