Feel Free to Stare

The nice thing about having a hidden disease is that no one stares. They don't know your struggling with your diet, that your worried about dying, that the little things are sometimes hard for you to do.

The bad things about having a hidden disease is that most people don't know. They don't understand why a "thin" person is so food focused, they don't have compassion for your irrational mood swings, and they certainly don't understand that your not being lazy when you don't help lead t-ball practice or pack up the Christmas decorations.

ECD hides beneath the surface of my life pulling all the strings. When I am stubborn and refuse to acknowledge the limits it puts on my life, it beats me down. Through this process ECD is humbling me. I am learning to explain my limitations and except help when offered, but it's not easy to rely on others when your so used to being independent. Its not easy to share your struggles with the world.

So I am learning to live my ECD out loud.  Feel free to stare.