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roina_arwenLet’s be honest - we are all damaged in some fashion.
Occasionally, the damage is obvious. However, most of the time it is not. There are too many invisible disabilities out there - be they physical, mental, or neurological - for me to name, so I’m not going to. More are probably being discovered as I type this.
Me? I’ve got a few physical issues to deal with. The most visible one is my weight. At five foot nothin’ and about 260 pounds, I’m considered obese. What is unknown to many is that about twenty years ago I was a hundred pounds heavier, before I had roux-n-Y gastric bypass surgery. So yes, I’m still a big gal, but I’m far smaller than I once was. Would I like to drop a few more pounds for health reasons? Sure. Am I actually going to? It’s highly unlikely.
There’s also a few non-visible disabilities that I get the pleasure of dealing with on a regular basis. I’m a Type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetic, and I also have autoimmune hepatitis. The autoimmune disease means I’m on a daily dose of Prednisone. The Prednisone makes my blood sugar go up, which makes it harder to control the diabetes. It’s a vicious cycle, but it’s the only cycle I’m willing to ride.
(Side note: I’ve never enjoyed bicycling, even in my younger and fitter days.)
My endocrinologist is satisfied that I’m able to keep my A1C (a three month average of one’s blood sugar levels) in the 7.1 to 7.5 range. Ideally, it should be under 7.0, but there’s that pesky Prednisone at work. Frankly, it’s safer overall if my sugars run a little on the high side than if I take too much insulin trying to be “perfect” and have a hypoglycemic episode, and my blood sugars bottom out. Thankfully, I use a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) which alerts me when my blood sugar gets too low (under 65) or too high (over 270).
Modern technology - whee!
My point is that visible or invisible, we ALL have some kind of “damage” to deal with, whether major or minor. It doesn’t make any of us lesser. We are each deserving of respect, understanding, and most of all, love.
Even if I don’t know you, I love you.
Pass it on. ❤️
Occasionally, the damage is obvious. However, most of the time it is not. There are too many invisible disabilities out there - be they physical, mental, or neurological - for me to name, so I’m not going to. More are probably being discovered as I type this.
Me? I’ve got a few physical issues to deal with. The most visible one is my weight. At five foot nothin’ and about 260 pounds, I’m considered obese. What is unknown to many is that about twenty years ago I was a hundred pounds heavier, before I had roux-n-Y gastric bypass surgery. So yes, I’m still a big gal, but I’m far smaller than I once was. Would I like to drop a few more pounds for health reasons? Sure. Am I actually going to? It’s highly unlikely.
There’s also a few non-visible disabilities that I get the pleasure of dealing with on a regular basis. I’m a Type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetic, and I also have autoimmune hepatitis. The autoimmune disease means I’m on a daily dose of Prednisone. The Prednisone makes my blood sugar go up, which makes it harder to control the diabetes. It’s a vicious cycle, but it’s the only cycle I’m willing to ride.
(Side note: I’ve never enjoyed bicycling, even in my younger and fitter days.)
My endocrinologist is satisfied that I’m able to keep my A1C (a three month average of one’s blood sugar levels) in the 7.1 to 7.5 range. Ideally, it should be under 7.0, but there’s that pesky Prednisone at work. Frankly, it’s safer overall if my sugars run a little on the high side than if I take too much insulin trying to be “perfect” and have a hypoglycemic episode, and my blood sugars bottom out. Thankfully, I use a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) which alerts me when my blood sugar gets too low (under 65) or too high (over 270).
Modern technology - whee!
My point is that visible or invisible, we ALL have some kind of “damage” to deal with, whether major or minor. It doesn’t make any of us lesser. We are each deserving of respect, understanding, and most of all, love.
Even if I don’t know you, I love you.
Pass it on. ❤️
