How do you answer the question, "How are you?"

I've had a particularly rough week with UC and I've found that every time someone asks me how I am, I have to keep myself from saying, "Well, to be honest, I'm awful." I realized that some people who know I'm sick ask me how I am but they probably don't really want the answer. So I usually say that I'm OK. I'm sure it doesn't sound very convincing when I'm asked right after I've run to the bathroom for the 5th time that day.

How do other people deal with this question that gets asked 100 times a day? What do you say at work? What do you say to your friends?

Ok - HealingWell keeps replacing my text for me with the word crap... I have no idea whats wrong with it today. So when you see the word crap, its probably not the word I actually posted! grrrrrrr

Anyway - my current response to people is "Crappy but happy", except its not crappy because HealingWell decided that Crappy was the word of the day.

I've tried editing this post 4 times, so I give up.

"I'm okay" or "I'm fine"
If it's a friend, I might be a little more honest and say, "Oh, I'm not feeling too well, but it could be worse."

Severin said...
Ok - HealingWell keeps replacing my text for me with the word crap... I have no idea whats wrong with it today. So when you see the word crap, its probably not the word I actually posted! grrrrrrr

Anyway - my current response to people is "Crappy but happy", except its not crappy because HealingWell decided that Crappy was the word of the day.

I've tried editing this post 4 times, so I give up.

It's not just today, it automatically does that with "certain" words to keep HW "kid friendly".

But don't worry, same "crap", different pile :)

I usually respond with "still kickin' ". It gets some weird looks... I also use the "been better, been worse" line. If it's a good friend who understands I will say if I'm having a crappy day.

hmm, Alright!

Pretty good!

Still functioning!

Fair-to middlin'!

Good, actually!

Not Bad!

hmmm...OK!

Then I change the subject to ask how they are....because most people actually don't want to hear anyway...especially the ones I KNOW who would rather talk about themselves.

If it's someone close, I'll say I'm having a bad day. I don't dwell usually...but I'll be honest. If I'm feeling good...EVERYONE WILL KNOW because I tend to be a tad hyper.

quincy

I usually use a few different ones depending on my mood (prednisone and whatnot):

Every day I put two feet on the ground is a good day(I get some wierd looks for that one, but that just means that the recipient doesn't really get it)

"I've been worse, I've been better," usually works well.

My personal favorite is "strikes and gutters" which I have to give credit to The Big Lebowski for. People usually don't get it, but it at least makes me laugh a little to myself.

Either way, most people don't really want to hear how you are feeling. You can tell the ones that do because they are probably those who are nearest and dearest to you.

I've enjoyed reading everyone's responses. It's funny that other people say the "been better/been worse" response, which I used to use a lot. Also, "hanging in" is another I've used.

My recent problem is that one of my siblings asks me "how are you feeling" but then really doesn't care to listen. I'd prefer she ask "How are things?" so that I can just assume she wants to hear what is going on in my daily life. Asking about how I am feeling seems to imply that she wants to know. But clearly, she really doesn't and is bored with even my really brief answer of "not well but I'm dealing with it."

Have you ever had a day when you feel great and you think, "Wow, if this is how other people feel all the time then their lives should be a piece of cake!"? I know it's a stupid thing to think, but sometimes I get so excited when I can spend a whole day out of the house just doing errands. And then I realize that most people leave their homes all the time without worry. Maybe, just maybe, when people ask "How are you?" I want to respond in a way that reminds them that they should appreciate feeling well. But I know that the question is just a mindless courtesy and no one wants a big life lesson in the answer! :)

I agree that when someone asks how are you, it's just a common courtesy. No one really wants an honest answer. Unless its a friend and they ask how you are in which they really mean it. For strangers or acquaintances I just say Hangin' in there and for friends I usually just say that I've had better days. Then if they want to know more then I will tell them.

Even though I may be a little more honest w/ my friends, they don't know that I have UC--they just know that I've been sick a lot. So I'm not sure what they think of it.
If I've had a bad day and I'm feeling cranky, I may answer to my parents something like "Um, I have a chronic disease that makes me go to the bathroom 500 times. How do you think I'm feeling?????" Maybe not the best answer, but sometimes I can't help it!

I usually say something like, "can't complain" or "not bad, but I've been better"

well proper etiquette states that you should always answer that question with "fine thank you, and you?" lol
that's always how i would answer when i was still sick. Anyone who really needed to know how i actually was would be a close friend and they would know i wasn't good anyway.
but i love some of ya'lls answers!

i cant really keep a straight face when asked how im feeling haha but if im really feeling good i may say i feel human or alive again