Hypsacremia
A condition of understanding oneself to be in the early stages of physical disease with the purpose of creating social bonding. Differentiated from hypochondria by the presence of overt attempts to utilise symptom discussion to engender social bonds, rather than significant underlying health anxiety.
Jolene stood by her gate post, studiously disinterested in the world around her as she trimmed a perfect rose. Mercy spotted her from the corner, and watched as Jolene paused, looked around her, and then slowly made the same cut an inch lower. She crossed the street, hoping to make it to her own front door unobserved.
“Oh, Mercy! You made me jump!” Jolene’s feigned surprise cut across the 20 feet between them.
“Morning Jolene, busy morning!”
The other woman did not take the hint. “Same”, she said, “I got the doctor at 11, trouble with my bowel again.”
“Oh, I’m sorry Jolene, that’s been giving you a bad run, hasn’t it.”
“They say it might be crohn’s but the doctor wants to run some tests.”
“Well, I’m glad they’re looking after you.”
“I’m going to ask about my headaches too. You know I always get headaches, but these have been so strange the last few weeks, it’s like pressing….”
“Morning ladies”. Mark appeared between the women, his Labrador pulling on the lead. Mercy took the chance to edge further out of easy conversational distance.
“Morning Mark, how’s your back?”
“Not great Jolene, thanks for asking. Its...”
“I was just telling Mercy, my headaches have been very strange lately, I’m hardly able to get any sleep!”
Mercy gladly handed the baton to Mark and headed inside.
“Morning darling, how was your walk?” her husband greeted her from the kitchen.
“Nice. Except…you remember that pain I had in my leg…..”
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