Invisible Disabilities

Thank you Donna.

Thank you Donna, really important issue you have raised. I too have a hidden disability i.e. brain damage so I can understand what you are going through and I consider you are great with your resilience. Because we are not paralyzed people think that we are OK. I have even had 2 doctors who refused to acknowledge that there was anything wrong with me. One doctor actually said that she watched me walk into her surgery and I did it OK so I must be OK. Saw another doctor who is an angel and she has sent me to specialists where I have been diagnosed with brain damage, severe narcolepsy and cognitive decline plus my diabetes is out of control. So well done Donna for bringing this important issue to the fore. 

Hi Peter,

Thanks for reaching out and sharing your story. I am saddened by your story and glad that you have you have found your angel. Good luck with your ongoing treatment. D

Stop whinging about it , it happens and we can't do a thing about it , just accept it , yes we are innocents but have to live with it , notice the key word is live , it's better than some who don't survive a stroke , just accept it and make something out the stroke , adapt is better then no adaption .

Well thanks for sharing Donna, I think Garry, you need to soften your delivery mate, you make a couple of very valid points which I agree with, regarding acceptance and living your life, you are obviously many years down the road on your stroke journey and this platform is for everyone, so maybe a bit more understanding of meeting people where they are at on their journey. All the best.

Thank you everyone for the responses, very much appreciated. I have taken on board the responses.

After some reflection, I would like to say that again, this post wasn't about me! It was about awareness and kindness. 

1 in 6 worldwide suffer a disability or medical condition. 

As we move throughout our day let's remember to be kind and be aware that there are many barriers that people face throughout their day.

Hi Donna,

I just read your post about hidden disabilities and wanted to say thank you for sharing it. The part about losing words when overwhelmed really resonated with me - my best friend Jun had a stroke earlier this year and watching him struggle to communicate has been heartbreaking.

Your advocacy for awareness and kindness is important. The sunflower lanyard program sounds like a great resource - I wasn't aware of it before your post.

Thanks for speaking up.

Julz