looks are deceptive

May 12th is international CFS/ME awareness day. 
I think it's great it has a 'day' because it's invisible to the eye and most of the time we're too tired to explain it all. Having it understood means the world to us.
Click for visual explanation 

Hoping that the stigma and loneliness of CFS ends, and this disease comes into light, to receive the concern from friends and the medical research it needs. With lots of love to all my brave friends and all the ones who understand xx

 

Looks are deceptive.

There are bad books with great covers.

There are rotten bananas with yellow skins.

There are ill people who appear well.

Although we'd rather not admit it,

most of us are deceived by how things look.

 Simplistic.

 

What we can't see, we struggle to believe. 

We could leave the house in pajamas, not do our hair, groan continually, and limp.

If you really need the visual cues, to believe.

But we won't stoop to gain your belief,

 on principle.

So there we have it:

our illness is invisble to your eye, and so it is dismissed.

I think if we had something you could actually see, you might research it, ask what's helpful, trust us, empathise. 

Even our blood tests come back clear. 

And so some doctors say we must be fine. 

But if it were you, and your body had stopped functioning,

you had to quit you occupation,

and there was no cure at all...

you would want people to take you seriously. At the very least.