I know what you mean. My daughter & hubby can see right through my "ok"s. I feel other family members don't believe I hurt as much or as bad as I do. I have started to say "I'm fine" on good days and just say "I've been better" on bad days. They don't really understand how we hurt.

Surviving !!

Thanks I like them both. "I've been better" and "Surviving"

Oops all it posted was the quotation marks. :o)

I'll try to find the rest of it. I think "I'm fine, how are you? Is the expected answer in polite society these days.
I use the need to know test before I say anything about fibro.
It is very tiresome to hear about a person's health problems "On a daily basis". Those that love us and know us already know how we feel.
As an example I will quote my sister who was diagnosed in just the last year.

I saw that she was online way, way past her bedtime. I sent a message asking if she was having a bad night.
Her answer was "same ole same ole" I have been diagnosed for over 20 years so that was all she had to say to me. I personally like "same old stuff different day" to those who care and/or need to know. I hope this helps in some way.

You can come here and vent all you want to. You know you are talking to people who already know what you are going through and respect your courage and strength. Gentle hugs 4 U

Hi TWGarrett, there is a clothes pin thing that you can use on your family and friends and they may stop asking you those questions every time they see you. If you go to healthcentral.com you can find out how to play the game. The only thing is you need to buy some wooden clothes pins, I ask some family members if they would play the game, and afterwards they do not ask me so many questions anymore, because they know what pain is now and they tell me they could not live with what we have. Also there are other things out there like you don't look sick the spoon theory, that they can read.
I hope these things will help you out some,
debks

Doing OK or fine is the standard. Super tired, but trying to work thru it is another. I usually say OK to folks that don't know, to people you can tell want to discuss I say in a flare up, very tired, or working thru the pain. For others that know I have FM and are asking, but really don't need to hear anything bad (you know what I mean) I just say I am getting bye. I haven't found the best thing to say and I figure we have enuf to work with that I don't spend my energy trying to get better at the responses. OK may be the easiest to reply and when they think it means planning something on the spot for my great reply, I temper it with how I feel at the moment letting them know it could change and that small plans are the best for me.

I usually tell people " If I were any better,I'd be twins"...it throws them off kilter and usually turns the sbuject around.

I say "my new normal"- lets them know my normal is different than theirs.

I usually just say "I'm okay. How you doing?" I don't lie and say "good". :o) But my mom knows I am doing terrible when she asks how I am and I say "Oh, fabuluous!" Then, I need not say any more :o)

Hey everyone, if you go on the internet and type in Letter to Normals you will be able to find some different letters that you can give to your friends and family members that will help them understand you more, they will explain that you just cannot get ready and go places like you use to be able to do or things like that anymore because of the monster (this is what I call Fibro) that you have now.
I have done this and people seem to understand a little bit better.
I hope this will help everyone out !
debks

I say, "I'm enjoying this weather" or "Better now that I see you." Some kind of general, upbeat comment about anything but my health. I only share my actual health information with 4 other people in the world, besides medical professionals and my DS support group.

Once in awhile, someone will hear that I've been sick or that I have CFS and F and they'll ask pointed questions. I'll answer honestly but cautiously with short answers.

to the people i work with i lie and say "I'm fine, how are you?" cause i know they just really don't care to hear where i am hurting on any given day, i don't want tot hear it anymore myself, i'm worn out from being in pain all of the time and trying to look like i feel great or even good for that matter, to family, i tell them i'm having a good day, or bad day depending on the severity of the pain on that day, i don't go into detail with anyone, more for me than for them

I usually just say, "I'm hanging in there!"

I have learned to reply, "I am vertical." In otherwords, well, at least I am standing up, not laying in bed, like yesterday. Also, at home I have an agreement with my husband that if I don't get dressed in the morning, I am too "sick" to do anything. I don't have to say a word.
When someone says, "You don" look sick," I want to reply," You don't look stupid, either!" (I think Savella is making me grumpy...er.)