You know what I hate?

[conuly]

You're watching the news, or a documentary, and there's a part about somebody with an incurable (but treatable!) disease (or some other sort of disability, really doesn't matter). The narrator will eventually get to the part where they say, in somber tones appropriate to announcing a death, that whoever it is will have to "take this medication every day for the rest of his life" or "test his blood sugar" or whatever dread thing it is.

Why?

Really, is it that onerous to take some medication? When somebody is recovering from anorexia, do we say, in solemn tones, that they will have to eat three times a day for the rest of their lives? When somebody recovers from insomnia, do we make a point of mentioning that up to a third of their remaining years will be spent unconscious?

Of course not. I recognize that these diseases aren't cured by medication, and that normally people don't take medicine every day (for the rest of their life!!!), but that's not the point. I still don't see why this is such a huge deal that it deserves the grave voice of tragedy.

Comments

[eofs.livejournal.com]

I live in dread of having to take medecine/test myself every day for the rest of my life - I have enough trouble making sure I eat/drink enough.

[wodhaund.livejournal.com]

I have dry eyes. I suppose this means I will have to blink repeatedly throughout the day for the rest of my life. *snort*

[xandiwillflailx.livejournal.com]

haha, i know, like, i wear contacts...i suppose this means i will have to put in contacts every day . for the rest. of my life. ....or i could just not. people do a lot of things every day. like watch copious amounts of television.

[conuly]

Yeah, I have that problem. But then it's not "OMG! THE PILL! THE SCARY PILL!" but "Gee, I'm really bad at remembering to take this pill."

[rainbow-goddess.livejournal.com]

This seems to happen more often when the condition is affecting children. (Cue tone of deep tragedy.) "This little girl has to take a shot twice every day." Everybody feels sorry for her. I have to take a shot six times every day. Does anybody feel sorry for me? No, because I'm an adult. "We have to cure diabetes for teh CHILDREN!!!" Not for the adults. Just for the children.

I honestly don't think that taking needles and testing my blood sugar every day is a big deal. I'm used to it. I've been taking needles for more than 30 years and testing my blood sugar more than 20. But when it's a CHILD, it's a big deal.

[gypsyjr.livejournal.com]

I *wish* I could take medication every day. I've been out of Ritalin for months, and man, can I tell.

[leora.livejournal.com]

Because they're stupid.

I'm prone to fainting - did so once, came close a few times. Came frighteningly close twice where i managed to avoid it.

This means that for the rest of my life - I need to make sure I have something to drink before I go out. Preferably, something to eat as well.

Do I get a tragic voice over now?

[beccak1961.livejournal.com]

Depends on the medicine. I've been on synthroid for 21 years and always will be, no biggie. On the other hand it has little side effect (unless I get to much) and the pills are tiny. If it were a drug that had bad side effects or was huge it would become a problem for me. I can't swallow big pills.

[appadil.livejournal.com]

Heh, I take a pill every day (aside from about one week a month) and will probably do so for the rest of my life (or at least until menopause). Thousands of other women do the same, whether it's for actual birth control or, like me, for other reasons, and there's no sombre voiceover for us.

It's really no big deal- it winds up being part of your daily routine, like brushing your teeth. I could see fussing like that over daily shots (especially for me, because I'm phobic of them), but for a pill or a liquid medication or suchlike, it's ridiculously melodramatic.

[mortaine.livejournal.com]

Ah, but you could wear glasses! Or get surgery! Or be blind!

[mortaine.livejournal.com]

Which is funny, because kids adapt so much more easily to a new routine.

[xandiwillflailx.livejournal.com]

so many options! :-D

i suppose that AIDS patients could just...die.

that sounded so bitchy. i swear, i didnt mean that. and i suppose what i just said could be used to make the opposite argument, because they have to take so many damn pills, i could see how that messes with your life. ok nevermind me then!

[mortaine.livejournal.com]

I've worn glasses since I was five and my vision is so bad right now, I cannot actually read a whole page of a paperback novel without moving it, because the page has to be so close to my face, half the page is outside of my field of vision. Thus, I too must wear contacts, every day, *for the rest of my life* (DUN DUN!!!!!)

My sister got the surgery, which of course had unintended effects, so she must now try to avoid driving at night, every day, *for the rest of her life!* (DUN DUNNNNN!!!!!!)

[meryls-corner.livejournal.com]

I take some pills to replace what Turner Syndrome kept my body from producing and took human growth hormone in shot form until I was 12. It was the other people who thought that was bad- not me. You know, it's a good incentive to take something if you know it's keeping you from osteoperosis and menopause.
It's no tragedy. It's just a proof of how good medicine can be in preserving and improving life.

[meryls-corner.livejournal.com]

oops. osteoperoris=osteoporosis.

[marveen.livejournal.com]

I take vitamin pills every day! Is that tragic enough?

[ex-chaos-by-699.livejournal.com]

If the medication had really horrible side effects, I could see it being a bad thing. Otherwise, it's a stupid thing to get worked up about. Chronic diseases/conditions are common. Lots of people have to take something or do something for the rest of their lives to be healthy or counteract a condition. Heck, I wear glasses. I can't function without them. Now that I'm not a kid anymore who gets picked on for wearing really stupid frames (that my parents picked out for me, I might add), it's not a big deal.

I'd certainly rather have a chronic condition that could be controlled by medication than something I couldn't do anything about.

[maelorin]

normals get het up over the wierdest things.

usually pretty much anything that they don't understand to be normal. [well, pretty much anything they don't understand.]

