A week ago I was doing my most challenging wheeling so far, in the hills of San Francisco. It triggered a moderate episode of fibromyalgia in my right shoulder.

The pain must have weakened my immune system, because I came back with what at first seemed like a cold. But the symptoms didn’t quite match. I had ulcers in my mouth and tongue. It hurt to eat, brush my teeth, or smile. This happened to me only once before, more than thirty years ago when I was hospitalised for a systemic Strep infection. So something along these lines seems more likely. At any rate the infection helped the fibromyalgia spread to my left shoulder and left thumb. The left shoulder is standard, but my left thumb was probably rendered more susceptible by hurting it in the same pole vault when I hurt my back a few weeks ago. It’s currently a bit hot for me to wear the back brace, so that hurts too.

The combination of the infection, physical pain, and being completely broke has triggered significant depression symptoms.

The upshot is that I would rather endure pain and depression than the emotional anguish of being separated from my wheelchair. Round 1 to BIID!

I felt well enough to go back to work today. I stopped to chat with the woman in her twenties on the kitchen staff who has become my friend. She asked me how I was doing. “Not good”, I replied; and I explained my woes. Then I looked her in the eye and said “How’s your brain tumor?” (She has a brain tumor which, among other things, is causing hearing loss similar to mine). We simultaneously burst out laughing. You can get through anything if you can see the humor in it.

~ Chloe