Your least favourite questions

I agree!, however i ended up with a scaled answer-- when i was well i felt 10/10 last time you saw me i was 2/10, today i am 3/10 and left them to pick the bones out of the answer.... i often got "oh...." and a change of subject, sometimes i got "what can i do to help" and rarely i got actual help... but giving grading answers i found most helpful saved trying to explain anything uless they really wanted to know... (and yes i have used negative figures sometimes...)

Rings a very loud bell to me Pixie. It's almost as though we're living in a parallel universe to everyone else!

Hehehe I like Andrew! The fact that you confused people and confounded them with honesty.

Thank you, it saved me a lot of hassles too those that were interested asked more those that didnt had theirquestion answered and wondered off... though i did hear one say he's always ill... to which i bluntly (i was having a bad day) replied indeed i am sadly, but coping whats your excuse...? shouldnt have really but...  had a great manager who used to ask 5 or below? if i said better he would give me more things to do if less he would leave me alone to get on with what i could and left me to ask for more, helped me to get back on my feet, when i did i started back trying to do better and met a real pain of a boss who is why i am off work now... wish i hadnt moved really but hey ho it seemed like a good idea at the time...

I love your reply 'What's your excuse'! I find that we have to be polite most of the time to still have any friends and family, but oh how I'd like to say that and a lot of other things! Bravo Andrew!

I go through the reply scenarios in my head and it's pretty enjoyable but I rarely actually come out with them.

To apply a bit of lotion to your feelings and also to get the message acros try the scale answers... even my wife gets it now... and its easier than saying sorry dear but i am feeling a bit off today and gives a clear message - try "you remember when i was well then i was 10/10 today i am -2/10" - my wifes gets that to mean i am having a rest day no matter what we were going to do and we can replan the day without me increasingly grinding my teeth and getting increasingly ratty as the day goes on nor having to explain myself a lot... sadly the dodgy ticker plays up a bit more on anything 3/10 or less so this does cause us extra concern... at work if i growled out 4/10 or less people used to give me a bit of a wide berth, perfect for making an easier day or at least they would come and ask very nicely.... its all in the training, grab hold of your life and tell 'em i once put up a picture of the tasmanian devil over my section, my boss, without asking, diverted my phone and took all my calls passing by email anything i needed and saving the rest for a couple of days later.. i was unwell enough it took me all morning to realise, he took me to the bus stoip at three.... but people knew i was unwell and i was trying and my effort there was rewarded by people respecting that even in my last role the team around me were brilliant it was the manager who deliberatly made life hellish oddly they were so "..." that when one day they asked how i was and i replied with my scale answer they said dont understand what you mean even when i explained it the reply was well thats not very clear a friend who was pasing by and also a manager turned and said that means he doesnt feel great but is trying anyway... a shrug was the reply... some people wont get it, but i found it effective for 90% of the people i worked with and als ofriends with and the athletes i coach... it helps you get some measure and control of your life, though indeed there have been many times i would like ot have said................ as i am sure you were hinting at... but go on grab your life and tell 'em!!!!!! i dare you... uh oh no i dont .... oh go on then...     

It must be different with a spouse; I appreciate your advice but no amount of scales or diplomatic explanations will get through to my family and friends. The only thing that would is if they had it for a day! Or even an hour.

I find it very difficult to read a long amount of text without spaces and I'm not the only one so I didn't get very far.

Skipped to the end and yes, you know exactly what I feel like saying and it begins with an F and ends with a much happier me.

indeed, as you guess today is a good day after being a long while were icouldnt even get ummph to start the laptop, good luck with it all though! running down now, glad i got you to smile!!

Yes you did, thank you!

Sometimes I just sleep and rest for days. I watch programmes on the laptop but can't bring myself to communicate with anyone. I take the phone off the hook.

We could think of it like this: we appreciate better days and little things far more now than we did before we had ME?

indeed!!!!

yes it does Pixie....I've even completely Given Up answering the question......if they can't see from my actions/eyes /tone of voice...then so be it....I just try and be polite...give a Weary smile, and go about my business...which is back to my room/bed...or out into the sunshine....Bron

We do.

What you say that to people? I tried a bit at first to explain it but now unless someone asks, such as a health care worker I don't, I just want to waste my energy on it.