I “only” have fibromyalgia. I do not feel like my chronic illness is severe enough (even though it is disabling and my life has been drastically changed from it) compared to other people’s illnesses. My best friend has RA and MS and I feel that even she does not take my illness seriously because it is “just fibro”. If it is “just fibro” than why am I in so much pain? Chronic illness is isolating enough without having an unspoken hierarchy of who has the worst disease.

Shared on My Chronic Disease Secret

I remember, early in my diagnosis, hearing something along the lines of “at least it’s not cancer”.

I’ve seen plenty of back and forth within the diabetes community judging whether it’s “better” to have type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Or if it’s “better” to be diagnosed as a child or later in life.

I’ve seen far too many comparisons in and among various disease communities attempting an informal and quite frankly inappropriate ranking of diseases.

It’s all gross. I wish I knew how to make it stop.

Chronic illness is isolating enough without having an unspoken hierarchy of who has the worst disease.