Rare Disease Day
Today is Rare Disease Day. (Or, is it Rare Disease Awareness Day?) Because of this occasion, I thought it would be appropriate to write about my feelings toward my illness, Systemic Mastocytosis, and awareness days such as today. In short, I suppose you could say that I feel similar about today's awareness day as I do on Memorial Day. On Memorial Day, I'm reminded of all the ghosts whom have left empty holes not only in my life, but it seems like in my soul as well. Memorial Day is not a pleasant day for me and I tend to lock myself in my home on Memorial Day weekend. I don't want to watch movies of war... I don't like the memories fireworks evoke... I don't want to do anything which will remind me of what I try so hard to put into the back of my mind every day. Rare Disease Day feels the same to me and only reminds me of my early struggles with this illness... how long ago that was (read how unbearably long I have been struggling)... the support groups a