by Chloe - 11 February 2012
I have been seeing the same general practitioner (GP) for the last decade, and consider her to be the best physician I have ever come across. She has been completely supportive about BIID, including willingness to write a letter of recommendation for ability reassignment surgery. She recently changed to a wellness practice, which is all well and good but ten times as expensive as I am accustomed to paying, and out of my financial reach. A new physician was hired there to continue traditional practice, and my medical records were transferred to her.
My New GP continues »
by Chloe - 9 October 2011
I identify as a mother, a wife, a wheelchair user, a friend, a scientist, someone with compassion, a lesbian, an inventor; or maybe just Chloe… We can self identify with as many or as few labels as we please. We can be many things all at once, and we can wear many hats. Usually this isn’t much of a problem. However, two of my ways of self identifying seem at great odds with each other, and it bugs me. It has to do with BIID.
Discordant Identity continues »
by Chloe - 8 December 2010
I have two entirely separate conditions, both of which are associated with muscle spasms: fibromyalgia and the minor SCI. As a child I had no idea that paralysis would come with muscle spasms, so I can’t honestly say they are an integral part of my BIID. Mine are much less substantial than those of my friends who have more significant SCIs. Consequently they by and large serve as pleasant reminders of things to come. Not always so pleasant…
My Muscle Spasms continues »
by Chloe - 23 August 2010
My disability presentation has evolved over the last two years. It has lacked consistency, both over time and also between different groups of people. I’m not sure I could have done it any other way. I needed to experiment in order to find an optimal presentation for treating my BIID. These things simply weren’t obvious to me ahead of time. However, it leaves me with the discomforting baggage of being known in different ways to different people.
Consistent Presentation continues »
by Elisabeth - 19 January 2010
Where they have gone, all those young people with SCI? All those young people after car accidents? Where are all the manual wheelchair users? Those sexy, muscular, elegantly wheeling young people some of us want to be?
Tell Me, Where They Have Gone? continues »