Afflicted Strangers Can Lift Spirits in ways Family Can't

Being afflicted with a chronic illness like idiopathic protein losing enteropathy (PLE)  means experiencing unpleasant things.


It means feeling pain, sickness, despair, getting tested, poked, prodded, questioned over and over, sleepless nights in hospitals, and even contemplating what death will be like.

Sure, your family members are with you every step of the way. My wife has been with me every step of the way, and I thank her for that.


Unfortunately, no mater how close she has been, she doesn’t understand being ‘the one’ who is sick.


I’m not holding this against her, I’m just stating the fact.


I eventually discovered that It is very nice to speak to other people who know those experiences I’ve spoken about above.


Whether or not they have PLE, doesn’t matter as much as if they are also chronically ill. We speak of pain and tests as if we are siblings of a sort, and emotionally and psychologically, it feels good.


So, if your illness is getting you down, and you need to talk to someone, try speaking with someone who is sick like you.