Something I want to say

I have been on this group for a while and had given some advice to people.  I have also been part of another group on another site for people who suffer illnesses that they cannot find a cause or a cure.  I am talking about chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.  I could tell you from experience that this is not something to be taken lightly.  These two illnesses are debilitating.  They prevent the person from living life, performing activities of daily living, driving,etc.  I feel there is a link between here in the group somewhere in the past.  I just want to say this.  If you have a parent, mother or father, who suffer from this, they are not being lazy.  Trust me.  If they ask you for help, please help them.  Don't give them a hard time because that just adds to the stress of having the illness.  It's bad enough the spouse is resentful, it's worse when the children side with the parent that is resentful.  The afflicted person feels badly about it as it is.  They feel tremendous guilt and they feel like a failure to their family and friends.  You have to put yourselves in their shoes.  Believe me, you wouldn't want this, because like HIV, it's life long and there is no cure.  I have it myself and the only reason why I am not bedridden is because I self-medicate.  I would not recommend what I self-medicate with to anyone else.  Everyone is different.  Please be more compassionate if your father or mother suffer from any of those two.