Open main menu ☰
HealingWell
Search Close Search
Health Conditions
Allergies & Asthma Alzheimer's Disease Anxiety & Panic Disorders Arthritis Breast Cancer Chronic Fatigue Crohn's Disease Cystic Fibrosis Depression Diabetes Epilepsy
Fibromyalgia General Chronic Illness GERD & Acid Reflux Headaches & Migraines Hepatitis Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lupus Lyme Disease Multiple Sclerosis Parkinson's Disease Prostate Cancer

Chronic Illness Blog »
All Health Conditions »
Support Forums
Anxiety & Panic Disorders Bipolar Disorder Breast Cancer Chronic Pain Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes Fibromyalgia GERD & Acid Reflux
Hepatitis Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lupus Lyme Disease Multiple Sclerosis Ostomies Prostate Cancer Rheumatoid Arthritis Ulcerative Colitis

All Support Forums »
Log In
Join Us
Close main menu ×
  • Home
  • Health Conditions
    • All Health Conditions
    • Chronic Illness Blog
    • Allergies & Asthma
    • Alzheimer's Disease
    • Anxiety & Panic Disorders
    • Arthritis
    • Breast Cancer
    • Chronic Fatigue
    • Crohn's Disease
    • Cystic Fibrosis
    • Depression
    • Diabetes
    • Epilepsy
    • Fibromyalgia
    • General Chronic Illness
    • GERD & Acid Reflux
    • Headaches & Migraines
    • Hepatitis
    • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
    • Lupus
    • Lyme Disease
    • Multiple Sclerosis
    • Parkinson's Disease
    • Prostate Cancer
  • Support Forums
    • All Support Forums
    • Anxiety & Panic Disorders
    • Bipolar Disorder
    • Breast Cancer
    • Chronic Pain
    • Crohn's Disease
    • Depression
    • Diabetes
    • Fibromyalgia
    • GERD & Acid Reflux
    • Hepatitis
    • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
    • Lupus
    • Lyme Disease
    • Multiple Sclerosis
    • Ostomies
    • Prostate Cancer
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • Ulcerative Colitis
  • Log In
  • Join Us
  • Connect With Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • LinkedIn
Join Us
☰
Forum Home| Forum Rules| Moderators| Active Topics| Help| Log In

Things clueless people say

Chronic Illness Forums
>
Rheumatoid Arthritis
>
Things clueless people say  
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
profile picture
Carole_D
Regular Member
Joined : Sep 2013
Posts : 190
Posted 4/15/2014 2:18 PM (GMT -7)
One of my coworkers was giving me a hard time for not moving quickly enough after we'd sat in a chilly room for an hour+ long meeting. I told her (nicely) that being stiff after sitting for a while is one of the symptoms of RA. Her response: "Oh, I know how that feels. I get stiff when I over-exercise."

Because over-exercising is exactly like having an autoimmune disease destroying your joints... eyes

What are the most clueless things you've been told?
profile picture
sueg
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2013
Posts : 718
Posted 4/15/2014 5:22 PM (GMT -7)
That is so right. I have Chronic Lyme Disease and get such
fatigue at times (and other symptoms) and my son who is very healthy says he just likes to lay around on the weekend the way that I do. So I just consider who is saying this and ''it is really clueless" what others say sometimes!!
profile picture
Carole_D
Regular Member
Joined : Sep 2013
Posts : 190
Posted 4/15/2014 6:28 PM (GMT -7)
Deleted

Post Edited (Carole_D) : 4/16/2014 8:01:27 AM (GMT-6)

profile picture
Don_D
Veteran Member
Joined : May 2013
Posts : 548
Posted 4/16/2014 4:34 AM (GMT -7)
It is hard for those around us to relate personally to what we go through physically. At least she tries to understand it and sympathizes with you no matter how futile that is she does try. It sounds to me like she does care for you.

After 20 years with RA I do not expect people to understand my disease any longer and I don't really care to explain it. If it is someone that is around a lot they will see for themselves how it affects people through seeing me. It is easy to take our frustrations out on others for what RA has done.

