The Invisible Ailment - A Look At The Spoon Theory

Are you someone who is fighting a disease, going through the ups-and-downs, but to those on the outside you may look fine? Last night I ran across an article that I just had to share with my readers. It's entitled The Spoon Theory and can be found at http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/navigation/BYDLS-TheSpoonTheory.pdf. Please take a few minutes to read this if you, or anyone you know, has Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Lupus, or any other 'invisible' disease. It will help you to make sense of how different doing everyday tasks are for someone who is sick verses a healthy person.


I, personally, have a neuromusular disorder that affects my feet and eventually, possibly, my hands. If I'm sitting no one would realize I have anything wrong. When I'm walking, most people do notice that I have a strange gait and trip easily. This is caused by the odd formation of my feet (high arches and instep and my ankles roll outward) due to the nerves not functioning correctly. But what they don't realize is that because my nerves are twice as slow as a normal person's, it takes me twice as much energy to do the same task. When I was younger I just pushed on and ignored my limitations. Today I realize I can't do that or I'll pay for it later! That is why I found Christine Miserandino's personal story and her analogy of what it is like to live with sickness or disability, through The Spoon Theory, so on-the-spot and compelling.


Christine's website at http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/, also has some great information, valuable resources, and even a store that has items with cute sayings like the one to the right, for anyone who wants to live life to the fullest with any disability, invisible disease, or chronic pain. She is a writer, blogger, speaker and patient advocate, who also happens to be living with Lupus. She started her advocacy due to consistently being told, by both well-wishers and doctors alike, “But you don't look sick.” as if that was some kind of compensation for being chronically ill.


I hope you find Christine's Spoon Theory as helpful as I did!