Comments on: Transitions http://transabled.org/thoughts/transitions.htm Talking about Body Integrity Identity Disorder - Just another disability! Thu, 24 May 2012 18:24:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Brice http://transabled.org/thoughts/transitions.htm/comment-page-1#comment-12602 Brice Fri, 21 Dec 2007 15:36:47 +0000 http://transabled.org/thoughts/transitions.htm#comment-12602 Pardon my envy, Claire. Had I known when I was in my 20s what I know now, I'm sure I would have found my way down the same path. Because of the nature of my career, and family considerations, I have never had the opportunity to integrate the physical expression of my BIID into my everyday life, but over the space of a couple of decades, once I found out in my early 50s that I was not alone in this, I acquired forearm crutches, got my right kafo and left afo from Bob, and engineered a couple of dozen day-trip ventures and a few opportunities to indulge in 3-4 days of the mobility impairment my mind says my body should have. Even previous to that I had occasional forays swinging through on crutches when the lid could no longer be kept on the emotional cauldron. My huge fear always was, and would be if I venture again, the possibility of running into someone who would recognize me, since coming out would render my career kaput. Other than that, experience quickly showed me that strangers won't probe about the nature of your condition, and those that do can be brushed off as the rude bastards they are. My gait is authentic enough that once in a while I'd be asked if I had polio. My reply was always that it's a rare congenital thing, which is no lie since BIID has been with me for as long as I can remember, which is congenital enough as far as I'm concerned. Wheel on, Claire, and keep us posted. Pardon my envy, Claire. Had I known when I was in my 20s what I know now, I’m sure I would have found my way down the same path. Because of the nature of my career, and family considerations, I have never had the opportunity to integrate the physical expression of my BIID into my everyday life, but over the space of a couple of decades, once I found out in my early 50s that I was not alone in this, I acquired forearm crutches, got my right kafo and left afo from Bob, and engineered a couple of dozen day-trip ventures and a few opportunities to indulge in 3-4 days of the mobility impairment my mind says my body should have. Even previous to that I had occasional forays swinging through on crutches when the lid could no longer be kept on the emotional cauldron. My huge fear always was, and would be if I venture again, the possibility of running into someone who would recognize me, since coming out would render my career kaput. Other than that, experience quickly showed me that strangers won’t probe about the nature of your condition, and those that do can be brushed off as the rude bastards they are. My gait is authentic enough that once in a while I’d be asked if I had polio. My reply was always that it’s a rare congenital thing, which is no lie since BIID has been with me for as long as I can remember, which is congenital enough as far as I’m concerned. Wheel on, Claire, and keep us posted.

]]> By: John http://transabled.org/thoughts/transitions.htm/comment-page-1#comment-12588 John Fri, 21 Dec 2007 07:08:03 +0000 http://transabled.org/thoughts/transitions.htm#comment-12588 You have complicated your life and calmed your life at the same time. Please keep sharing this journey or process, it is fascinating. Otherwise, I don't know what to say other than that I am in awe at just how much fortitude it must have required to start a public part of your life in a wheelchair. Good luck and all the best. You have complicated your life and calmed your life at the same time. Please keep sharing this journey or process, it is fascinating.
Otherwise, I don’t know what to say other than that I am in awe at just how much fortitude it must have required to start a public part of your life in a wheelchair.
Good luck and all the best.

]]> By: Wheelman http://transabled.org/thoughts/transitions.htm/comment-page-1#comment-12576 Wheelman Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:08:58 +0000 http://transabled.org/thoughts/transitions.htm#comment-12576 See Claire, I told you it would get easier the more you wheeled and got out there and the more you shared yourself with others and let go of the "what ifs" as you are seeing most people really don't care too much about other people so they really don't care to question the chair, the ones that do are concerned yes, but as long as they see your fine with it they normally are, and the ones that you come plan out truth too in the future, will only understand you much better than you ever expected them too, most of them anyway. -Wheelman See Claire, I told you it would get easier the more you wheeled and got out there and the more you shared yourself with others and let go of the “what ifs” as you are seeing most people really don’t care too much about other people so they really don’t care to question the chair, the ones that do are concerned yes, but as long as they see your fine with it they normally are, and the ones that you come plan out truth too in the future, will only understand you much better than you ever expected them too, most of them anyway.

-Wheelman

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