Open Letter

Dear loved ones and world in general,

I'm glad you care that I'm often exhausted and/or in pain. I truly appreciate your caring. However, please don't assume my body is even crappier than it really is, or try to police what I can/can't /should/shouldn't do. If I know I CAN'T do something, I'll be honest with you about that, and you need to believe me. If I say I CAN do something, you need to believe me then too, or at least give me a chance to try. I've been in pain for years. I know my limits. I know how to move and sit so as to least hurt myself even if it looks weird. I know where I want and don't want to go. There are things I want to do even if they hurt, and if you don't do some of these things with me, I won't get to do them at all.

Also, if you don't know me personally, please don't give me negative medical advice. That is, it's fine if you mention treatments I might not have heard about (yes, I've tried acupuncture, PT, chiropractic, etc., etc., etc.), though I reserve the right not to take your advice. But don't tell me how I'm doing it wrong. Remember, I'm the one who has to live in this crippled old corpus.

Love,

PZB

(I'm writing this on Chris' new iPad. Cute little gizmo, I suppose, but it makes me slightly motion-sick and I don't understand the concept of a computer that needs a computer. Yo, dawg, I heard you like computers ... )