But You Don't Look Sick?

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Articles: 1, 2, 3

Christine has been interviewed for today's CNN.com "empowered patient" colu
2008-01-25 04:05:00
1/24/08 Empowered Patient , a regular feature from CNN Medical News correspondent Elizabeth Cohen, helps put you in the driver's seat when it comes to health care. This week's topic asks the question, "Are you an obnoxious patient?". Christine was quoted in tips # 3, 4 and 5! Ms. Cohen was easy to speak with and it was a pleasure to work with her. I hope to again in the future as patient advocacy and empowerment is something I feel so strongly about. Story Highlights * Be an informed, confident patient, but also listen to your doctor's view * Don't demand a prescription without an office visit * Share, but don't overload, your doctor with info you've gathered independently * If you need more than 15 minutes, make special arrangements beforehand To read the whole story on CNN.com click here. Click to read more ...
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ButYouDontLookSick.com is busy in the Health Blogosphere
2008-01-05 06:09:00
This has been a great week in the medical/ health blogosphere for ButYouDontLookSick.com! We are proud to have been mentioned in articles by some really talented bloggers and we even have been nominated for an award. I originally started ButYouDontLookSick.com writing about my own experiences with Lupus, but I soon began to realize that many of us with "invisible diseases" have many of the same feelings or experiences. We can use technology as a tool to help each other and build a community. Click to read more ...
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Problem Solver Treatments For Winter Dry Skin
2008-01-04 19:05:00
Right about now your skin is showing the effects of drying winter winds, central heating, and low humidity conditions. Aside from increasing the humidity in your environment, there are several other things you can do to relieve painful, dry winter skin. Your skin is your largest living organ and its cells die and are replaced every day. The dead skin cells stack up and can become hardened and cause problems like cracked and bleeding skin - ouch! The key is to exfoliate the skin all over your body, exposing the fresh new cells underneath so that the benefits of moisture treatments can reach them. Click to read more ...
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10 Ways to Fight the Post-Holiday Blues
2008-01-03 23:50:00
I live for holidays. All year long, I eagerly anticipate the next approaching day, all building up to the fall and winter seasons. With most of the major festivities (birthdays, Christmas) in my family coming in the latter half of the year, we have to wait a long time for the big events. Thus, after Christmas is over, I get the feeling I used to get as a child when the 4th of July hit: the enchantment is over and we?re about to reenter the ?real world.? (If you don?t understand the 4th of July marker, here in NC, school begins in early August, so that meant the summer bliss was about to end.) So, here are 10 fun, quirky, and serious ways you might try to battle the January blahs. Click to read more ...
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What to do with old Christmas Cards?
2008-01-03 06:42:00
I was just starting to clean up after the holidays and I gathered up all the beautiful Christmas cards that were sent to me. I was so blessed to receive an abundance of Christmas cards this year and I had loved opening up the mail every day and hanging the cards around the house. Some of these cards are so pretty, with glitter and 3-D details, or even just a lovely holiday scene on the cover. It seemed like such a waste to just throw them in the garbage and certainly not very environmentally friendly or "Green". I went through them and saved some of the more special cards like "Baby's First Holiday", or some cards that I wanted to keep from special friends and relatives. But then what to do with this big pile of cards? I started to ask my friends, family and other moms and I was bombarded with helpful and creative suggestions, since everyone, it seemed, was looking for solutions to this holiday dilemma. I thought I would post some of the ideas here. Click to read more ...
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Product Review: Holiday Scrapbooking Supplies from Hot of the Press
2008-01-03 00:22:00
Maybe the holiday season is so festive that we want to capture the memories forever? Maybe it is the moments with family and friends around the holidays that we want to cherish in some way special? Either way scrapbooking is more popular then ever around the holidays. Scrapbooking is a perfect hobby for those with chronic disability or pain because you can work at your own pace and start a small project like cards, or a bigger project like a book. It is really up to you how complicated and elaborate you want your scrapbooking projects to be. Here are some holiday and winter themed scrapbooking items to help inspire you with those holiday memory pages. Click to read more ...
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Start a New Tradition - Thank you emails
2008-01-02 06:23:00
Christmas is over, the parties are finished and you are exhausted. But the traditional thank you notes haven?t been sent out yet, and they sit like an anvil on the back of your mind. Growing up, thank you notes were always carefully penned on beautiful stationary or tucked inside cute little cards. So much time spent trying to remember what everyone got you, trying to keep it all straight, finding the cards, collecting the addresses, buying stamps and mailing them all out in reasonable time. If you have a long list of thank you notes to send, you might feel like you will never get through it. Click to read more ...
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Well 2007 is over and now we open the book on 2008
2008-01-01 21:19:00
Well 2007 is over and now we open the book on 2008 . Story unwritten, only the prologue from last year on the pages. What will you be filling the pages with on yours? I have done a lot of thinking. I have been through so much in the last few years, that I really want to push my effort through, to make this year the year I run down the path to something better instead of crawling. In the last year I was on the road to constant worry over everything. Worrying robbed my spoons and made each new obstacle harder. Click to read more ...
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New Years Resolutions: Why They Are so Tricky
2007-12-31 23:21:00
This year do I want to make a resolution to lose weight, save money or learn a foreign language? Or even something more vague like have more tolerance or patience? Let?s just face it, a nice easy resolution is the best bet. If it is easily achieved, and that achievement will give you a warm fuzzy feeling that you have actually accomplished something. Having no resolution also works, but then you have to defend your reason for not having one when asked, so it is just easier to make one up. Resolution s regarding improvements to your life style and health are truly worthy goals, but they are quite a bit harder to achieve, given they require sustained effort and many obstacles. Click to read more ...
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Website Review: Babysites.com
2007-12-23 05:42:00
So, I'm officially obsessed with my child. I'm not ashamed to admit it. BUT, I'm a rather private and modest person and I truly do not like to interfere with others' lives. I do not like to flaunt my baby's pictures and shove them into everyone's e-mail boxes every month, week, day...well, you know the type! Once we discovered we were going to be blessed with this bundle o' joy, I also knew that with my fibromyalgia, I would not be doing much (ahem, any) traveling and distant relatives would probably want to know what was going on with our lives. So, I had to find some way to allow access into our happy little home! Click to read more ...
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Student Tips: How to Make it Through School-When Sleeping Sounds More Sensi
2007-12-20 19:44:00
Here are tips on how to survive school when you suffer from FMS or any other chronically painful illness. I did survive and am alive to tell the tale. I did not know these tips, when I was in high school, so what I did instead, was skip school quite a bit in order to sleep. This is actually effective, if you can manage the good grades at the same time, which I could because I am somewhat smart-ish. Click to read more ...
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Top Ten Cold and Flu hints and products
2007-12-20 02:05:00
In the winter it's harder not to get sick, than it is to remain healthy throughout the season. For many reasons, we find ourselves grabbing for the tissues instead of our vacation guides. Many of us already are sick 365 (or 366 if it's a leap year!!) days of a year, so we need to get over this whole mess fast! Here are the top ten tips and products to help you get through the cold and flu season this year. Click to read more ...
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Tips: How to Wrap Christmas Gifts Easily
2007-12-05 04:05:00
It's fun to get gifts, but wrapping them especially if you have sore or weak hands can be hard. Here are a few tips to help you wrap Christmas gifts easily. Click to read more ...
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The Spoon Theory
2007-12-01 05:24:00
Please take the time to read Christine Miserandino's personal story and analogy of what it is like to live with sickness or disability. Click HERE to read "The Spoon Theo ry "

