Um, I usually get other responses when I tell people, friends, docs, whatnot. Some are just curious. Some make strange remarks because they heard of the condition and now they are experts on it. Some get angry. Actually quite many get grumpy about it. "We all have our problems", they say, and "You're Nordic, we're not weaklings, pull yourself together". I guess saying they are sorry is simply not in my culture.

Usually I don't even tell to explain something. It is more in context like if they invite me to something, and I ask if it is OK to wait until the last moment to decide, because I can never know how healthy I will be (I have physical illness as well). Quite many interrogates me to see if my illness is serious enough in their eyes to give me special treatment about.