Doctor D was so kind in nominating me for a MedGadget Medblog Award for Best Patient’s Blog. I made it as a finalist. The polls are open until February 14, but it’s no surprise that I don’t have many votes. If you are so inclined, you may vote by clicking here and/or check how I am doing in the polls.
I appreciate the campaigning that has been done on behalf of The Queen of Optimism by my friends including DearThyroid, Sick Momma, and the Herman Letters.
Sure, this little blog is not of the award winning caliber. But there is a bigger reason why I can not win this contest.
Anonymity.
Very few people I know are aware that I keep a patient blog. In fact, prior to becoming a finalist, I think only five people from my off-line life knew I did this and only two had ever read it. One of the two people is my spouse.
Since becoming a finalist, I have joked with friends and co-workers about the fact I am a blog contest finalist. But I haven’t shared the details.
Plus, if you know me, you know I don’t talk about my personal life much. I’m private and more comfortable talking about you. And frivolous subjects such as hair, makeup, and the occasional celebrity gossip. If I’m feeling feisty, I will talk about my passion for helping the less fortunate as my career, what I know about “real” politics, and things I’ve heard on NPR. But I won’t tell you I’m moderately deaf and wear hearing aids, unless I’m having trouble hearing you.
If I knew people who know me were reading this, I’d censor myself and my feelings. I’d worry about my spelling and grammar. I write and edit for my work. A ton. My blog is different. It’s for me. It’s for you that happens to stumble upon it. It’s for the little community that builds around me as I share myself and read what others have shared.
I have no real disease/disorder related community to connect with. While I LOVE Dear Thyroid, I find myself as a bit of an outsider because I’m told by my docs that my thyroid problem and goiter are not much of an issue.
So what I’m asking for is that you vote. Even if it’s not for me, check out the other patient and medical blogs. You could find a new person to add to your community and you just might make someone’s day.
Thanks!
Best wishes always,
-Q
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Being sick and undiagnosed sucks
Especially at work. I make up stuff, ok not exactly make up. I *do* have arthralgias, but people don’t know what that means so I say “I have arthritis” to the people who don’t need to approve accommodations but who do need to know so they will stop expecting me to jog up and down flights of stairs. Yep, just today a coworker who just returned from some time off (and who hasn’t worked with me until the last few weeks) held the door for me as she entered our building. “Come on, hurry up!” she yelled at me cheerfully as I made my usual hesitating way up the stairs. “Sorry!” I said as I came through the door “I don’t go fast.” At some point, I will probably need to “disclose” to this lady, it happens. And when that happens, I will say without a hint of guilt “I have arthritis that flares up now and then” and leave it at that. If we become friends, she can know more. Otherwise, functionally, it’s the same to her.
Thanks, Laura. I do feel that dealing with people at work is one of the my biggest challenges. Because I’ve been in situations where I feel I am close to answers/diagnosis, I have really made it worse when I have disclosed. No, i don’t have a thethered cord; it’s not my thyroid like they thought; oh – did I say it was a blood flow problem? turned out it isn’t; nope, not sciatica; I’ll be fine…. (and the next week I’m limping and can’t lift my arm). Sheesh. I admire your confidence and shall try myself not to lean toward guilt.
As always, best wishes to you!
I only adopted this attitude recently and after years of doing it the other way. You should do what feels comfortable for you, I mean comfortable emotionally and mentally – I realize comfortable is a loaded word when your body’s acting up like for so long. That along with “better” as in “are you feeling better?”, which is also relevant at work. I decided that “better” has two meanings. There’s better/recovered and better/not as bad as yesterday. Most people use the former without considering there may be a latter. I’m working on educating the people I am close to about the latter.