12 Memes That Nail What It's Like to Be 'Rare'

When you’re diagnosed with a rare disease, or let’s face it, diseases (because so many of us don’t just get one), you usually spend much of your time trying to make sense of it and do research to learn how to best manage your health.

What’s even harder is trying to make others understand what it feels like to walk a day in your shoes. It can be frustrating having to spell out your condition, help others pronounce it, and then explain the symptoms to friends and family. And oftentimes, it’s not much easier when you go to the doctor — where you seem to know more about your condition than they do.

So if you’re rare, here are 12 relatable memes that attempt to explain what it’s like to be rare, and hopefully they make you laugh along the way.

1. When the side effects of your meds are just as bad as the rare condition they treat:

illustration of woman on bed with head in hands. "Why are there never any good side effects? Just once I'd like to read a medication bottle that says, "May cause extreme sexiness." — via Living the Spoonie Life

2. When you haven’t had a good night’s sleep in years:

illustration of woman on phone. quote reads "Do you know that awesome feeling when you get into bed, fall right to sleep, stay asleep all night, and wake up feeling refreshed? Me neither."http://chronicillnessmemes.tumblr.com/image/100739141215 — via chronicillnessmemes Tumblr

3. When you tell people about your rare disease and no one’s heard of it:

educating somebody about your illness — via @supportforspoonies Instagram

4. Also when you tell someone about your rare condition and they’ve never heard of it:

"Yeah if you could go ahead and stop making things up, that would be great" — via memegenerator

5. When even the doctor hasn’t heard of your condition:

6. When your one rare condition causes several others:

"you know you've got a chronic illness when your medical chart is several volumes" — via twenty something and sick

6. When others seem to have all the answers to your illness:

When someone says they know the cure to your incurable disease. a photo of simba and nala. — via @chronicillnessmemes Instagram

7. Meeting another “zebra” who finally gets it:

"When someone understands" seal with his mouth open, looking excited — via @chronicillnessmemes

8. When you finally get released from a hospital admission:

"breaking out of the hospital" mouse excited and running — via @chronicillnessmemes

9. When the doctor thinks you’re perfectly healthy, even though you feel like death:

a doctor telling a patient "good news! yyour lab results look great. everything is normal and you're the picture of health," while patient is covered in red blotches — via verymom.com

10. When people can’t understand that your rare disease won’t just suddenly “go away”:

11. When others try to relate:

"oh you can relate to my rare disease...because you have a cold. Neat-o."

12. What it really feels like to be rare:

I don't always get sick, but when I do, I get some sh*t someone's never heard of"

Rare Disease