But You Don’t Look Sick by Bette Brown

A Useful Companion

But You Don’t Look Sick by Bette Brown is a powerful little book looking at fibromyalgia. If you are a sufferer or know someone who is, this book will be useful to read.

The book covers some of the symptoms (but not all as the list is huge), the medications and helpful suggestions as to what may work, how to cope and how to tell others.

Fibromyalgia is an invisible illness. You look fine but don’t feel fine. Ordinary tasks may be hard and brain fog (which I thought was unique to me) is very frustrating.

There are personal stories from sufferers which helps to know that you are not alone.

I had a diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 2010 and fibromyalgia in 2016, this book was helpful but I felt it did not go far enough. I would have liked a section on how to fight against the symptoms. For me personally, I thought I was going to end up wheelchair bound as my mobility was bad but I learnt to swim and gained a new lease of life for my limbs. With lockdown I discovered yoga and am now more mobile and supple than ever. I found the tone of the book seemed to be suggesting an inevitable downward spiral but we can fight back and improve our bodies mobility.

I would recommend this book to fellow suffers but with a caution to say, a downward progression is not inevitable.

JULIA WILSON

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