My GP takes me seriously as a patient with M.E. But he is not a magician. He doesn’t know how to fix me and sometimes I wonder if he (like lots of others) really understands the disabled position I am in.
During a visit to his practice something occurred that he had to inform me about on another occasion. I preferred to do that over the phone – so my partner doesn’t have to take me by car to get there again – and my GP agreed. Therefore he asked my cell phone number, just in case I was not at home.
Funny man. Of course I am at home. I wouldn’t know where to go with this body of mine. That is how M.E. affects my daily life. If you would miss out on me when you called, it would be because I might be doing groceries and loving it! Or taking a stroll through the woods even though it is raining cats and dogs… If there was only a way to recover from this puzzling disease, it would mean I would be in that luxurious position of being difficult to reach.
In that case I wouldn’t pick up my cell phone on purpose. I would be doing or enjoying something outdoors that I haven’t been able to do or enjoy for such a long time. This is what I would sound like on the answering machine: ‘Hey, you can’t reach me right now, because I am NOT on the sofa! Try calling me later.’
I am not a magician either. I can’t predict the future, nor foresee the moment that you read this. It remains a mystery in what state my body is at that same time. For all I know, the possibility of me being outdoors at that very moment still exists. If you call me on my cell phone and I am not answering, that could be a good sign.
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This post is also available in: Dutch