Book Review: Living with Lupus - The Complete Guide (2nd edition- revised a
2007-12-01 04:32:00
By Sheldon Paul Blau, MD and Dodi Schultz In my opinion, this is one of the most current valuable books published on living with Lupus. I found it to be very informative and easy to read, without speaking in thick, confusing medical jargon.
More About: Health , Living , Book Review , Review , Book

Holiday Tips: Let Go Of The Guilt of Using Shortcuts
2007-11-25 02:52:00
Many of us have long-held family traditions, which we feel is our duty to uphold each year. From slow roasting a large turkey and kneading homemade rolls at 4 am on Thanksgiving to baking 40 varieties of cookies around December. (I have only narrowed mine down to 25 varieties, but I'm working on it!) Many of us also face the reality that our illnesses can't always allow us the good fortune of having that much energy, stamina, drive and/or ability when we set out to do so.
More About: Holiday , Tips , Shortcuts , Guilt , The G

"My Secret is safe with ME" -what I wish people knew about me.
2007-11-23 06:10:00
It has been said by many people that I am a very good actress. "But You Don't Look Sick" seemed to be all I heard. Is this a good thing? Sometimes it is an appropriate thing to say after a speaking engagement, or when I used to act in class, etc. Most times I take it for the compliment it is, all the while smiling, knowing exactly what it doesn't mean. It simply means I am not the woman/ the girl I was before. I "act" like a healthy person the best I can. I take on this role as if I will someday win an award for best portrayal of a healthy person. The downside, is that there is no trophy, there is no prize, I just end up alone with my feelings and everything I have kept inside. I act like I don't care- but I do. I act like I am not scared, but I am.
More About: People , Secret , Safe

