randibear
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11290
posted
first I don't dress up for a doctor's office visit.
my sister says she puts on slacks, does her hair and makeup. not me...
if I feel bad, how am i going to look? crappy thats what.
a drs visit is not a social event.
what do you wear to drs office?
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- It seems more a matter of what's comfortable to each person. Clean, neat is always a help to feel a little lighter to move about out in the world.
Beyond that, some might like a touch of make-up or a certain color / style of outfit to help cheer them up enough to step out.
"Dressing up" has such a range of definition. Clean & neat is usually the best many can do. A wash & dry hairstyle that requires no fuss has been one of my best decisions. Were I to have to blow dry or style in any way, energy would be all gone then.
Make-up has been problematic for many years due to the chemical intolerance. True, not a social visit nor to impress anyone. Still, it's just what makes a person feel okay & better able to move in their own skin before stepping out regardless of the destination.
It takes as much energy to don one piece of clothing as another so comfort / ease of movement and color are always my guide. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Rumigirl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15091
posted
Funny that you should mention this. My therapist has always said to me that I shouldn't dress up and get myself so together for my doctor visits, because then I look way better than I actually am and feel. And she has a point.
But I always have to prepare so heavily for any doctors visit with written up list of meds, current symptoms, questions, concerns,and proposed protocol. Otherwise, I can't make good use of the visit.
Then, I have to make sure that I am functional enough to get there and have my marbles working as well as possible (coffee enema, meds, supplements, etc.).
And, on top of that, I have such a "thing" about my looks, due to horrible upbringing, that I can't go anywhere without trying to look good, ie, nice clothes, color my roots (or spray them), fix my hair, etc.
So, yeah, they think I'm doing great & won't be convinced otherwise! Everyone always says, "you look great!" And I always say, "I wish I felt great." And I also say, "you have no idea what it took me to get here," but still it doesn't enter, or only partially. Sigh.
Posts: 3771 | From around | Registered: Mar 2008
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posted
For my 1st visit with LLMD, I dressed up. I wanted to be taken seriously and I treated it like an interview. I was afraid that he would send me away and tell me that it was all in my head. I wore business formal clothes & shoes, and dragged my spouse along (business formal attire too, poor thing).
The rest of the visits I haven't dressed up. I always wear the same top - it becomes obvious that I've lost weight.
Just a weird quirk of mine.
Posts: 49 | From CO | Registered: May 2016
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- This recent article caught my eye enough to save it. I've never had the opportunity to travel much, yet always felt drawn to the warm & personality evident in various photos of people in everyday attire of colorful outfits amid some of the harshest lands. Ambience is a goal.
“One of the first things I noticed is how completely beautiful everyone is on the street,”
said Shayla Harris, a documentary filmmaker and journalist, about her recent trip to Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo.
The New York Times - June 16, 2017
Article, Photos & 1:44 Video [start with low volume]
3/4 of the way down, you HAVE to see the sharp guy in the hat. It's a GIF.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is the birthplace of SAPE, a loosely organized cult of dandies known as “les sapeurs.”
SAPE is an abbreviation of the group’s name, which in English translates as the Society of Ambience and Elegant People.
The contrast between the extravagance of their attire and the hardships of their lives has the effect of highlighting the dignity of their code. Indeed, dressing well is part of the culture there.
“Everybody wears these amazing colorful clothes and are so eager to show who they are,” Ms. Harris said of the people in Goma.
Ms. Harris was in Congo on a fellowship documenting energy poverty. She wanted to capture how people, many of whom don’t have reliable electricity or access to water, maintain pride in their appearance.
In Goma, 14 of 18 neighborhoods in the city experience rolling blackouts on a daily basis. . . . [Much more to read at link above.] -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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randibear
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11290
posted
guess I'm different. if i feel like crap, then putting on makeup, getting all gussied up, just takes too much out of me.
I can't tell you how many times a dr has told me "well you look fine to me. jus nerves or whatever."
if you're sitting there with hair done, jewelry, dressed to go out, they ain't gonna take you serious.
my dr told me once, you look terrible, and I said i feel it. I had pneumonia. he knew i was sick.
jus saying....
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- The beauty of it all by this point in time is that each of us can wear just about whatever we want whether by default, by necessity (say, if a dash of color is one's fuel) or driven by some degree of artistic inspiration.
We don't have fashion police in real life, thank goodness. It's more about what makes each person comfortable and that's such an individual choice. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- This discussion reminds me of several articles / videos I've seen in recent years about women who have devised their own "uniform" of sorts, sometimes for work but also sometimes just for their casual life.
Thinking about what to wear can consume so much time and also just cause a weariness and fluster - and with chronic illness, fewer choices like this can be freeing.
I've sort of done this by getting the same style top in many colors. They are all the same, V-neck 3/4 sleeve cotton knit. It's more for comfort. I could not think of wearing anything else, my skin wouldn't let me. But I really need to rotate colors.
I hate slacks or jeans so have 4 different denim skirts - 3 of which are the same. I do have some cotton or rayon print skirts for when patterns cheer me up.
A friend of mine has an entire wardrobe of just black and white that mix and match.
With feet like mine, shoe choice has always been limited but a good pair of clogs for outdoor, and the same style for indoor wear . . . makes it easy. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Silverwolf
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9196
posted
Hi <<<<< All >>>>>,
I don't dress up, beyond trying to wear clean clothes and being clean as possible.
For one, i was taught, that make-up nail polish and such like, could actually impede the doctor finding out what may be wrong.
As an example, if one is all made up nicely, it could be hiding paleness of skin, that may be a symptom of certain illnesses.
The same with pretty colored nail polish. Is the the nail bed under the nails to pale or bluish tone? Are there unusual striations?
Is the make-up hiding yellowness of the eyes?
Most of the time, I haven't been wearing make-up lately, tho' I do like to look nice.
But that is my understanding and take on it.
Now I know that most men wouldn't wear make-up, but in some jobs, and environments, they do.
And for we ladies, I'm sure at least some of us like to wear make-up. I just don't have the energy right now.
I do think <<<<< randibear >>>>> has asked a pertinent question, especially when it involves diagnostic visits.
jus' Silverwolfi here
-------------------- 2006,May-August2006 Dx w/ Lyme/Bartonella/White Matter Lesion Disease on Brain. [ Clinical Dx w/ two positives and several IND's on the tests from Igenex ], Prior Dx of CFIDS/CEBV 1992, and FMS '93-'94 Diabetes*2 Dx 10/'08 Posts: 3581 | From SE Idaho | Registered: May 2006
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Bartenderbonnie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 49177
posted
This is a really interesting topic, it is really is.
Especially for people with chronic illnesses.
Great tips.
Posts: 2977 | From Florida | Registered: Nov 2016
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aklnwlf
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 5960
posted
I make an effort to be showered, neat and clean looking.
As I've gotten older I don't fuss as much over my appearance unless it's for a special occasion.
Since I have quite a few broken facial capillaries on my face I use a concealer on those areas. I also try to fill in my eyebrows a bit caused from the over plucking I did in the 70's and 80's.
Also have a short pixie cut so its wash and go.
Keep my nails short and neat with no nail polish.
That's how I roll now that I'm in my later 50's.
-------------------- Do not take this as medical advice. This comment is based on opinion and personal experience only.
Alaska Lone Wolf Posts: 6145 | From Columbus, GA | Registered: Jul 2004
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