When I was a young man a relative of mine had fibro and I simply thought she was faking it. It was insensitive and judgemental but I simply had no understanding of a disease that left you looking somewhat normal. I came to understand about 5 years later when I became ill with RA and was undiagnosed for 3 years.
profile picture
Carole_D
Regular Member
Joined : Sep 2013
Posts : 190
Posted 4/16/2014 7:00 AM (GMT -7)
I apologize for being so negative. I shouldn't have started this thread; I was just having a crummy day.
profile picture
BadDay
Forum Moderator
Joined : Jan 2011
Posts : 1087
Posted 4/16/2014 4:44 PM (GMT -7)
No Carol Don't apologise You had Every Right and more so if you had a bad day
and we have had a few posts about the weird things people say any some can even be funny
so you could look at it that way what are some of the Stupidest funniest things people have said to you

I have a mobility scooter and one day I had a Fit middle aged man say as he almost jogged past me;
" wow your Lucky that's the way to get around I need to get me one of them"
and as I was having a bad day at the time I said to him;
"ok swap you, you take the disease you can have the scooter"
he put his head down and disappeared
Unfortunately people are Human and mostly stupid if they can't See something well they cant understand it, if you had a broken leg in plaster Everyone would be sympathetic but have Every Bone Every Joint effected but Nothing they can see and they will push you over in the street
I don't think they mean any malice by it it's simply too hard to comprehend,
I was the same when younger unfortunately you can't fully understand until you've experienced it ,then its too late.
.
FORUM MODERATOR Rheumatoid Arthritis. RA 30Yrs. Asthma,Fibromyalgia,Osteoperosis,Cervical Spondalosos,Degenerative Disc Disese,Disc Bulges, Diabetes,Heart SVT & AF, Hypo thyroidism , Sleep apnoea,Nocturnal Respiratory Failure
on; Methotrexate,Endone,Tramal 200mg,Prednisone,Metforman(Diabex),Tambocor. Oxygen & Cpap

Post Edited (BadDay) : 4/16/2014 5:54:53 PM (GMT-6)

profile picture
golitho
Veteran Member
Joined : Sep 2008
Posts : 1670
Posted 4/17/2014 12:31 AM (GMT -7)
Hey Carole,

I totally agree with you. Sometimes I laugh when they tell me they have RA too only in their finger!

Or "oh the weather makes me stiff too"

We all have Bad days when we feel like we're surrounded by idiots, Its good to rant and get the emotion out, I wouldn't survive otherwise.

golitho

profile picture
Carole_D
Regular Member
Joined : Sep 2013
Posts : 190
Posted 4/17/2014 1:12 PM (GMT -7)
Thanks, BadDay and golitho. The folks here always make me feel better.

I was just reading another message board and a poster there with fibro and RA said she carries a cane even though she can walk without it - most of her pain is in her shoulders and neck. She said the cane gives people a visual cue to be careful around her and she can use it to block people who seem to be overly aggressive in their approach to her personal space. Interesting thoughts.
profile picture
Anish
New Member
Joined : Apr 2014
Posts : 10
Posted 4/27/2014 2:43 PM (GMT -7)

golitho said...
Hey Carole,I totally agree with you. Sometimes I laugh when they tell me they have RA too only in their finger!
Or "oh the weather makes me stiff too"
We all have Bad days when we feel like we're surrounded by idiots, Its good to rant and get the emotion out, I wouldn't survive otherwise.
golitho

I LOVE it when people say that! rolleyes

The other one "oh! my aunt has that in her toe".

Or, "Ooooh, that's bad!! I know of someone who died from that". LOL!! Why thank you so VERY much for that encouraging statement!!

I've discovered, that after 15 years of dealing with RA, you HAVE GOT to summon up a sense of humor. It's SO hard some days, but such a valuable survival tool. turn
Don't sweat the petty stuff and don't pet the sweaty stuff..
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply

Forum Information

Currently it is Tuesday, February 19, 2019 7:50 PM (GMT -7)
There are a total of 3,042,577 posts in 332,446 threads.
View Active Topics

Who's Online

This forum has 163278 registered members. Please welcome our newest member, Prenty.
175 Guest(s), 3 Registered Member(s) are currently online.  Details
HeartsinPain, mattamx, Sheekster




HealingWell

About Us  |   Advertise  |   Subscribe  |   Privacy & Disclaimer
Connect With Us
FacebookFacebook TwitterTwitter PinterestPinterest LinkedInLinkedIn
© 1997-2019 HealingWell.com LLC All Rights Reserved.