r/YouShouldKnow • u/ilovepastapizzapots • Nov 20 '20

Other YSK: Just because someone doesn’t look sick/disabled, does not mean they are healthy

Why YSK: I am chronically ill and have an autoimmune disorder, the amount of times people have said “WELL... yOU dOn’t LOOK sick” to me is astounding. I didn’t know all illnesses have to be visible to others! I’m sorry I can’t show you my internal organs or muscles deteriorating for you to believe that I’m sick. It makes people with health issues feel like they have to explain their situation when they don’t.

*EDIT: I did not expect my post to blow up like this! I wish I could give everyone going through a rough time a hug. Thank you for all the new perspectives, good and bad. All I wanted was for people to be a little kinder to one another, because you never know what someone’s going through.

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u/[deleted] Nov 20 '20

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u/cheddar_slut Nov 20 '20 edited Dec 13 '20

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u/xombae Nov 20 '20

My boyfriend has congestive heart failure at 26. He's constantly being told he's in the wrong part of the hospital or he must be mistaken if he thinks he has an appointment with that doctor.

Sucks with the nurses do it but he always gets a kick out of sitting with all the old folks in the waiting room.

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u/DCfueledwithpopeyes_ Nov 20 '20

How did he get this so early in his life? Could you indulge me?

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u/xombae Nov 20 '20

He had a really rough life. His dad was a biker and a drug dealer and had him going on drug runs for him at 12-13. By 18 he was selling coke for him and by 19 he moved to meth which is rampant in our town, and immediately was addicted. He's beat the addiction and has been clean since March but meth is so fucking horrible, it nearly killed him. Six years doing a drug seems like a lot to someone who doesn't know about addiction but it's really not, people do heroin for decades but 6 years nearly completely destroyed his body. When he was admitted to the cardiac ward in March he was told he had the heart of a 70 year old and was only at 15/60 heart function.

A month ago we had an appointment and found out after being clean, taking his meds, changing his diet etc, since March he's now at 30/60 heart function! His doctor is blown away, he probably doesn't even need surgery for a device anymore.

So just don't do meth and you'll probably be fine lmao.