Image by melodi2
Can you picture this?
You are a tired, thirsty traveler on a hot desert night in an arid city. As you explore a deserted alley, you see a worn wooden door lit by a lone bare light bulb dangling overhead. You knock on the door, and it opens just a crack. You can hear lively music, sounds of ice cubes clinking in glasses, and laughter. You really, really want to join the party inside. The doorwoman examines you critically.
"How do I know that you're one of us?"
We Sjoggies need a way to identify ourselves to each other without broadcasting our health problems to the world. What do you think? Maybe a special Sjogren's handshake that symbolizes our strength, resilience, and solidarity?
How about one similar to the www.juniorsociety.com/ contact/?
The diagram above may be a secret handshake for kids, but it would be too difficult for me. Even on non--brain fog days. Hm.
This one is just ewww. Besides, I don't think that I can bend over that far. (Good flexibility, though, Homer.)
Maybe we could pretend to spit on one hand, and since most Sjoggies don't make spit, when we offer the hand to shake, another Sjoggie wouldn't have any reservations about accepting it. I'm not sure what a non-Sjoggie would do, however...
OK. How about this. We could pantomime putting in eye-drops, then twist off an imaginary water bottle cap?
I'm running out of creative ideas. I think this issue should be placed on the next Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation board meeting.
2 comments:
Ha! As a fellow Sjoggie (love this term!) I agree. We are clearly so awesome that we need our own handshake or something.
I agree the handshake is way too complicated. I will blame the Sjogren's brain fog and neuropathy for my inability to do that (but, it's probably just my natural inability to look cool!). The eye drops/water bottle idea is good - we certainly all have those moves down, with no problem! :)
Although we really are more than our diseases and have to learn to live despite those diseases, there is some comfort derived in sharing our personal miseries with similar "victims"....hence, blogging.
I, too, am a "Sjoggie". It appears that one autoimmune condition will signal the existence of others. When the body goes haywire, it can really go wacky. As for me, along with Sjogren's, I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, Irritable Bowel, Irritable (overactive) bladder a/k/a urge incontinence, Gastroparesis, Diabetes, Fibromyalgia, blah, blah, blah. So, I still have to get up in the morning, go to work, play with the cats, and do the things that everyone else does, because I don't really have a choice. I grieve for those people whose lives have been destroyed by their conditions, and I consider myself lucky in that none of these annoying illnesses/conditions are debilitating.
Now, as to something that will allow us to identify each other, let's see...breast cancer has it's little red ribbon pin, so, how about having a little water bottle as a lapel pin....or, maybe a bloodshot eye....or a red eye covered with sand? Hmmm.
Best of luck to us all with best wishes for a happy and healthy new year!
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