How Many Spoons Do You Have Today?

Sometimes I think a friend or family member understands what it's like to live with pain all the time, and then they'll say or do something that reminds me they really don't "get it" at all.. 

When you're diagnosed with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and a thoracic neuralgia pain syndrome, it means two things:

1. You can't remember the last time you were totally pain free.
2. You never have enough energy to do what needs done every day.

Sometimes I'm not sure which is hardest to deal with, but the lack of energy certainly is frustrating!

A very good friend sent me a link to an article written by a woman with Lupus that explains what it's like to live with invisible diseases like lupus, fibro and chronic fatigue.  The name of her blog will resonate with anyone who has such problems:

But You Don't Look Sick!

.
If you have had lupus, fibro or any of the so-called "invisible" illnesses, I'll bet you've heard it or it's corollary, "But you look good!" more times than you care to count!

This article is copyrighted, so I can't print it here... but go to this blog post and read

The Spoon Theory. 

I promise you, if you have any such health problems, you will be nodding your head and saying, 'YES, that's it!"

And if you don't, count your blessings, and read it anyway to help you understand someone who does.  Just trying to understand what someone else lives with can mean a great deal that friend or loved one.

Because we may not look sick... but we live with it just the same.