Motivated By A Broken Heart

I received some news yesterday that absolutely, positively broke my heart!  Seeing as I didn't contract RSD until I was a young adult, I cannot even begin to imagine being a teen/pre-teen and having to navigate the public school system with this bat rastard of a disease plus the hormonal surges!  It's bad enough that doctors, nurses, family members, friends, and the justice system have a hard time believing us and our pain, but imagine if it were your teachers and classmates that you had to convince!  Now imagine being this child RSDer and you have just said "good-bye" to Elementary School and are now faced with the daunting task of Junior High School.  New district, new school, new layout, new teachers, new kids, new administration ... and your family's early efforts at this establishment to promote awareness within the faculty falls on deaf ears.  But you suck it up and join a summer program so that you have an early start to become familiar with the layout of the school, a chance to make new friends before school starts, and you're able to practice for your class placement tests.  Imagine if the teacher that you have right before lunch (one of the non-believers) does not allow you to leave a few minutes early so that you can make your way down the stairs (or to the elevator) to the cafeteria and you end up being 10 minutes late after being a pinball in the hallways.  And then there's "recess"!  Since no one seems to give a buffalo's butt about how you're feeling, but you're still desperate to make new friends and show the dolts that you have RSD but RSD does not have you, you join in a volleyball game.  One wrong move and your thumb is jammed, swollen, unmovable, and ignites a flare.

Grades 6-12 is the evilest of all of the age groups, I know this because this is the age group that is my favorite to coach.  I'm masochistic that way.  I have coached volleyball for the better part of 15 years.  This is quite an achievement for an RSDer.  I like coaching the younger teams because I get to pass on my love of the sport.  I use my words, as opposed to my body, to convey drills, exercises, and skills.  But what really gets me rev'd up is when I can pass along my passion and love for the game.  I also get the chance to instill compassion and understanding for others as well as show them the logical explanations for their teenage drama.

Yesterday's events in my young friend's life have me focused, more than ever, on my abilities to raise awareness ... and I have a plan!!!  A really really really good plan!!  True change does not happen over night.  It takes patience and perseverance, and after 21 years of fighting the beast, I can honestly say that I have both!!  This is not carte blanche for anyone to test these traits, it is just a statement.

I have faith that I will use my abilities to communicate the needed awareness within the schools.  I have faith that I've chosen the perfect time of year to get started instead of waiting until the last minute, which is usually my m.o. ... and it bites me in the oostakaka every single time.  Look out world, here comes the Crazy Cripple and she has a plan!!