About The Author
2007-11-21 05:49:00
Christine Miserandino is a writer, blogger, speaker and patient advocate from NY. She also happens to be someone who is living with Lupus. Her writing has been featured in numerous newspapers, magazines, medical newsletters and television media. From the age of fifteen, Christine Miserandino has been diagnosed with a myriad of illnesses from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome to Epstein Barr, and finally, many years later to a determination of Lupus. Though battling a shopping list of symptoms, Christine has consistently been 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. Many times, being pretty or not sickly looking, made it harder to validate an illness you cannot see.
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Recipe: Quick Lower Sugar Cinnamon Raisin Pudding
2007-11-21 03:39:00
When you are craving something hot, sweet and delicious on a cold fall evening, try this!
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Seasonal Tips: Ho,Ho,Ho-Oh No! What?s For Dinner?
2007-11-16 05:54:00
The holidays are upon us. Though most articles are about the perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas spread, what about all of the everyday meals in between, during this busy holiday season? It?s hard enough to find the energy to shop and plan for large family get-togethers, and most healthy people (let alone ?Spoonies?) will rely on takeout or fast food to fill the daily gap. But at a time when we?re trying to maintain our energy and health to the best of our ability, this habit can wreak havoc on our bodies. This is when having a few necessities on hand is important in order to create nourishing, whole-food meals while saving those ?spoons?!
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Shopping through Amazon.com helps support this site!
2007-11-15 22:55:00
Shop and help support this site at the same time!! With the holidays and christmas shopping.....Just a reminder that if you shop through amazon.com please shop/click using this link: It has a code in it that tracks the purchases and makes butyoudontlooksick.com 5% of the total sale. This helps us run this website and keep the message boards etc. running! Every little bit helps!!! Please save this post to come back and click through..... :) Thanks! :)
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Poetry: I'm Sorry
2007-11-15 16:49:00
A poem submitted by one of our readers.
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What to Do When You Are Waiting to See The Doctor
2007-11-15 05:19:00
My "Wait ing Bag"- Since I unfortunately spend alot of time in doctors' waiting rooms, I quickly learned to make the most of this seemingly wasted time.
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Easy Holiday Craft: Light bulb Snowmen Ornaments
2007-11-07 08:17:00
It is never too early to get into the holiday spirit! Try this easy winter snowmen craft project to keep for yourself or to give as a gift.
More About: Holiday , Craft , Light , Easy , Ornament

Walk Along for Lupus 2007
2007-10-15 20:12:00
It is that time of year again! My family, friends and I are walking in the annual Lupus Walk on Long Island, NY. This has been a family tradition that has meant allot to me through the years. The Lupus Alliance has helped me and my family throughout the years and this is our way of helping them continue their good work.
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Remembering Emma, in honor of Breast Cancer Month
2007-10-14 22:00:00
Good friends are hard to find. Great friends come along once in a lifetime if you are lucky.
More About: Cancer , Breast Cancer , Breast , Honor , Janet

Craft Corner: Let's Make A Pretty Change-By-The-Season Centerpiece!
2007-10-14 20:34:00
What could be prettier than a colorful candlelit decoration to grace your dining room table or coffee table! And what's even better is that you can easily change this one for every single holiday or season! You can make it as expensive or inexpensive as you wish depending on the materials chosen. It is super easy to make, no crafting experience required! All items are available at your local hobby/craft store or large discount store.
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ButYouDontLookSick.com Top Ten Most Popular Articles
2007-10-12 22:37:00
I know it is easy to only read and focus on the stories and articles that are featured on the front page of our site, but sometimes it is good to take a look back. I would like to take this opportunity to re- introduce you to some of our most popular articles on butyoudontlooksick.com. I decided what was most popular by click count and my reader feedback. (Please note that I focused on articles and essays this time around, and did not include reviews from our directory of product, service, book, movie, and website reviews.) If the following articles are new to you, I hope you enjoy them! If you read them when they were originally posted, I encourage you to take this opportunity to revisit the articles. Every day is an opportunity to learn something new.
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Sick Humor: How to make a meal when you can?t stomach it
2007-10-09 21:08:00
Sometimes you just gotta laugh... Let?s face it. When you have Lupus, Cancer, or any invisible illness you have days (or months) where eating is the last thing you want to do. Of course our families still insist on having a decent meal, so what do you do? :)
More About: Humor , Stomach , Make , Sick , Meal

DOMINOES: It's Not Just For Kids Anymore, It's a Game For Us!
2007-10-09 07:48:00
One evening a month ten women friends take time out of our complicated lives to gather together - not to discuss the latest Toni Morrison novel or to pick an eco-friendly company in which to invest or to discuss how to make our streets safer ? but to play the game of our childhood, dominoes. Many of us have health conditions (chronic pain, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, cancer) that would make more vigorous play difficult. Domin o es is a great fit! It has low athletic requirements, but demands some attention, and can satisfy competitive urges.
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