When The Pity Party Goes On Parade

[Vicrum88]

Hey everyone! It's only me again, the Human Giraffe! Back with another update and of course - Questions!!

It's been a big week for me this week! I finally had my physio appointment!! Yay!! Wait, it gets better... I finally got my walking sticks!! I'm happy about it, but it hasn't come without it's difficulties...

I don't know about anyone else, but for me, having sticks means I finally have some freedom. Pain in and around my knees has been the "norm" for me for years; to the point that if I were to wake up pain free one day I would think there was something seriously wrong! 😂, however, when i flare up, I flare up with style. Stiffness turns to paralisation. I literally cannot move my legs on those days, and those days are more often than not recently. So getting these sticks has been a god send, and just in time for my biggest flare up yet!!

For the past 4 days I've been incapable of completing the most easiest of daily tasks. Even going to the loo for a wee is like completing a military style obstacle course but without a handsome man in combats screaming moral boosting insults at you from the sideline!

So, time to put my sticks to good use and head to the supermarket for some basics during flare up (for the record - I'm a single mum to 2 boys, one of which has a disability so I have to rely on me, even during flare ups).

Off I went on my big adventure to the local Tesco Express.....

NOTHING could have prepared me for what I experienced.

The Pitty Party was out on parade wasn't it? The looks of pitty and sadness I received from not just people I knew, but from strangers too was a horrible first time experience.

Yeah, you know that look people give when they feel bad for someone?

"Aww, poor girl, look at her"

That's what I got.

And then I suddenly realised that even I myself will have looked at people with obvious physical difficulties with the same pitty in my eyes, when the fact is that I should have been looking at them with admiration for not breaking their own necks with their own sticks like I've nearly done numerous times this week. Seriously, having never been on sticks or crutches in my life till now, I have never appreciated how much concentration and coordination skills it takes to walk with sticks!

So my question and discussion topic today is -

How do we deal with people's expresive sympathy? And how do we tell the people we love and care for about our illness? How do we explain something that's so complicated that even we don't fully understand?

Untill next time!

Love,

H.G xoxoxo