“Wait, I’m not disabled!”
How familiar is that statement among XLH
patients? Very! Or at least it is in my life. While I understand and accept
that I have a life altering condition, I’ve always been stubbornly proud and
hesitant to admit that I do indeed have a disability or handicap. The same
stubborn pride that I’ve seen in other XLH patients; the thing that drives us
all forward and never allows us to give up on ourselves or each other.
However, as I grow older and my
condition progresses, I’m finding it increasingly difficult to continue saying
I don’t have anything more than physical limitations. The truth of the matter
is, while my condition isn’t as serious as others, I do in fact, have a
physical disability.
But, accepting that truth doesn’t mean I
have to give up my stubborn pride!
It is a streak that makes me always want
to do things for myself. I carry my own laundry basket. I drive a car with a
manual shifter and no control modifications. I can cook, clean house, maintain
the car and do a multitude of other things that a more severely disabled person
might not be able to do. For that, I’m hugely grateful. Yet, I must still
accept that there are a great many things that I am simply physically incapable
of doing.
I cannot walk for long distances, let
alone run. When I’m working in the kitchen, I have to sit down every so often.
These, and others, are things I cannot do. I do not have the physical ability
for them. That’s basically what a disability is, and exactly what I’ve been
trying to get my head around these past months and years.
It truly bothers me that handicap and
disability is so heavily stigmatized. In a world where equality is at the
forefront of daily life, we still have inequality and discrimination towards
those who aren’t “normal.” Perhaps that’s why it has been so difficult for me
to accept that I have a disability. Because of the perceived stigma attached.
What I do know is that we must strive to
show people that while we may have a physical disability or handicap, they
don’t change who we are as humans. They don’t make us less useful or relevant
in modern society.
This change in mindset came about for
me because a friend asked what government benefits I receive for my disability.
Which is when I exclaimed, “wait, I’m not disabled!” Their acceptance of me and
the things I can do made me realize that while I am disabled, I am still
relevant and useful. And that will make it easier for me to accept the help I
will most certainly need in the future.
I have to accept that my physical
limitations are now disabilities. Yes, I am disabled. And I’m okay with that!
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