As you can imagine, my belly is a strong topic of conversation with people I meet. After I get over making them feel better for thinking I am pregnant, a long discussion of my condition usually ensues. For the most part I don’t mind this except that right away people see me through the lens of my illness. I don’t usually have the opportunity to just be a person for a while before revealing this piece of myself.
Most conversation will then revolve around my health. While I have heaps of things I could talk about, most people who meet me simply want to know the gory details, offer me some kind of benediction and move on.
I stumbled upon this article by an author who addresses this exact question of being defined by one’s illness.
Let me know what you think.
Sam
Ultra Sounds: My Creative Exploration of the Illness Experience 