What if you're the worst case?

I wouldn't call myself worst case scenario now, and I don't like to think of worst case (cause I don't want to paint the devil on the wall), but because I'm not pretty, I'm not thin, I have lymphoedema, I'm the classic middle aged bearded lady who's children have four legs and a tail. I tell myself that not everyone can be perfect sizes, some of us have to be the statistic that fills in the gap.. heck, it's a dirty job, but someone has to do it. And that thought always cheers me up because it makes me feel like I have an important job, and that is making everyone else look good. :)

Same way you do i think it's a good coping mechanism and it's definately helped me get through some rough times. I have a long term illness and don't get me wrong i do have fed up days where i'm very much all woe me and feeling sorry for myself but then i think of people with cancer or who have nothing or other equally devistating conditions that still go on. It helps slap me back into perspective I still have my arms and legs i'm not going to die and it's just a bad day. I think sometimes society tricks us into thinking we deserve a perfect happy life but if that happened then it wouldn't be a journey we wouldn't learn anything and we wouldn't make mistakes and learn and grow. It'd just be pointless and mundain and i for one would be constantly wondering when the cloud of imending doom was arriving not to mention bored. Having the ups and downs and trials and tribulations helps us test ourself and learn who we really are what we're really made of and it helps us appreciate what we've got a work harder to achieve more. As crappy a life can be theres always someone worse off and like they always say "they never give you more that you can handle" ;)

I am one of those who not only lost her virginity and got pregnant but also got vd at the same time and since I did not know I had it because it was one of the silent ones and since it slow growed, I did not know until now that I was married, I found I could not have children except through adoption. I am still upset because we did not have the money for the expensive treatments, we could not get new borns and believe me, those three months previous make a difference. The first newborn I held for an extensive period of time was my granddaughter and later my other grandchildren and they were two days to a week older. I suppose to make it short, it is what one cannot do that would hurt me more then the disease itself. For instance my husband regretted that he could no longer talk and do the things he had done before although since he was dying he looked forward to meeting God, but from an active man to being in bed was not that good.

There are days when I think I 'am' the worst case scenario. I don't know what I'll do if I had it bad. I think my treshold for pain is so shallow that I might just give up if I was the worst. Then again, I could find comfort in small and simple things, so maybe I go on. Not really sure.

You are right with this. When I am in a pickle, not exactly an illness, thanks God, but I always try to comfort my self with saying this too shall pass. Sure I fret and worry but deep in my deep seeded mind I continue to say to myself I will work through this.

I would have to remind myself that there are people in this world that has lost a lot. I would always remind myself that I am alive and for that I need to be thankful.

Then you say "why not me." It is a rough space, but someone has to fill it. I know it does not really apply quite that neatly to the disease process, but that is what my first husband said when diagnosed with ALS, he did not say "why me" but he did say "why not me?" I think we all have to come up with coping mechanisms, and on some days, I do feel like my attitude is the worst case scenario. Then I think about it a little bit, and decide that I can be a bit more gracious about myself and about how I treat others. You cannot choose your circumstances, but you can choose how you respond to them.

It all depends on the person. You appear to be a naturally positive person.. you can always see the bright side. I am a naturally negative person and have to work very hard on seeing the positives.. and often fail at doing so! Different people would take that worst case scenario differently. If you were to look at it positively.. there really is no such thing as worst case scenario. If you're broke... you can still say you have friends, family, and health. If you're dying.. you still have friends and family. If you're dying alone.. hopefully you at least have some fond memories. If you don't have any of that.. well I guess you were just an awful person and have no one to blame but yourself!

I think for me it is hard to think about worst case scenario because it is easy to think how optimistic you will be when you are not exactly in that situation. I believe that even when you are dealt a crappy deck, it can always be worse. I remember when I had cancer, of all people I turned to my father and he said, so you have cancer, you will deal with it. I said to him, that is some stupid advise, of course I have to deal with it, and he said you have a great husband, great kids, a family that loves you, wonderful friends, a roof over your head. The then continued to stop feeling sorry for myself and that there are some people out there that have to dealt with major crises without anyone to help them get through it, and they still get through it. I will tell you, I didn't complain to my dad the rest of the time I had to deal with it. Of course, as it turns out I survived and I learned to appreciate what I good was in my life instead of dwelling on the bad.

I think that because of the fact that I always try to look at things in a positive way I would know that there is someone out there that would always have it worse than I did as a resident of the United States I know that we are lucky to have more than a lot of people have in other parts of the world. So, even if I was the worst case in this country it would make it possible for me to rest easier knowing that there were worse cases somewhere in the world.

I think I'm just like you there . . . that things could be worse - and be grateful to be where you're at. That would totally suck if I ended up being the worst case scenario . . . though in my childhood I have often thought I was. I bottled up everything back then - I wouldn't do that now. I'd probably keep on kidding myself thinking I was NOT the worst case scenario, I guess!!

Hi, Dawn! I think I'm not the worst case, not yet. But when I was young and I had mostly psychological problems, I often falled into despair. When things were too bad and I needed to comfort myself I used to think: well, that's it, this is the worst, so things will be better now. But now I have mostly material problems and I can't find consolation. And, honestly speaking, I even fear to think about being a worse case scenario.