This is another reason why I feel it’s important to speak openly with others about your illness. Don’t fool yourself into thinking, “If I don’t tell people I’m sick, nobody is going to notice.” People are smart; well, most people are smart. If you’re repetitively absent from school, teachers and classmates are going to see it. If you frequently miss social activities, friends will notice. If not at church services, your fellow members will be concerned. The people who love you want to know you are all right. With that concern comes a desire to assist you in any way they can.
Let me play devils advocate for a moment. Suppose for a moment that you’ve missed two weeks from school due to a Sickle Cell related hospitalization. You have friends at school that you’ve intentionally never told that you have Sickle Cell Disease. After two weeks of absence, you return to school. When your friends ask where you’ve been for the past fourteen days, what do you tell them? That you were abducted by aliens? Will you invent a lie to tell them? Remember, these are your friends and they are concerned about your well-being. From my experience, lies lead to hurt feelings; hurt feelings lead to broken friendships. Besides, the truth is always easier to remember than a lie.
The people in your life who love you are concerned about you. Honor that love by being open and honest with them.
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