{"id":2112,"date":"2016-09-15T22:01:36","date_gmt":"2016-09-15T22:01:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/?p=2112"},"modified":"2016-09-15T22:01:36","modified_gmt":"2016-09-15T22:01:36","slug":"chronic-illness-rest-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/2016\/09\/chronic-illness-rest-world.html","title":{"rendered":"Our Illness and the Sick"},"content":{"rendered":"![\"Second](\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/350\/2015\/10\/Second-close-up-of-picture-257x300.jpg\")
It might be the sick child who lets loose a massive sneeze, uncovered, in a crowded elevator or a physician who is sick him- or herself and still sees patients — \u00a0one thing that truly irks me is someone who will go out among others when they are contagiously sick. \u00a0Believe me, there’s no “glory” or “guts” in tanking up on medicine and going forth. Rather, there’s the likelihood that others will contract whatever it is the sickie has, and so the cycle will go on, perhaps with dire consequences.<\/p>\n
Once, I remember one of my eye doctors entered the examination room with a surgical mask on. “I’m just a little sick,” she told me. And because I was a newbie to the lupus-patient-protect-thyself world, I didn’t quarrel with her…until a couple of days later when my fever spiked to 102 and I ended up with a massive case of “a little sick” myself. Masks, hand sanitizers, coughs into the fabric of a shirt are all “well” and good – until they’re not, and others suffe for it.<\/p>\n
The person who is ill might not think that there are immune-suppressed people among the strangers walking up and down the grocery store aisles or waiting in line for prescriptions (don’t we all just look so healthy?!), \u00a0but he or she who thinks this is wrong. Wrong! And even as they might recover quickly, others of us will be getting much sicker for a much longer period of time. Or, worse, might go from a “common” infection to something requiring hospitalization. In the spirit of giving a gift you would like yourself, abundant, loving presents these are not.<\/p>\n
We’re approaching flu season, which is always a cautionary time for those of us with chronic, serious health conditions. I supppose that’s why I’m writing with such dogged intent: Please! If you are sick, before you think of yourself and all that you “must” do, think of others who are less healthy than you are. Think of the pregant women whose discomfort is amplified many times over if they get a “simple cold” or other illness while carrying their beloved baby. Think of the elderly for whom a sniffle can turn into a hospitalization in a heartbeat. Finally, think of how great a gift you are giving to society if you do stay away from others when you’re contagious. If you don’t pass along your illness to someone else, you don’t extend the “life” of the bugs. And a shorter cold and flu season is sure cause to celebrate!<\/p>\n
Yesterday, at a store, my cashier asked a co-worker several feet away, “Are you sick?” He replied,” If I were sick, I wouldn’t be here.” She shrugged and said, “Well, if I were sick, I’d be here. I need the money.”<\/p>\n
Oh, my, really? Please – we who would come in contact with you really don’t need the germs!<\/p>\n
Peace,<\/p>\n
Maureen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It might be the sick child who lets loose a massive sneeze, uncovered, in a crowded elevator or a physician who is sick him- or herself and still sees patients — \u00a0one thing that truly irks me is someone who will go out among others when they are contagiously sick. \u00a0Believe me, there’s no “glory”…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":548,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2210,29,19,288],"class_list":["post-2112","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-avoiding-illness","tag-chronic-illness","tag-illness","tag-sickness"],"yoast_head":"\n
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She expected to be writing scripts. God had other plans. A few years after her graduation, Maureen was diagnosed with a life-threatening case of organ-involved lupus. Her life turned upside down as she grappled with the effects of the illness and other health conditions that ensued. She was no stranger to serious health challenges; even as a child, Maureen had survived numerous bouts of pneumonia, flu, and other infections. But lupus made her take a fresh look at her life goals - and took herlifelong, strong Catholic Christian faith and writing in a direction she'd never imagined. Today, Maureen writes and speaks about walking with the Lord while living with chronic pain and illness. Her most recent book is \"Don't Panic!: How to Keep Going When the Going Gets Tough (Franciscan Media). She is also the author of, \"Peace in the Storm: Meditations on Chronic Pain & Illness\" (Image Books\/Randomhouse), \"Beyond Pain: Job, Jesus, and Joy\" (Twenty-Third Publications), \"The First Year: Hypothyroidism, Second Edition\" (Perseus) and \"Taking Charge of Lupus: How to Manage the Disease and Make the Most of Your LIfe.\" She writes the syndicated column, \"Living Well,\" for Catholic News Service, and has also written for Saint Anthony Messenger Magazine, Journey for Women Magazine, The Upper Room Magazine, LupusNow, and Arthritis Today. Maureen's health continues to be a challenge, however she feels honored to be able to bring her perspective, from experience and knowledge, to others. \"Good Days...Bad Days with Maureen Pratt\" is a new way for Maureen to reach people who carry the burden of illness and pain in their lives, or who care for someone who does. Through the blog, she hopes to bring issues of health, wellness, and spirit into focus and, especially, inspire others that, no matter what health challenges, illness, or hardships they endure, each person can find a good way to realize the wonderful potential God has placed within each heart and soul.","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.maureenpratt.com"],"url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/author\/mpratt"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2112","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/548"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2112"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2112\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2114,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2112\/revisions\/2114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2112"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2112"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2112"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}