"I'm fine"

I really do appreciate it when co-workers have asked me recently how I'm feeling. (It certainly beats a lot of the things they could be saying!) But, as this is my outlet for occasional frustrations, I'm still going to complain about it just a little bit.

The question is very basic. "How are you feeling?" But the answer can be quite complex. I fully realize they're just asking to be polite and make conversation, and they really don't want to hear my whole list of things that might be wrong at any given time. But, at the same time, it feels like a lie to say that everything is just fine, because often it's not. Last week I went with the answer of, "I've been getting headaches most days." Pretty simple and not too involved or gross, but then I get a look of pity and they don't really know what else to say, so then I feel like I have to minimize it ("Oh, but it's not that bad!") or make a joke of it in order to get past the little bit of awkwardness.

So probably my best answer now is that I'm "feeling better than I did early on," since most people know (generally) that I was pretty sick in the early stages. And, for the most part, that answer is true (with the exception of the most recent gallstone attack--that was torture), so I might as well just go with it and spare acquaintances any further details. It's not like anyone at work could really do anything about any of my bad symptoms anyway, and really all I'm doing is opening myself up to unsolicited advice that I probably don't want to hear. I'll continue to acknowledge their well-meaning question as nothing more than just politeness--which is fine. I definitely don't want a ton of attention on me at work, but it's nice to know that I'm not completely in the shadows.