Identity, Humor, Intelligence & Chronic Illness

Living with a chronic illness that progresses and has no cure has made me hyperaware of how I view myself and others. Faced with potential physical disability and cognitive decline, I realized how much of my identity was based on what I can do, say and accomplish.

 

I remember my early years navigating acknowledging I had Multiple Sclerosis.  The long list of symptoms and conditions that can result from MS lesions is frightening. Cognitive changes scared me.  They can affect a person professionally, compromise analytical and problem-solving skills, and end a career.  They often change personal relationships, and I wondered if they would change how I interact with people.  

 

These scared me, and in that swirling jumble of symptoms, possibilities and impacts, I worried what it might mean for my personality.  I worried it would change how people see me and how I see myself.  

 

Would I lose my sense of humor and intelligence?  Would my personality become something different?  Would I like who I become?

It turns out I am becoming more serious and intentional, and I’m also keeping my quick-thoughts and silliness. MS integrated into my identity.  It didn’t displace it.  MS is a big part of my life, but so are all of the other aspects of my being.

I haven’t lost my sense of humor, but I have become clearer about why things make me laugh.  Something I experience or observe may make me chuckle to myself, and whether I share it with the people around me depends on the situation and relationship. Anecdotes and observations on living with a chronic illness can ring true and boost connection with some, and they can make others uncomfortable.  Sometimes a modification to how it’s told can make it relatable, and other times it’s worth waiting to share with a person who already understands.

 

Being silly can sometimes be seen as immature or flippant.  Growing older, gaining confidence and learning every day helps me share my thoughts more and worry less about what people will think. If someone interprets me differently than I’d like, I’ve gotten better about not owning their opinion. 

 

I’ve watched friends experience physical and cognitive impacts due to illness and aging. Searching for the right word to express their thoughts can take longer, but it’s also because the right word matters to them.

 

Intelligence is not the ability to retrieve a word or speak quickly. It’s understandable yet misguided to presume communication equals comprehension and intelligence. I’ve learned through the years and many friends that the ability to communicate or retrieve words have no relationship to a person’s intelligence or understanding of things. 

When a person takes their time to find the word that accurately captures what they want to convey, I’m often rewarded with a perspective and insight I hadn’t anticipated.  It encourages me to honor the person and the conversation by staying quiet, interested and unhurried.

 

Curiosity and not rushing a conversation are crucial.  Not finishing a sentence when they’re searching for the word reaps rewards.  I may think I know what they’re going to say, but often they surprise me with more depth, cleverness and humor than I’d anticipated. 

 

If I could talk to the newly diagnosed me from 13 years ago, I would tell her this:

Living with chronic illness affects everything, but MS will integrate into your identity in a way that matches your personality.  Your intelligence, humor and identity will evolve, but they will be what you make them.  You’ll gain insight into a world that teaches you about others and yourself.  The experience will make clear who you are and who you want to be in this life. Through all of it, you’ll still be you.