http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/na...poonTheory.pdf

Murphy posted this link in another post and wanted to pass it on to those of us who suffer chronic pain and have a hard time with others understanding. I look perfectly healthy talking to me and looking at me you would never know I suffer from excrutiating back pain. This 2 page letter is so perfect I gave it to my mom and will give to my family they know what I live with but don't understand how I can do one activity but not others. Trying to explain how I have to prepare for a trip to the store takes 2 days. If you suffer from a chronic illness print this up and keep it on you it really does help explain to others wha you have to go through!
Thank you Murphy for posting the link!!

It's difficult for those that are TABs (temporarily able-bodied) to comprehend what it is like to live like that.

Thank you for posting that link again.

Wow!! Like her friend, I never realized how much this can affect your life. I have some pain, so I guess I have lots of spoons, not unlimited but usually enough to let me do most of what I "need" to do.

This is very similar to the "energy marbles" explanation that I use to describe my on-going battle with the mind-numbing fatigue my MS creates. Like Christine's spoons, I have only so many energy marbles to play in any given day. When they're gone, they're gone, and I'm fairly useless for the rest of the day.

I'm going to print it out and post it on the refrigerator to remind my household that while I don't look sick, I'm not 100% and soup and sandwiches will suffice for supper.

Thank you for posting this... it really puts hidden medical and or mental issues in perspective (((HUGS)))

What a great way to explain any type of illness. It is even easy enough for children to understand.

I love how she explains being disabled. It is the best explanation I have ever seen. Thank you for posting this.

Thanks for passing this on. It definitely bears repeating ;-)

Thanks so mucj for posting this!! I also suffer from the "But you don't look sick - act sick" syndrome. I am only 44 and justslightly overweight and always put a good face on before I go out in public. But I have had 5 back surgeries and am in chronic pain. I also have a teenaged daughter with a developmental disability. Some days I spend with her doing her Special Olympics activities cost me 2 days worth of "spoons" at the other end. It is really difficult dealing with the odd lookks from acquaintances and strangers when I climb out of my car in the handicapped spot, or tell someone that I am on permanent disability at such a young age. Trust me - you can't always judge a book by it's cover - so try not to judge if you don't know the whole story.
Thanks for listening.

thank you very much for sharing this link, it helped me understand how to tell others how I feel, even my family sometimes don't understand because I don't look sick either, I have chronic pain.