This is undiscussed side effect of getting ill.
I am the same weight in both these photos but my face doesn’t reflect that.
Chipmunk cheeks, puffy face… whatever you call it, it happens. It happened to me in August last year when I was hospitalised, it happened to my friend who was getting chemo for cancer and it happened to my friend who was on steroids for Crohn’s.
And you know what’s worse than having an obstructed Bowel, cancer or Crohn’s?
Being told you need to lose weight whilst you have obstructed bowels, cancer or Crohn’s. Being told you need to “look after yourself”, “be more healthy” whilst you are fighting for your life.
NEWSFLASH: You can’t just “go to the gym more” when you are going through these things. You can’t just “eat healthier”. When I have had an obstructed Bowel, I have either been starved for 6 weeks – literally starved, no food or water, they call it nil by mouth OR best case scenario, I am prevented from eating vegetables and fruits because of the fibre. Either way, same puffy face and no control over my diet.
How fucked up is our society that you would think it’s your place to preach health to anyone going through any of these things?
JUST BECAUSE YOUR HEALTH IS SIMPLY A MATTER OF DIET AND LIFESTLYE, DON’T ASSUME EVERYONE’S IS.
JUST BECAUSE YOU’VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING ABLE TO MANAGE YOUR OWN HEALTH, REMEMBER NOT EVERYONE CAN.
I’m gonna say it one more time… STOP ASSUMING HEALTH FROM APPEARANCE.
This post was inspired by a friend who is going through enough shit medically as it is and she doesn’t need another person commenting on an insecurity she is already aware of. #ScarredNotScared