Good days, bad days, and invisibility

An invisible illness is one that isn't readily apparent to the people who don't have it. Two factors contribute to a disease's invisibility:

• No obvious signs. Sufferers don't use a wheelchair or crutches, don't exhibit hideous rashes or scarring, and generally don't "look sick."
  
  
• Symptoms go underground. Due to the illness, sufferers often can't leave the house. When they do, it's on a relatively good day, when they're feeling better. The friends and family who see them on those good days assume, wrongly, that the sick person always looks and functions that well.

As National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week draws to a close, I'm posting "Good Days," a song I wrote about dealing with the misconceptions attached to a good days/bad days disease. Ron the Drummer and I recorded this live in his living room. You may need to turn the volume all the way up if you're listening on tiny laptop speakers.

Lyrics are below. Enjoy!




GOOD DAYS

Lyrics by Susan Wenger
Music by Susan Wenger & Ron Amistadi

When I got up late this morning
I could sense a change
Felt a little stronger
Could push a little longer
Accomplish something more

So I got dressed and fed myself
And hopped into the car
Drove it all the way down
To the nearest grocery store

You say I'm wasting my potential
Moving through this life too slow
You only see me on my good days
How are you to know

I've been losing so much daylight
Lying on the bed
Half awake and half asleep
Half alive, half dead

But now I walk among you all
Just breathing in the air
Grinning like a madman
On a double-doggie dare

You think I'm addicted to the drama
Playing all of this for show
You only see my on my good days
How are you to know


I could almost make believe
This feeling's here to stay
But I know from experience
My body's gonna pay

Well, none of your equations
Ever calculate the price
And I do not remember
Asking you for your advice

Today is gonna go down easy
Take it nice and take it slow
I am having me a good day
That's all you need to know