What you see:
A girl and her dog on a hike through the mountains.
What you dont see:
Joints wrapped in KT tape.
The Tylenol for all the sore joints and muscles.
Heart rate spikes in the 200’s.
The walking stick that’s the only thing keeping me on my feet.
The dog pulling up hills so I can make it on inclines.
The muscle weakness and shortness of breath that force me to take frequent breaks.
The extreme fatigue after walking for an hour that has me unable to keep my eyes open past 8pm.
We see so many beautiful pictures on social media of our fellow spoonies and sometimes it’s hard to remember that frequently we see only the good moments and the best days. A week ago I never would have been able to make this trip even with all of the concessions and provisions worked in. A week ago I could barely walk for 5 minutes without being unable to breath and passing out.
It’s hard to not expect the maximum from yourself at all times and to remember that social media is often about the good and beautiful and happy. What you see isn’t always what you get and sometimes you’re forced to stop short and change plans and that’s okay.
Social media is carefully curated so that even on someones 50% day they can look 100%. Moments in photos are often far more than you see in a simple picture on a screen so before comparing yourself to other spoonies and pushing yourself past your limits, remember to work with your body and find ways to work with whatever day you’re having, 20% or 100%.
