Please Stop Saying “I Hope You’re Well” to Your (Chronically Ill) Friends
“I hope you’re well.”
It’s an innocuous enough phrase on the surface, one that folks often use in both professional and personal contexts as a catch-all. But is it as harmless as it seems?
Earlier this year I suffered a terrible accident with my hand smashed in a door that badly injured my left wrist and forearm. During the long course of diagnosis which involved the electrified needles of muscle/nerve damage tests (positive for both) as well as the hell tube also known as an MRI in case of a hairline fracture (thankfully no broken bones), we ultimately discovered that I had carpal tunnel syndrome hiding underneath the intersected injury from the doorsmash. I’m a writer by passion and trade, and watched helplessly as my meager freelancer savings went to orthopedist bills and physiotherapy. Three steroid injections and six months later, I’m still on limited computer time and Corticosteroid jabs will be my new normal until I’ll inevitably require surgery. The pain has been a nightmare, but the hell of not being able to write at my old pace has been just as heartbreaking. This is the first ever blog post I’ve fully written on my phone because it’s slightly easier on my body. (Yes, I’ve heard of voice-to-text. No, it doesn’t work for me.)