[yes i'm over generalising. it's fun to do, and gets the best reactions ;)]

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

If the medication had really horrible side effects, I could see it being a bad thing.

*nods* I get nightmare side effects, so I'm always very aware when I'm choking down my pills that I am rendering myself unable to function for the next two to four hours...

And I do mean choking - I have a bad gag reflex, so taking big pills = arduous. And I take six a day. *makes a face*

[eofs.livejournal.com]

I live in dread of having to take medecine/test myself every day for the rest of my life - I have enough trouble making sure I eat/drink enough.

[wodhaund.livejournal.com]

I have dry eyes. I suppose this means I will have to blink repeatedly throughout the day for the rest of my life. *snort*

[xandiwillflailx.livejournal.com]

haha, i know, like, i wear contacts...i suppose this means i will have to put in contacts every day . for the rest. of my life. ....or i could just not. people do a lot of things every day. like watch copious amounts of television.

[conuly]

Yeah, I have that problem. But then it's not "OMG! THE PILL! THE SCARY PILL!" but "Gee, I'm really bad at remembering to take this pill."

[rainbow-goddess.livejournal.com]

This seems to happen more often when the condition is affecting children. (Cue tone of deep tragedy.) "This little girl has to take a shot twice every day." Everybody feels sorry for her. I have to take a shot six times every day. Does anybody feel sorry for me? No, because I'm an adult. "We have to cure diabetes for teh CHILDREN!!!" Not for the adults. Just for the children.

I honestly don't think that taking needles and testing my blood sugar every day is a big deal. I'm used to it. I've been taking needles for more than 30 years and testing my blood sugar more than 20. But when it's a CHILD, it's a big deal.

[gypsyjr.livejournal.com]

I *wish* I could take medication every day. I've been out of Ritalin for months, and man, can I tell.

[leora.livejournal.com]

Because they're stupid.

I'm prone to fainting - did so once, came close a few times. Came frighteningly close twice where i managed to avoid it.

This means that for the rest of my life - I need to make sure I have something to drink before I go out. Preferably, something to eat as well.

Do I get a tragic voice over now?

[beccak1961.livejournal.com]

Depends on the medicine. I've been on synthroid for 21 years and always will be, no biggie. On the other hand it has little side effect (unless I get to much) and the pills are tiny. If it were a drug that had bad side effects or was huge it would become a problem for me. I can't swallow big pills.

[appadil.livejournal.com]

Heh, I take a pill every day (aside from about one week a month) and will probably do so for the rest of my life (or at least until menopause). Thousands of other women do the same, whether it's for actual birth control or, like me, for other reasons, and there's no sombre voiceover for us.

It's really no big deal- it winds up being part of your daily routine, like brushing your teeth. I could see fussing like that over daily shots (especially for me, because I'm phobic of them), but for a pill or a liquid medication or suchlike, it's ridiculously melodramatic.

[mortaine.livejournal.com]

Ah, but you could wear glasses! Or get surgery! Or be blind!

[mortaine.livejournal.com]

Which is funny, because kids adapt so much more easily to a new routine.

[xandiwillflailx.livejournal.com]

so many options! :-D

i suppose that AIDS patients could just...die.

that sounded so bitchy. i swear, i didnt mean that. and i suppose what i just said could be used to make the opposite argument, because they have to take so many damn pills, i could see how that messes with your life. ok nevermind me then!

[mortaine.livejournal.com]

I've worn glasses since I was five and my vision is so bad right now, I cannot actually read a whole page of a paperback novel without moving it, because the page has to be so close to my face, half the page is outside of my field of vision. Thus, I too must wear contacts, every day, *for the rest of my life* (DUN DUN!!!!!)

My sister got the surgery, which of course had unintended effects, so she must now try to avoid driving at night, every day, *for the rest of her life!* (DUN DUNNNNN!!!!!!)

[meryls-corner.livejournal.com]

I take some pills to replace what Turner Syndrome kept my body from producing and took human growth hormone in shot form until I was 12. It was the other people who thought that was bad- not me. You know, it's a good incentive to take something if you know it's keeping you from osteoperosis and menopause.
It's no tragedy. It's just a proof of how good medicine can be in preserving and improving life.

[meryls-corner.livejournal.com]

oops. osteoperoris=osteoporosis.

[marveen.livejournal.com]

I take vitamin pills every day! Is that tragic enough?

[ex-chaos-by-699.livejournal.com]

If the medication had really horrible side effects, I could see it being a bad thing. Otherwise, it's a stupid thing to get worked up about. Chronic diseases/conditions are common. Lots of people have to take something or do something for the rest of their lives to be healthy or counteract a condition. Heck, I wear glasses. I can't function without them. Now that I'm not a kid anymore who gets picked on for wearing really stupid frames (that my parents picked out for me, I might add), it's not a big deal.

I'd certainly rather have a chronic condition that could be controlled by medication than something I couldn't do anything about.

[maelorin]

normals get het up over the wierdest things.

usually pretty much anything that they don't understand to be normal. [well, pretty much anything they don't understand.]

[yes i'm over generalising. it's fun to do, and gets the best reactions ;)]

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

If the medication had really horrible side effects, I could see it being a bad thing.

*nods* I get nightmare side effects, so I'm always very aware when I'm choking down my pills that I am rendering myself unable to function for the next two to four hours...

And I do mean choking - I have a bad gag reflex, so taking big pills = arduous. And I take six a day. *makes a face*