does ms make you look exhausted?

[sunshine008]

hi,

So, that's my big question of the day........

I have heard comments from family members, husband, kids etc. for past year how terrible I look.

so, I'm just wondering if I'm the only one. I do all i can now past mos half since dx, vitamins, eat right, gym, yoga I try to sleep.

Yet sleep here is very hard, between my husband's work hours, my daughter who doesn't sleep, etc.

so, anyone else?? no matter what i do i still look like a truck ran over me.

id' love to look well again

[deb46]

With me it really varies. Somedays I get "you look so good" then a lot of days I get "you look so tired" I guess for me it depends on how I am feeling that day.

[MaxGrey]

I was told that I looked exhausted and run over by a semi while i was having an attack and that I look better now but honestly I never used to have these huge dark circles under my eyes before. I can tell I look worn out and tired even when i get to sleep 12 hours a day. I think that's just the way it is.

[RavenousWolf]

I got into some ugly conversations with my former father-in-law who used to always tell me that I look like nothing is wrong with me. I eventually told him to stop saying that to me.

The next time I see him he then says that the people he knows with this disease look like nothing is wrong with them.

At that I told him how would you know. There are diseases that do not manifest themselves with physical appearance. That is why cancer is so often missed until it is too late.

So unless a limb is missing some people will assume nothing is wrong. Interestingly, it was my primary care physician who explained a bit why some women go out of their way when it comes to physical appearance.

[bulldogman]

With me it varies some days I look fine other days I look terrible. It does not always coincide with how I feel. I find that as my MS progresses I am not as concerned with how I look. More important is how I feel and can I get through the day.

[day1]

A dear aunt of mine told me after my diagnosis that MS was the beautiful person's disease. I started to believe it when I would hear "but you look so good" over and over. I would just reply with "looking good is the easy part". If you've ever noticed... everyone has days when those dark circles are more obvious. There's an app for that! Concealer can work wonders!

[Thinkimjob]

Until I had MS, I always thought 'You're looking well' was code for 'You've put on weight'. Not any more.

[heliotrope]

For me, it depends. It usually takes 4-5 really bad days before I start looking "awful." That can actually be really frustrating, because my family assumes I'm fine until then...

[soccer3]

looking good with ms

I always say " well if I can't feel great at least I can look great"

[Waydwnsouth1]

Every now and then a couple of my coworkers will ask if I am feeling ok. They tell me I don't like look I feel well. I guess we show it sometime no matter how hard we try to hide it.

[cosake]

It's a mixed bag for me - I get alot of the "Oh, you look great!" compliments, but then I also get the concerned "You don't looks so great today." comments.

Most days, I get the compliment, but on days that are hard, I don't look so good, and people who see me frequently take notice. At least the comments seem to coincide with how I'm feeling most of the time.

[Lendi]

With me it really varies. Somedays I get "you look so good" then a lot of days I get "you look so tired"

Deb pretty much summed it up for me as well. Some days I look great, others not so much.

I rarely tell anyone how I'm actualy feeling, though. Even DH doesn't realize how much pain I have. I just say "I'm fine." or "It's going good." even if it isn't. I'm not sure how to tell people I feel like garbage even if I do look good.

[DianeD]

Yes

I know I look older (because I am :-)...however, I have dk. circles under my eyes that never used to be there. Fatigue and lacxk of sleep does that !

I used to look in the mirror and see a familiar, not bad to look at face, but now I think I see my mother!!!

[Tawanda]

There are diseases that do not manifest themselves with physical appearance. That is why cancer is so often missed until it is too late.

So unless a limb is missing some people will assume nothing is wrong. Interestingly, it was my primary care physician who explained a bit why some women go out of their way when it comes to physical appearance.

I would say MOST diseases do not manifest themselves with physical appearance. It is interesting what your PCP said about women...reminds me of how I asked for my lipstick fresh out of labor for that "first" mother/daughter picture! Let me tell you, makeup can only hide but so much! I looked like a very pale drag queen! It also reminds me of that scene in "Terms of Endearment" when Debra Winger is dying of cancer in a hospital bed and asks for her makeup kit before she sees her kids which might be for the last time.

It seems as if sick women try to look healthy more to please the others around them rather than for themselves. On the flip-side, I do feel a bit better if I don't let myself look look completely be-draggled!

[Tawanda]

With me it really varies. Somedays I get "you look so good" then a lot of days I get "you look so tired" I guess for me it depends on how I am feeling that day.

Don't you get tired of both of these statements? I smile, and answer through gritted teeth as I know people who inquire mean well, but it's like putting me under the spotlight when I would rather blend into the wallpaper. I want to scream, MYOB! But of course, if you're a cranky old lady, people won't want to have much to do with you!

I see my family once a year meaning I have aged a year in a normal life, which means to them I will probably have aged 5 years in my MS life. I always feel like hitting the gym more often and getting some color from the sun before making this yearly trek (which means I better get started now!).