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Tag Archives: appearance
limited
I had forgotten how exhausting it is to function through pain. In particular, I had forgotten how mental exhaustion begets physical exhaustion. After this week, consider me reminded. It has been six weeks since the semester began. The first two … Continue reading
assumptions
assumption |əˈsəm(p)SHən| noun 1. a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof: they made certain assumptions about the market | [ with clause ] : we’re working on the assumption that the time of death … Continue reading
progress
Classes officially started yesterday. Emboldened since I got the brace, I thought that I wouldn’t have nearly as much trouble making it through lectures as I did before. After all, I have been able to go to other functions that … Continue reading
Posted in Aspect II
Tagged appearance, chronic pain, judgmental, learning, self care
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bitten
Well, we’re on day four here at the beach and my busted wing has finally settled back down to its pre-trip pain level; a four or five in the morning, up to a six or seven by the evening, depending … Continue reading
Posted in Aspect I
Tagged appearance, coping, disability, life change, self loathing, self love
1 Comment
never gonna get it
As I parked my car at the gym this morning, I saw a woman who had already pulled in to the handicap space next to mine. She had a permanent handicap hang tag (they’re blue; mine is red) suspended from … Continue reading
Posted in Aspect I
Tagged anger, appearance, depression, disability, doubt, life change, nerve ablation, specialist
2 Comments
something wrong
You don’t belong here. That’s what keeps running through my head, around and around, rattling noisily like an old toy train on a short track. You’re not really disabled. Your injury isn’t that big of a deal. There’s nothing biochemically … Continue reading
Posted in Aspect I
Tagged appearance, chronic pain, doubt, inner monologue, physical therapy
3 Comments
what is real
“…what this looks like is a bunch of pings and dings and myofascial issues causing your symptoms…” I felt my eyes starting to well up. I was perched on a chair, in considerable pain, in this new specialist’s exam room, this new … Continue reading
Posted in Aspect I
Tagged anger, appearance, chronic pain, depression, doubt, fear, rage, specialist
2 Comments
steamroller
I’ve surrendered. Officially. Fate has worn me down, and I have conceded. I’ve finally realized I cannot hold the tsunami back any longer, and so I have just parked it and let it come. But as I look up at … Continue reading
stress and release
So, two days from now, in my enduring quest to discover all of the things in my body that don’t work right, I will undergo a post-exercise-stress blood panel. Over the last few years, I’ve gotten a lot of blood work done in … Continue reading
relative importance
Yesterday, I did a whole bunch of things I shouldn’t do with my right arm, including moving some furniture. I can’t support anything for any length of time, but I was able to coax out bursts of strength that enable … Continue reading