Articles that explain things better than me 😁

If your one of my family members or close friends (and even if your not) please copy and paste the links and please read. These articles are helpful and explain my thoughts so well. Living with an invisible illness is a constant battle of knowing when to test your limits/boundaries and trying not to over do it in fear of being less capable later. It's a struggle of trying to decipher between: trying to look how you feel (hoping to provide others with understanding) or to take advantage and seize every opportunity when I feel ok. I decided for myself I am going to take advantage because YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE #yolo. So the next time you see me dancing at a friends wedding or event and think to yourself, she looks and acts fine, just know that may very well be last time I am capable of dancing. Why wouldn't I go for it even if it hurts? If I'm feeling limber I will timber 😜 lol. And if it takes some orange wheat or one more Tylenol to enjoy that moment with people I love then so be it! 

http://www.restministries.org/articles/art-worry.htm

http://invisibleillnessweek.com/2012/09/12/explain-illness/

http://restministries.com/2012/05/ways-to-encourage/

Here's another:

Does it help or hinder the understanding of our illness when we compare our illness to normal people getting sick?

The idea of comparing a bad headache to chronic migraines, regular period cramps to endometriosis, or general soreness to Fibromyalgia or other chronic pain disorders.

Believe me, I could put in no further consideration and sit here and declaim about lack of perspective, insensitivity, and general failure to engage brain before opening mouth. But there’s two good reasons for me to not do so.

1. I don’t actually believe there’s any intended insult there most of the time
2. It’s lazy and I like to challenge the way I’m inclined to think sometimes

What I feel it’s worth thinking about is that chronic ill health is not something in the sphere of experience of the general population. I would venture as far as to say it is impossible to encapsulate and articulate the quality of that experience to someone whose life is not touched by chronic ill health–whether they are the sufferer or whether they are close to someone who is.

Since it's beyond what most people can even phantom, more frustrations derive because you can never really make anyone understand. :/