Diseases,
disorders, and
conditions that aren't
fatal but are definitely
serious, because they screw with your
life. They range from the relatively minor, such as
migraines,
PMS, a
bad back, or
psoriasis, to the more extreme such as
fibromyalgia,
chronic fatigue syndrome, and
diabetes. All of these have to potential to
wreak havoc with your
lifestyle. Your accustomed
hobbies, your
job, your normal
relationships--these may all become
difficult or even
impossible to maintain. And you won't get much
sympathy, because it's not
life-threatening, now is it?
Feh.
Moreover, a lot of lifestyle-threatening conditions aren't
immediately obvious to the
casual observer, so you'll catch a lot of
flak for using the
handicapped restroom or taking the
elevator when you're obviously young and healthy.
Chin up, though. The instant you DO mention such a condition, you'll find out that lots of people have them, and most of them are worse off than you are.