Laughing at Lyme

Have you ever had a chronically ill friend joke about their illness?  I do it all the time.  I have to be careful though, because some people are put off by these kinds of jokes.  I laugh about my brain being mush and the fact that my joints pop like an old lady with arthritis.  I laugh and I smile as I joke around, but a negative look will cross the face of those in earshot.  I’m urged to stop having a negative outlook, to focus on something more positive.  This seems a little backwards to me.  I am having a positive outlook.  Making light of my situation helps me to stay positive; finding the humor in my illness makes me happier.  And honestly, there is plenty of humor to find.  I can’t remember a darn thing, I’m constantly mixing my words up (like “how you happy” instead of “How are you”), and I walk like a little old lady (very carefully, slowly, baby steps).

I understand the hesitancy that some may experience when I joke about beasties ravaging my body and stealing five years of my life.  Lyme Disease can be a sensitive topic, it has claimed the lives of thousands of people, and ruined the lives of thousands upon thousands more.  It is debilitating, depressing, crippling, and misunderstood.  Every Lymie handles it differently; some may be up to joking about it and others might not.  It’s kind of like cancer in that respect; some people don’t want it mentioned at all, others walk around showing off their cool surgical tattoos and bald head.  As with any difficulty or tragedy, we deal with it differently.  So!  Before you joke about Lyme or any other illness, make sure the person afflicted with it is up to joking.  Personally, I am–so feel free to join in on laughing with me.

Here are some Lymie jokes floating around the internet that I thought you all might enjoy.  (And remember, this is meant to be light-hearted–also it might be funny only to a person with Lyme. . . ):

1. Two lymies (Lymies are people with Lyme Disease) were out driving in a car. As they were cruising along they came to an intersection. The stoplight was red but they just went on through. The woman in the passenger seat thought to herself “I must be losing it, I could have sworn we just went through a red light.” After a few more minutes they came to another intersection and the light was red again and again they went right through. This time the woman in the passenger seat was almost sure that the light had been red but was really concerned that she was losing it. She was getting nervous and decided to pay very close attention to the road and the next intersection to see what was going on. At the next intersection, sure enough, the light was definitely red and they went right through and she turned to the other woman and said, “Mildred! Did you know we just ran through three red lights in a row? You could have killed us! Mildred turned to her and said “Oh, am I driving?

2. Three ladies with Lyme were discussing the problems of living with the disease. One said,
“Sometimes I catch myself with a jar of mayonnaise in my hand, in front of the refrigerator, and can’t remember whether I need to put it away, or start making a sandwich.”
The second lady chimed in, “Yes, sometimes I find myself standing on the stairs and can’t
remember whether I was on my way up or on my way down.” The third one responded, ” Well, I’m
glad I don’t have that problem; knock on wood.” as she rapped her knuckles on the table…then said,”That must be the door, I’ll get it!”

3. As a Lymie was driving down the freeway, his  cell phone rang. Answering, he heard his wife’s voice urgently warning him, “Herman, I just heard on the news that there’s a car going the wrong way on I-15. Please be careful.”

“Shoot,” said Herman, “It’s not just one car. It’s hundreds of them!”

4. Lymie Quotes:  (I have only included my favorites):

~~Now that I have Lyme,

things are finally starting to click for me –

my neck… my knees… my elbows…

~~I’m very good at opening childproof caps with a hammer.

~~The way I clean my house is with a sweeping glance.

~~I’m smiling all the time because I can’t comprehend a word you’re saying

~~I insist on being in charge of the checkbook, because when *I* do it, we always come out a couple thousand dollars ahead.

~~I’m not nearly as think as you confused I am.

~~I’m not irritable, I just don’t like traffic, waiting, noise, sound, children, politicians, or anything else in my environment…

~~I am extremely creative, I remember something new every day.

~~Some people hate waking up and getting out of bed -

I enjoy it. I do it seven or ten times a day.

~~I’m having trouble remembering simple words like….uh….

~~I’m wondering if you’re only as old as you feel, how could I be alive at 210?

~~I’ve added more variety into my life, I just added multiple vitamins and minerals

~~I’m the only one in the family that knows how many cracks are in the ceiling

~~I’m a walking storeroom of facts…I’ve just lost the storeroom

~~Do I have brain fog? I don’t remember. But, I’m happy, I think.

I hope you were able to enjoy this Lymie humor with me!  Remember:  if you are a Lymie, brighten up and find some humor in your own situation–laughter is the best medicine!  If you aren’t a Lymie, then please don’t be put-off–just laugh along with!

Blessings,

~LymeDiseaseWarrior

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