For those of us that live with chronic pain and illnesses, there is no such thing as a simple cold.  A so called simple cold will knock me down like the flu knocks down an average person.  This is just one reason why I am such a freak about germs. When in a room full of people, I do not wish to touch or be touched.  There are those who choose to make fun of me by pointing out that I am exposed to the germs of thousands of people every time I go to to Disneyland.  Yes they are correct, but the difference is that I am not touching them and they are not touching me.  I rarely touch the safety bars on the rides and I always carry hand sanitizer with me.  I can honestly say that I have yet to catch a cold from a day at Disneyland.  But it never fails whether it be a small or large group setting, if I shake hands or hug someone that has even the slightest illness then I am guaranteed to catch it.

So what is the big deal?  I mean it is just a simple cold right?  Wrong!!  Because my body is already compromised a simple cold can feel like the flu.  Others say, “just rest, and enjoy the downtime”.  Obviously these people have no idea how much time I spend giving my body the rest it needs on a daily basis.  This is where my frustration lies.  I only function at approx 50% of an average person’s capability for a few days per month.  I live from one flare to another. The last thing I want is to lose more days just because someone couldn’t keep their germs to themselves.  Don’t risk the health of someone like me with a hug if you are showing signs of even the slightest sickness.  I  feel truly loved and cared about when people are upfront that they may have a cold.  Even if you believe your symptoms are just from allergies, hold back the hug or handshake, I would rather not take a chance.

I know many feel that touching and hugging others is their way of showing love and affection.  Just know that when it your hugs and handshakes come with a dose of sickly germs I begin to see you as my enemy more than my friend.  Just to be clear, for me it is not that I can’t be around you, I just can’t touch you.  Each cold that I have had in the past so many years can all be traced to touching someone who had what they thought was a simple cold.

So this flu and cold season remember that hugs are only nice when they are not accompanied with icky sicky germs!

Gentle hugs,

The Disabled Diva

Tagged: arthritis, chronic illness, cold, degenerative disc disease, Disneyland, fibro, fibromyalgia, flu, germs, handshakes, health, hugs, invisible disabilities, mental-health, MS, psoriatic arthritis, relationships, spoonie, wheelchair