How to accomplish a Black Dress* Day photo for severe ME if you have severe ME yourself and are 98% bedridden (may not be possible for all such folks):
- Use a morning’s energy to try on three dresses. Pick one that will camouflage the wasting of your arms somewhat. Your legs there’s nothing that to be done about.
- The next day, have husband bring you your makeup. Apply, shoddily and awkwardly, while lying down, the bare minimum you consider presentable. Pull your hair out of its standard messy bun and run a brush cursorily through it.
- Not having the energy to take a decent selfie, have husband set tripod up.
- Meet in living room.
- Don dress and shoes.
- Stand up for 20 seconds. Hold on to something to prevent falling over. Try to smile.
- Sit down, winded.
- Remove dress and shoes. Replace with usual pajamas.
- Wash makeup off.
- Lie back down with muscles weak, having expended approximately 1.5 days worth of energy.
- Be grateful you could do that much but concerned that doing so will give people the wrong idea of how functional you are.
*I was never so into solids and always into prints, so it’s a print you get from me.
