Victory At The Thigh High

Determination, creativity, improvisation…All diverse descriptions of my living with chronic illness. Stiff Person Syndrome greatly hinders my flexibility and movement. Lack of mobility is extremely challenging when dealing with ground zero…my feet.

Dressing myself, especially for church, is reminiscent of acquired skills learned at Romper Room level. Today, we will put on pantyhose, if lucky? Several minutes later, spasms, with sweat trickling down my back, may yield a touchdown for team Hanes. An SPS friend suggested thigh highs. Hmm!

I bought some last week, black and beige, a nice diversion from back and blue syndrome injury. (Invisible Illness?) 😉 Choosing my black “Jackie O” dress for church, I opted for my black thigh highs.

The left stocking went on easily, SPS-speaking. I had some trouble with the right one, but I beat my 10-minute record for regular panyhose. The crowd (me) went wild…touchdown at Thigh High Staduim!!

An added bonus, thigh highs have a naughty lace elastic band to hold them up…deliciously feminine. The band was also a new hide-away perch for my insulin pump.

“I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.”
~Helen Keller~

Copyright © 2008

My Own Enemy

Victimology-Chronic Victim Investigation, CVI.

It would be great to resolve the CVI drama in an hour-television show interrupted with toothpaste and Geico commercials. Chronic Victim Investigation is reality…no actors, commercial breaks, or season hiatus.

Chronic investigation is my personal introspection and resolution of living with SPS and diabetes. Yesterday I wrote about chronic blues. For me, chronic blues is a temporary condition, healing bereavement. If I allowed myself to wallow in self-pity, chronic hopelessness would settle in…victimology…my own self-defeating enemy, “poor me.”

While I cannot control fate, I can control my attitude…victor or victim. I view a victor as one who faces challenge, and when knocked to the ground will painstakingly rise, spitting dust and blood for another round. Victory is to keep trying…”in spite of.”

“Self-pity is easily the most destructive of the nonpharmaceutical narcotics; it is addictive, gives momentary pleasure and separates the victim from reality.”
~John W. Gardner~

“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.”
~Helen Keller~

Copyright © 2008