Usually before a visit with a friend or relative, I send them a copy of "The Spoon Theory." I add a simple explanation that although I do not have Lupus, many of the symptoms are the same. http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/ar...-spoon-theory/

It gives the reader a real sense of understanding that I cannot usually convey nearly as well.

And as for strangers, I just let it go because the odds of me seeing strangers more than once is not worth a negative reaction.

Anyone talking to me in any given setting may wonder what is wrong with me since my handicap is visible. I try to tell him/her that I have MS. He/she may not know what that really means (I was not familiar with MS before my dx) but it does answer the question of why I walk the way I do.

I also arrange my face into a smile.People listen better with they perceive friendliness.

It turns "idiots" into insightful people. And it makes your own world just a little better. Try it. Since it works for me, it can work for you.