Invisible Chronic Illness at Church Today

I am a church musician. I always hang out before and after services to talk with parishioners. After over eight years in this parish, there are lots of people I care about. There are also new people and medium new people. Today I was talking with a lady who uses a walker. I only know her a little bit. She asked what else I do besides work at the church. I gave her the run down and told her that I write. "What do you write about?" she asked. "Chronic illness," I responded. She said, with just a tad bit of arrogance, "What on earth do you know about chronic illness?" I smiled and took a deep breath, "Well, I have systemic lupus erythematosus with major organ involvement. Of course you can't see that by looking at me. I have had kidney failure, bone marrow failure, congestive heart failure, cerebritis and was given up for dead when I was 51. After 4 years on disability I crawled back to the work force. That's when I came here." She sat in stunned silence. That's OK.

I an see her disability because she uses a walker. She cannot see my disability because it is totally inside. Regardless, please know that 1 in 3 Americans have a chronic illness and that most of these illnesses are invisible. Other people do not know about our invisible illnesses and our invisible struggles. We don't know about theirs. But if you put three random folks in a room, one would have an invisible chronic illness.

We are only alone if we don't talk to one another. You think no one understands. He or she thinks no one understands. If you held hands your isolation would be over, at least a little bit.