This is a post I’ve been going to write for some time because after my newspaper article last week and going to London last weekend it really became noticeable that even though I have a progressive illness because I take pride in my appearance and wear make-up people think because I look well, I am well.
Next time you look at me and think I look well, please understand what it took to make me look well, If for example, it is something I am doing during the day, I won’t even have a shower, just a strip wash, then I will rest for a while.
To put full makeup on it can take me between 2 and 3 hours because I have to keep stopping in between, thankfully my hair is so short now that it takes very little sorting with the straighteners and dry shampoo.
While I am doing all this my heart rate is going up which then brings my blood pressure down which makes me dizzy.
Just an example of what it took out of me to prepare for the photographer for the article and then while he was here. I only put minimal makeup on.
When you next look at someone with a chronic/invisible illness and think well they look OK just think for a minute and consider how long they have taken to look OK because believe me it’ll be a lot longer than you think.
Prior to my illness I have flown in from work at 6:00 pm and been showered and changed, makeup on and out the door within half an hour, but no more.
All I ask is please do not take away from the fact because I look well, it doesn't mean that I am. Share on X
It will have taken time to put some makeup on my face and I am wearing presentable clothes, I still have tremors on the inside, my head is still spinning with vertigo, I will be wearing a pad in case either my urinary or bowel incontinence strikes while I am out, I will still be sensitive to certain noises, light and smells, and my attention span will be reduced.
I may also have difficulty finding words and I will have a constant overwhelming feeling of fatigue throughout my body and the longer I am out the heavier my limbs will get.
But hey that’s ok because I look well!
This is the painful reality of invisible illness.
It’s so frustrating. I want to say that it gets easier to brush off over time, but….. well, it depends on my mood. LOL… Keep on being beautiful you!
Thank you lovely, it is so frustrating, yes but we keep at it x
My problems are not the same as yours and whilst it doesn’t take as long to apply my make up as it does for you it still takes an effort which I only do now when I am seeing other people.
6 months ago I had mostly good days, some not so good days and a few bad days. Over the last few months I have been having more not so good days and some good days. Now it is more not so good days plenty of bad days and I can’t remember the last good day.
The last time I was out socially just prior to Christmas everyone without exception said how good I looked. I know it was the make up because I was actually in acute pain.
Most days now all I want to do is sleep. I am forcing myself to go out for a short time but my body isn’t happy. The next day I can’t do anything much at all.
Looks can be so deceiving, can’t they? But we should do what we feel is right for us. If people look, you might think they’re thinking, ‘there can’t be much wrong with her.’ But they might be thinking, ‘look at that fabulous looking woman.’
I like it Liz and this is going to be how I see it from now on 🙂 x
Thanks for talking about this. I agree that you never know what somebody is going through and looks most certainly can be deceiving! xx
http://www.nishiv.com
Thank you for commenting I get quite angry now when people are so quick to judge, sadly that could well have been me prior to this illness but hopefully, I can go some way to raise awareness for all xx
this is a really good post! More awareness is needed for sure
Thank you Gemma x
This!! People need to understand this. I’m not well just because I have makeup on one day. It really does take so long and cause so much pain.
Totally yes, we produce the video and it looks like it took ten minutes so that’s why people don’t understand sadly!