"You don't look disabled"

The thing people say to me the most is "you don't look disabled". No I don't look disabled but I have many different conditions that put me in the 'disabled' bracket. Sometimes i feel like telling them where to stick their opinions but i take a deep breath, count to 10 and just smile!

The conditions I have are early stages of Myofibrillar Muscular Dystrophy, Pulmonary Hypertenstion, Cardiomyopathy, Atrial Fibrillation, Heart Failure, 60% lung capacity, complete heart block and deaf in one ear. All of these conditions together make me weak, tired, breathless and struggle to walk which means I can't walk long distances.

When I first meet someone and they find out I'm disabled they also use the phrase "you don't look disabled". I sometimes turn round and ask them what a disabled person is meant to look like. They don't expect it and try to change the subject! There isn't a typical way to look when 'disabled' so don't feel like you need to tick a certain box and look a certain way.

I have a disabled badge which helps me a lot because i can get closer to where I'm going and the spaces are bigger so i have more room when getting out of the car. I get dirty looks all the time when they see a young person getting out of a car and not "looking disabled". I just smile at them to show I'm not bothered. Deep down I am bothered, it hurts when people judge me but I'm slowly learning how to cope with this and ignore the haters.

The advice I would give someone in my position is just to keep smiling, this winds the ignorant, judgemental people up more than reacting.

Remember Don't Worry Be Happy

#dwbh #musculardystrophy #notalldisabilitiesarevisible #dontjudge