Sometimes, all it takes is three simple words to send you in a tailspin of emotions. The words carry so much weight, that you don’t suspect that the other person fully understands exactly what they have said to you. It is a hug emotional and mental undertaking to not only say the words, but to receive them in the light they were intended.
These three words.
It’s amazing how they can make or break your day.
I cannot tell you how many times I have heard these words and felt my insides slowly dissolve away, as if I were a balloon and the air was just let out of me.
These. Three. Words.
How are you?
(dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuuuuun)
Sigh. These three words are sometimes the bane of my existence.
You see, I, Captain Hysterical, am a hypochondriac. I know, I know, it does seem extremely improbable that a super hero such as myself would have such an ailment, but alas I do. I can readily admit that I am a hypochondriac. And here me when I tell you, it is not easy.
Starting off my day, it is best NOT to ask me “How are you?” because I can almost GUARANTEE you that I am not well. I will have suffered from some malady over night that has manifested itself into some even worse malady and I am probably headed to the emergency room for said malady (yes, I like the word malady). I have been talked back off the proverbial ledge several times from illnesses both real and imagined (more imagined than real. don’t judge me.) and I am ok with that.
See, I am a super hero who fully embraces her foolish, and a major part of my foolish is being a hypochondriac.
In my tenure as the resident hypochondriac, I have had several cancers (all imagined), 5 tumors (all imagined), hypo AND hyper thyroidism (at the same time no less) and have needed several transplants (yup, you guessed, all imagined). Now, while I do have some issues that are real, they are actually rather run of the mill issues and do not directly correlate with my other (read imagined) illnesses.
My doctor affectionately refers to me as a freak show, my mother thinks I’m nuts, my friends, well they are as nuts as I am but no where near as neurotic (well, maybe one and CLEARLY she is my favorite hahaha), my husband, Mr. Incredible, removed WebMD from my pc AND my phone……yea, it’s pretty bad.
BUT, I am getting better. And I cannot take total credit for it. My friends have all taken it upon themselves to NOT tell me when they don’t feel good so that I don’t ‘catch’ whatever it is they have. Aren’t they sweet? -______- (<– extreme stale face right there)
Anyways, we all have our issues, and unlike many, I am totally comfortable with mine. Now, allow me to be comfortable with yours. Tell me, what ails you? I promise not to catch it…..today 🙂