People you have met (and liked!) because of your disability
Have you met any people because of your disability that you were happy to have met?
Mention them and if you're comfortable a bit of how you met.
There's been so many people I have met, many where our connection was brief, but some have been much longer term too.
Sometimes it's just someone in the hallway while waiting for an appointment and we have a nice chat to kill time. I've met some really great people in health workshops, meetup groups related to illness & disability and in online support groups. I also have a really nice nurse who it's great to see even if it's just once a year now - she had started partway through my infusion trainings. I have a wonderful massage therapist who has become a friend. And it was my illness that brought me here, so I probably wouldn't have met any of the wonderful people at 7 Cups if it weren't for being sick.
@AffyAvo
Well, my first thought is the people here, including you! I probably do need to make more of an effort to get out and meet people in real life. I wonder why we call it "real" as the support I have gotten here has been very real and the work we all do here is very real also. But face to face support is good too.
Nobody. I never leave my house. I can't work or drive and I live in a boring farm town where there isn't anything to do so I'm trapped.
@tluper6491
I hope you can get to know people here in th dsability community, many of us are home either most or all of the time.
@BlindGrapefruit
My disability has become invisible over time (but still affects me on a daily basis), so because of that I don't consider myself truly part of the disabled community. If someone would look at me and assume there's nothing wrong with me then I don't think it counts to most people. Disabled people might not even consider me disabled enough. So I'm sort of trapped as an outsider to both able-bodied and disabled people.
@tluper6491 You are included here, there are many of us with invisible illnesses, me included. I haven't been able to qualify for any sort of disability benefits. Chronic pain and chronic illnesses are included in this community, some of the people who join us because of that don't even see themselves as having a disability and that's ok.
This is the description for disability support - This is a great place to get support and connect with others who have chronic illnesses, chronic pain and impairments. All of these things are included under the Disability heading.
When asking about disability, here we include anyone dealing with any of those things.
I shared this article a while ago https://www.7cups.com/forum/DisabilitySupport_47/ArticlesResources_458/Disabledornot_52217/
I found it helpful to some of my thoughts as even when someone can compete as an athlete with a disability it can be questioned. I think those thoughts occur to many, and when it's invisible even moreso.
@tluper6491
Invisible illness is real. I also have an invisible illness, and I understand that the challenges we face can be different than those will visible disabilities. We still count and are members of the community here. Welcome! You are in "insider", not an "outsider" <3
my support workers
my friends - i met most of them through my support service
@ohanasystem
Thanks for sharing that, Ohana, it's good to hear.
@ohanasystem I'm glad you met those friends!