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All I want for Christmas is… a new body!

So the holidays are here again! Everyone is excited, running around decorating, shopping for gifts and planning their holiday menus. Most importantly they are making their holiday wish lists. All I want for Christmas is a new body!

I honestly DREAD the holidays! Don’t get me wrong! I LOVE shopping, I love giving gifts and well, lets face it… I LOVE GETTING GIFTS!

But truth be told, the holidays for someone battling an illness is STRESSFUL!

Most people worry about the credit card bill they have to pay at the end of the month but for people like us, who are physically ill, we have to worry about the bill that comes in for over extending ourselves. There will always be a price to pay!

I sat in line, on my scooter, for 7.5 hours on black Friday to get my Mom the laptop she wanted. During that time I dislocated a hip, my knee and my wrist. I got home and the next 48 hours were excruciating for me. Swollen feet, blazing back pain that takes your breath away, skin so hypersensitive that clothes were not an option!

Was it worth it? Well, if it made my Mom happy OF COURSE, but on the same token it made me realize that this disease robs me of time. For every day that I do something “too strenuous” I lose a day or two or more for doing it. Grocery shopping for Thanksgiving dinner lost a day! Tidying the house for company, lost a day! Sitting in line for Back Friday, lost 2 days!!

People want the illusion that everything is fine, especially around the holidays, so we are expected to look good, feel good, suck up the pain and slap a smile on our faces but sometimes its asking for a lot more then we can offer. I then think to myself that sitting around like a scrooge doesn’t make me feel any better either. My pain is there no matter what, and while it does its best to destroy me and everything I love, I will be damned if I allow it to destroy the joy of my loved ones this holiday season! With that being said, I will do my best to not complain during the decorating and possibly just take a more supervisory role. I will holiday shop online instead of dragging myself through the stores. As for cooking the holiday meal, well if I had more visitors this year (I relocated to warmer climates!) I would do a “pot luck” so that the cooking duties are minimized.

I will give a big gift to my loved ones this holiday season; I will remember that there is more to life then just my illness. That I can grin and bear it so they can have a day free of worrying about me and my needs. I will enjoy myself, truly no matter what because holiday memories should not be overshadowed by bitter replays of the pain. Since being miserable does nothing to help my pain, I will be making a conscious decision to look past the feelings of guilt, hopelessness and despair. I will look past the physical pain as much as possible and I will enjoy myself. I will laugh, sing, eat, drink and gosh darn it, I will be merry!

I wish you all a pain free, happy and blessed holiday season.
Peace & Paw Prints!

So this blog entry question: What do you do differently to enjoy the holidays despite your illness?

This article is intended to convey general educational information and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.

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9 comments

  1. Selena!!!

    I LOVE LOVE LOVE reading your blogs. You are an amazing writer and an amazing person to boot. Keeping our outlook and attitudes positive when we have things like pain bothering us is difficult, but doable. Kudos on the excellent post.

    • Sarah

      ^I second that! We love you Dani!!!

      • Dani

        AWWW! Thanks Sarah! You make me blush!

    • Dani

      Thanks Selena!!! You are quite amazing your self and your strength is quite amazing to me so THANK YOU!!

  2. Sharon Young

    Dani, You have a wonderful way with words! I can only imagine the pain you deal with as a way of life. Know that no matter what, there are people out there that love and care about you; that would like to see you live a long and healthy life, yet know that for you this is not 100% possible. Hang in there, one day at a time, and yes, FIGHT LIKE A GIRL!!!! {Hugs}

    • Dani

      AWWW! Thank you so much! The fight is made a little easier for us when we have wonderful people like you behind us!

  3. emma

    i too have eds, i have hypermobility type. i didn’t really have to hide the pain, over do it and suffer afterwards this christmas because it was just me at home alone most of the day. my mum was working & my stepdad went to the pub. we didn’t open our presents until 7pm! also i had a big shoulder operation on the 21st and had only just got out of hospital so nothing was expected of me. for me it was a good christmas, i got to stay in bed & didn’t feel bad about that at all. my youngest dog opened my presents for me because i didn’t want to dislocate the fingers on my good hand or my wrist when i’m not allowed to move my left arm.
    if my brother, his wife & their kids had been here it would have been very different, i’d have just put that smile on & made sure it stayed there until i were alone. i sort of shoot myself in the foot by doing that though. i managed to keep going when i were staying with them for a few days in november but now my brothers wife thinks i’d be able to hold down a job without it affecting my health. in reality i only just managed to keep going for those few days & crashed when i got home, it took me weeks to recover so if i got a job i’d manage a few days then i’d spend weeks recovering

    • Dani

      Emma, first let me say sorry for my delay in responding. But YAAAAY! I am happy you were able to enjoy your holiday! I hope your shoulder has healed and is doing well!
      I am sorry your sister in law is not close enough to you to see through your smile and recognize your pain. We can’t fault people who don’t walk in our shoes, though it seems they have no problem judging us without walking a mile in ours.
      Try to just focus on you and your health, and don’t let her judgements get in your way! You will be able to do what ever you want, maybe not the conventional way but there are still ways for you to enjoy a life filled with love and success. You need to use your own timetable, push yourself and know your body’s limits! Good luck to you!!

  4. Becky

    I have lupus, this year body gave out right before thanksgiving, so have couch duty till 12/19.. grrrr… and then get to start physical therapy again (yuck) my work not thrilled to say the least, still not sure my family gets it, even though its been years. If they can’t see it.. how can it be! The Christmas shopping money you been saving all year in your xmas club shrinking as your insurance deductible is eating it up due to 3 appointments a week and not to mention the er visit. So my wish for new body next year is on the list. and as long as i am wishing, please make it a size 6, firm and perky !!! The years of predisone has taken a toll on mine… thanks for listening and please forward to santa..

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