Thursday, May 29, 2014

List of Things I Learned While Temporarily Disabled


  • People become polarized into complete assholes or unbelievable angels
    • Only the angels know which category they fall under

  • Every single step is torture
    • Find the most economic (step-wise) routes available as soon as possible
      • When on crutches, long windy wheelchair ramps are equally as terrible as stairs
    • Snow is a pain in the ass
      • Nowhere near as bad as black ice
      • Nowhere near as bad as wet tile

  • People who ride bikes through crowds on campus are my personal heart attack

  • Bathrooms marked 'disabled' have serious design flaws for actual disabled people. For example:
    • Paper towels being across the room from the sink 
    • Tile floors are very slippery when wet
    • Low toilets are difficult if it's a bad knee
    • Doors opening into the bathroom is very dangerous if someone is coming in when you're trying to leave
    • The 'handicap buttons' that open the door automatically make people assume they can enter while it is opening

  • Always hesitate (with hand on the wall for stability) before turning around a corner, the person coming the other way will not be hesitating or will suddenly be in pain after a short stop

  • It gets very boring thinking about the things you cannot do; focusing on the things you can do is necessary

  • How to prioritize myself and sacrifice in order to focus on physical, mental, and emotional, personal health

  • Days feel like an eternity, weeks go by in the blink of an eye

  • Physical therapy is an absolute bitch, physically and mentally
    • The excruciatingly hard work results in tiny, tiny victories that are insanely rewarding
      • I jumped yesterday!

  • If I didn't have so many negative drug experiences in my teenage years, I would be an addict today: it's too easy and welcoming to begin and stay while being equally difficult and torturous to stop

  • I was so lucky
    • my injury is temporary - I will one day be back to normal
    • I have an amazing network of people who love and support me
    • the timing worked out really well
      • we happened to have savings to afford a surgery
      • physical therapy is free because I'm a student
      • other stuff
    • I have a goal to work towards outside of "being normal again"
    • I have proof that I keep my resolve when I am challenged
    • I have a new avenue for empathy



      If nothing else: I am lucky, I am strong, I am loved.

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