How do you explain your illness?

… without making friends or family feel uncomfortable & without going into the long details?

We did a survey of the question, “When someone says ‘you look so good’ how do you respond?” You can see some of the top 50 responses at our web site www.invisibleillnessweek.com . I think the answer would be the same for your question – It depends on who is doing the asking.

Obviously, when we are close to someone & in a relationship with them, whether it be a friend, family member, etc. we will respond differently than if it’s someone we are just st&ing beside at the bank.

I think there is a fine balance between being somewhat true to your self yet not going into too much depth. And it’s important to find a balance between not listing all of your ailments & challenges, also not coming across like illness is just the best thing that has ever happened in your life.

As silly as it sounds, in the last six months I have connected with a lot of old friends & cousins on Facebook. For the first time, they underst& a little bit about my own illness, the challenges it gives me (like pain & lack of sleep) but they also see how I am organizing Invisible Illness Week & trying to give others hope through their own health challenges.Even my husb& will see a post I make at 3 a.m. & realize just how little I slept the night before.

I’d also like to point out, remember that if a stranger asks you about your own illness, you may think, “It’s none of her business!” or be tempted to be sarcastic. It’s very hard for people to talk to loved ones who have an illness & they may actually want to know more about your illness & symptoms so they can better encourage their loved ones who has the illness. Don’t miss the opportunity to share, yet remain positive. Encourage, & yet still explain that illness isn’t fun.