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October 27, 2006
Allergies
So I got a nifty blood test for allergies done. Those as are interested in my ongoing health saga (hah!), read on!
Bonus section: musings on health blogging.
According to the test, I am allergic to:
| Low | High |
| American Cheese Cottage Cheese Chocolate Codfish Cow's Milk Mustard Seed Soybean Baker's Yeast | Cream Cheese Eggs (white/yolk) Millet Tofu |
I knew about the milk and chocolate, but eggs? Soy? No wonder I haven't gotten as much better as they expected. I have soy almost every day, and eggs on a regular basis! Here's hoping that if I cut those out of my diet, it'll help.
Now then. I've had concerns expressed to me that maybe I'm too open with my health on this blog. That maybe future employers might google me, find this, and think "OMG, she will be too expensive to have on our books! She's self-centered and obsessed with her health! Run away!"
Now, on its surface, this sounds like a legitimate worry. In the age of Google, it's pretty much a given that any potential future employer will find my personal web page and even, probably, this blog. But really, I'm not worried. I figure that there are two basic responses a possible employer might have upon reading this blog:
Numero uno: "Wow, she's really self-centered/feminist/unhealthy and we are not interested in her."
To those employers, I say, "thank you for saving me the trouble of discovering you are dicks/sexist pigs/ableist schmucks. Good day, sir/madam. I said good day!"
Numero dos: "Wow, this girl has a lot of different interests, and sounds passionate. Good stuff!"
To those employers, I say, "why yes, I am, thank you!"
Yes, I am young and idealistic. But I also come from a generation which tends to wear its heart/mind on its sleeve. I don't blog about my love life, sex life, or work in any detail at all, which makes me a surprisingly modest blogger in this day and age. I tend to feel that I would rather not get a job than work for someone who wouldn't hire the "real" me. Besides, I know that I can get a job as a substitute teacher pretty damn fast if I need to, so I'm not particularly worried. I hate subbing, but it pays the bills while I look for a job I am willing to take that makes me happier.
Plus, I have a good reason to blog about my health beyond being a self-centered jerk. I believe that living with fibromyalgia is a crappy, crappy thing but that it can be done with good humor - and that the more sites there are which talk about it from that point of view, the better. The "support" lists I have been on all seemed like places for people to whine together more than to talk about what was going right with their treatment. Sure, fibro sucks. Sure, it's satisfying to vent sometimes. But I try not to do that all the time.
And, more importantly: most people upon learning I'm not totally healthy are suprised. "But you don't look sick!" is something fibro sufferers hear all the damn time. I think it's important for people to know that yes, someone as bouncy and sarcastic and nuts as me can be living with a chronic illness. Fibro isn't something to hide as if it's shameful. It's just a fact about me, like my brown hair or my pale skin. I don't expect special treatment for it, but I do want to educate people about it.
I am in a position to blog about my health without worrying that my future employers might not be interested in me, so I feel a responsibility to do it. It's the same reason I used to give blood before it became too taxing for my system: if you can, you should so that those who can't don't have to.
File under: Fibromyalgia, Musings, Pure Ego!
Posted by Ealasaid at October 27, 2006 04:26 PM
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Comments
You have a good attitude regarding your health and that, as much as anything, will help you. I also like your attitude toward giving blood. I can't give blood because I become very anemic and get sick for days afterward. I have to be careful even after I get blood drawn at the doctor's office, and that's just a few tablespoons. People are skeptical when I tell them I can't give blood, probably because of the Irish+German+Swedish complexion and very pink cheeks I usually have. It looks like I have blood to spare. I've been made to feel guilty a LOT for not giving blood; it's nice to see a POV that doesn't make me feel like I'm letting anyone down.
Take care of yourself.
Posted by: Annie at October 28, 2006 08:21 AM
Ealasaid, I've always thought you blogging about your health is great thing. anyone else that has fibro can see you can manage it and still have a happy fulfilling life. I know it's not cancer but it eats away at your morale and that's the one thing you have always tried to keep from going down. I think its great that you are willing to put yourself out here and let others know how you are doing, i don't have any friends with fibro but if i did i would steer them toward your blogg to show them that it can managed and still retain who you are.
Posted by: keith at October 29, 2006 04:24 AM
Thanks a ton for the support, guys.
And Annie, don't let people get you down! You have to take care of yourself. {hugs} I try to encourage people who can give blood without getting sick to do so. It makes me mad when people are like, "ew, needles are gross" or some other non-health/phobia-related reason for not giving. I'm like, dood, if you CAN you damn well better! A lot of us who want to CAN'T!
*sigh*
Posted by: Ealasaid at October 31, 2006 11:12 AM
Graphics from works 