Do You Know Anyone Like This?

Do you know anyone like this?  One day they're using a walker or wheelchair, then the next, they’re walking around fine?  Or perhaps they're at a church meeting for part of the time, then suddenly gone.  Maybe you see them moving around their house without a problem, but when they're in public they use a wheelchair or walker.   Do you wonder what’s going on?  Are they really ill?  Or are they just “faking it” for the attention?  That’s just one of the challenges of invisible illness.  With many invisible illnesses, symptoms come and go.  Or else the severity of the symptoms depends on the weather, how much sleep was had the night before, food eaten, other illnesses (such as a cold or the flu), or a number of other factors.  Simply put, rarely does any invisible illness follow a set pattern, other than that of unpredictability.

Christine Miserandino, in her article titled “The Spoon Theory”, talks about this very subject.  She discusses the importance of prioritizing our activities according to how much energy, emotional and physical, we have to give.  “The Spoon Theory” is a must-read for anyone dealing with invisible illness, whether personally, or in a loved one.  Ms. Miserandino’s article can be found online at www.ButYouDontLookSick.com.    

Sometimes I wonder what my neighbors think of me.  Do they see me walking to my car, and wonder why I don't use my walker?  Or did they notice a few weeks ago when I walked into church on my own two feet, then used the walker the rest of the time?  Did they wonder what was going on?  Possibly, but I don't know.  The truth is, I don't always need my walker, especially for short distances.  But if I am stiff or sore (like after sitting for an hour on a church bench), I am likely to need it.  Sometimes I use it just to allow me to conserve my energy for other things I have planned later.  A few weeks ago, I went to church and stayed for the whole three hours of meetings.  I haven't done that in a long time, because it drains me to do it.  I did it that time because my sister was visiting with her children, and I really wanted to attend with her.  I knew it would drain me, and that it meant I would not be able to do much during the following week, but I hadn't seen my sister for two years, and wanted to spend every minute possible with her.  So I went, and spent much of the following week recovering.

Maybe people judged me for that, maybe they didn't even notice.  I try not to let it bother me, because God knows my heart, and what my family thinks is far more important than what anyone else thinks.