But you don't look or sound sick!

I have Having chronic bronchitis,  I am the only member of my family who doesn't smoke and yet I am the only one with bad lungs, thank you second hand smoke.  I normally get 3 flairs up a year and end up having to miss 3 days of work. The rest of the year is spent trying to deal with it and spending much of my time feeling like an elephant is sitting on my chest. The thing is i don't look or sound sick (unless i am hacking up a lung), so sometimes its hard for people to understand what being sick means and why i have to spend 3 days out of work. I don't like the fact that i am sick and i hate the meds that i have to take because they make me all loopy and what  not. I am one of the lucky ones because for the most part i do have a normal life and i have a great support group in my friends and family. Its just where some people deal with a monkey on their back, i deal with an elephant on my chest.