It's a New Year! I resolve to stop being "special"!

Hahaha! right.
It's a funny thing - and I know anyone who suffers a chronic and/or mysterious and inexplicable disorder can relate.

It's not that great being special. Wouldn't it be great to just be average and normal?  Get average scores on your lengthy laboratory reports? Just see a doctor once a year for a "check-up" - or maybe only once every 2-5 years?  I know people like that (like Mr. Wonderful).

On the other hand, as I share more about my health now than I ever have in my life, one interesting result is the realization that once again, "we are all special in our own special way".  Yes, there are a majority of basically problem free bodies running around us, and it is so easy to just assume that this is really how the majority of people live their lives.  Actually I hope that is true - it would make me happier to know that more people feel pretty good most of the time than to imagine most people spend a lot of time suffering some ailment of another. I may feel envious, but never would I wish a health problem on someone.

I guess being special is just that. If you are special, you can make of it what you will.  So many people have shared their own stories with me, and it is comforting to know that you are never really alone unless you choose to be.

Starting this new year, I will say that I have so much love and affectionate feeling in my heart for the friends, colleagues, family members, and even relative strangers who have reached out to say something supportive. I have to send out props especially to my mom who flew down without hesitation to help out Mr. Wonderful, who was drowning under the stress of running a household (during the holidays!) and parenting.  The Casserole Brigade from our Parish came to the rescue several times.  And Mr. Wonderful - what can I say? He's my hero.  He and our kids fill this house with life and love (and chaos and conflict too).  Even with my current personal struggle with my own well-being, I'm still damned lucky!

So here's to 2012 and I'd like to resolve to being just a little less special!