What, you may ask, does a lemon tree have to do with dysautonomia? Consider the classic drug induced ballad by Peter, Paul, and Mary "Lemon Tree". In the song the lemon tree is very pretty, but the lemon fruit is bitter. Imagine a hapless fellow walking into an orchard of lemon trees, their blossoms lovely, and the air redolent with citrus. An unknowing person might take up a lemon and, unsuspecting, take a bit of that fruit. The inside of the fruit is not what it looks like from the outside. And this is the great irony of invisible illness.
All people who battle a disease or disorder that is not visibly obvious to others have what is called an invisible illness. We may have a lovely countenance, much like the lemon (although some of us are a bit riper than others), but like the song says... the fruit is impossible to eat. Our bodies have betrayed us just as much as anyone with an obvious disorder, and yet we are always doubted for the lack of proof. The other side of the coin is that we are able to hide our diseases from others if we so wish. We can pull ourselves together and push through a holiday or special event, but inside we pay a price. There are moments when I think how much I would like to have a display for my vital signs that I could wear on my sleeve or chest, so everyone around can see that while we are chatting my resting heart rate is 120 bpm, or my BP is 190/150. Even better, then they could see what happens when I stand up. But I think of the lemon tree, and am reminded that it does not have to advertise for people to know what is inside. One bitter taste and you get the hint.
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