"I can't, I'm washing my hair that day"

"I can't come I'm washing my hair."

To most people that's a pathetic excuse. But for someone like me, with a chronic illness, it's a perfectly valid excuse. Washing my hair is a chore. It's exhausting and painful standing in the shower and it's hard work lifting my hands to my head to wash my hair. When I finish in the shower I am exhausted. I can't even manage to blow dry my hair. That's why "hair wash day", takes up a whole day in my diary because I don't feel well enough to do anything else on that day. I have to know my plans in advance, so that I can work out which days I should reserve for washing my hair.

So if I ever meet up with you last minute and I've got greasy hair, just know that means you are very important to me, because I shifted my plans for you.