Turning disabled

Life changes more than you can imagine when you become disabled and left with a disability.

'Do you need any help?'

'Did you need a hand?'

( yes clearly but leave me alone..)

'I need to learn, I'm fine!. I've done it before I can do it again, I'll just become better at it'

'Liz accept the help of its offered to you' 

I went to sleep capable of everything; walking as fast as I could till I finally ran, lifting boxes and carrying bags switching from hand to hand, only wobbling if I'm drunk, smiling and eating without wiping my chin..

Then woke up; unable to move, no use of anything I could use or do before, sitting in a chair being pushed around the destination usually being where the person wheeling me wanted to go, then transferring to a stick that made me look weird, creating a ball of anxiety in my lost brain, struggling to complete simple tasks; cooking, carrying food around, getting in and out of a bath or shower. And so on.. 

I lost and still haven't got the use of my arm or hand. 

'So do they say it'll come back?'

(Who's they?!)

'So do you get any physio, that might help?'

( nope unless you fancy being my physio?)

'So what can you do with it?'

('IT?!' it's actually still an arm attached to my body just refusing to attach to my brain) 

Some people assume you're unable to do anything when you're disabled, regardless of if they've seen you do it before.. 

They take over tasks that they see you trying to complete; reaching for a cup, putting on your coat, putting their hand out when you walk upstairs and so on... 

'I think if you did this it might help it come back, you're young, you've got a higher chance..'

( are you assuming that I don't hear that all the time? Are you telling me once again how to live my life?) 

Is it because I'm disabled?...

You assume people in wheelchairs are incapable of standing up or walking a few steps.. 

I'm not in a wheelchair but the stares I got when I was were ridiculous, people associate wheelchairs with people who are incapable of being able to do anything, why?

People stare at my arm everyday, people watch my lips move to see the droop, people stare at the outline of my splint on my leg wondering what it is, people look at the other side of my body and wonder 'why is that side normal?'

'What is normal?.. 

Normal no longer exists when you're living with a disability, unless you start believing in yourself and complete tasks you once did before.. 

Some people are born disabled and some people may break a bone becoming disabled for a few months.. 

But when you're left with the unknowing and people assuming they know how your recovery will end up, it's different..