Why I Think People With Chronic Illnesses Are Superheroes

I truly believe people with chronic illnesses are superheroes. They may not be fight aliens or giant robots, but their villains are something you would never expect… themselves.

It is not an evil twin, a clone, or a hologram – it is their own bodies who are attacking them. A spoonie’s life may not be action-packed filled with explosions and laser vision, but they do superpowers. One of their powers is the ability to convince everyone else around them that they feel “fine” even with they truly feel like they have been hit by a semi. I think someone needs to talk about the Clark Kents, the Peter Parkers, and the Linda (Kara) Danvers – and I don’t know Lois Lane, so I guess I’ll do it.

I feel as though the Supermans and the Supergirls out there are putting on their own alter egos when they go out to the store, works, and schools. They act like everyone else, even when they are fighting a battle inside. When I am getting ready for school I am putting on my own costume because when I walk through the doors of high school, I have to be something else… I have to be someone else… I have to be perfectly healthy. The majority of days when I am school I do not feel well enough to be there, yet I feel as though it is easier to just act like I feel completely fine.

Why it is easier? You do not get as many questions, judging looks, or judging comments when you act just fine. It allows you to blend in, and be more than your illness. It is also easier, for me personally, to power through the day if I act as though everything is hunky-dory when it is not. I put on the normal clothes and the lead-lined glasses, and go through the day like an alien trying to fit in. However, I can’t be Clark Kent all the time, so when I get home, I let myself curl up in a big fluffy blanket, and just let my body fight while I rest.

The problem is that when people see your Clark Kent, they just assume that it is all you are. They can’t fathom what you do. Some people can’t understand that spoonies are superheroes because they can’t imagine going through what you are. So, for all of the Wupergirls, Wonder Women, and Supermans out there – know that when someone is judging you for your Clark Kent, it is because they haven’t read your comic book or seen your movie… they don’t know your story. Also know you don’t have to tell them, they aren’t entitled to your story. After all, even Clark Kent makes you pay for a movie ticket.