Reply to How to answer "How are you?" when you are not great and prospects are not good?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]"How are you" is a social convention.  People are not asking for a definitive catalogue of your medical status.  You are in pain and suffering you may have lost perspective on some of the "social routine."

I say this very gently -- please talk to your doctor about adequate pain control and about the possibility of an anti-depressant.  My mother is a chronic pain sufferer.  When she starts worrying about how to respond to questions like "How are you" I know it's time to talk about pain control and depression.[/quote]

Good advice (op here)!  I am in a pain management program, but prognosis is not for a quick recovery.  I guess it is really the nosy lady at work who I am usually at a loss for words with.  She is always prying and even if I say I am fine, she asks a bunch of questions I don't really want to discuss with her.  Example, "Oh, I haven't seen you in a while (I travel), how are you?" "Good!  How have you been?" "Oh, how is your xxxxx?" "Still recovering!" "Oh!  What treatment is next?  You know you should stop traveling so much.  It will not help you heal" (knowing travel is part of my job) or "When do they think you are going to get better?" She drives me insane.  I want her to stop when I say "I am fine!"

With acquaintances, glib answer is easy.  Closer friends, I sometimes feel like I don't want to burden friend's with knowing I am not 100% - don't want them to feel obligated to ask questions (that I would feel ok discussing with them, as opposed to nosy lady).[/quote]

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