"But you don't look sick"- Comments I get as a person with a invisible illness/disability

This week is invisible illness awareness week

As most of you know I have an invisible illness called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. I use a wheelchair but only part time. Some days I use crutches or a cane and some days I can walk a little bit normally. On those days there is nothing to indicate that I am sick. My favourite hobby is makeup so most days when I go out I have my makeup done. By looking at me I look like a normal 18 year old- but my insides tell another story, the ligaments and tendons around my joints are literally falling apButart, my stomach is paralysed as is my bowel, I have an ACE to manually empty my bowel, my bladder has failed so I self catheter, my heart is damaged and that is just touching the surface of my health problems. I am not telling you this for you to feel sorry for me but so you know that just because you can't see my health problems doesn't mean they aren't there. You can't make all this up! The tests don't lie.

I get so many comments about my looks and my health. I know people don't mean to upset me but comments such as "You don't look sick" just invalidate my issues.

Please remember that just because you can't see something doesn't mean it isn't there. And be there for your friend and remember to just say "You look great today but I know you probably aren't feeling as good as you look" or something along those lines not "You don't look sick" or anything to that effect