You’d think that this doesn’t have to be said and that this kind of compassionate understanding and respect would be a given, but the reality is that it does, and it isn’t.
If you think getting people to ‘believe’ in the efficiency of a mask to fight #covi̇d19 is hard, then imagine being a patient with a chronic invisible illness (like #longcovid, caused by #covid_19, also known as #sars or #sarscov2). A patient desperately trying to get outsiders to ‘believe’ your new, full-body and mostly cellular-level pains and complications, to someone (or most of society) who prioritizes their unfounded opinions over your lived, painful reality. To need support and to be denied it because of someone else’s ego.
That ‘someone’ could be your doctor, partner, relative, friend, employer, coworker, or just the general unknowing public as a whole. That that such ignorance could cost you your job, your relationship(s), your mental health, your already damaged physical health, and so much more.
That is why fighting ableist viewpoints within yourself and your social networks - both online and offline - is imperative. And that is why us #patients are imploring you to #share.
Considering how many #longhaulcovid patients are out there and considering how fast the patient numbers are growing, this is a plea for support that I hope starts a long-overdue medical movement to value patients over impatience and ego.
Please don’t just look at the pictures and move on to the next. Please share. Even if this is a given to you and you’re a compassionate person, it may not be a given to one or more of your followers. You’re sharing for them. And for us. And eventually for you and your families.
You never know when a chronic illness will strike, so why not be supportive of it now before you find yourself begging for the same medical respect, recognition and support? Trust a patient when they say that you do not want to be fighting this fight while physically fighting painful but oftentimes ‘invisible’ complications.
So please. Please share.