I Can Hear, You Know...

It is,  once again Myasthenia Gravis Awareness Month and I thought I'd share a story with you.

My husband's best friend is getting married and I needed something to wear since sweats and lounge wear probably isn't appropriate attire. I think it would be frowned upon to say, hey, I wore my best sweatpants and t-shirt!  So, off to the dreaded store we went...for *gasp* clothes!  

I proudly walked about the store with my rollator.  This is quite a difficult thing for me, for anyone who doesn't already know. I picked comfortable, non restricting items, then went into the room of doom!  The ones where some big fat lady hops into a window wearing the same clothes you thought looked good on the hanger but obviously doesn't look good on her.  She mimics each move you make, even furrows her brow when she sees what you've put on. This room, ah, this dreaded room. I went in already hurting from having walked about, come out red-faced and in more pain. I finally have an outfit I think I can wear, but the problem is -- the color.  White and gray. Everyone knows you're not supposed to wear white to another woman's wedding, but it's outdoors so my husband called the bride to ask her opinion of the color scheme. Getting overheated can land me in the hospital and down here, in the South y'all, it gets so hot sweat drips in places you don't want it to.  You sweat in places you didn't realize you could even sweat from! Too bad there's no other colors available. 

She graciously says it's okay but I'm still unsure. I think she's just being nice and doesn't want to hurt my feelings.  So I grab a couple pair of black pants in hopes that a darker color on the bottom would make it less taboo on the top.  I figured I'd try them on at home because I couldn't try on anything else. I make my way to the counter to check out and I sit on my rollator knowing I look a hot mess.  But I'm proud nonetheless that an outfit is being purchased and I can go home, sit down and take some meds to help me feel better and pay my dues for being out and about. Before that could happen as I sit on my rollator, head in my hands, kids being so good beside of me, hubby paying for these clothes so I can get out of this torturous store I'm rewarded with the cashier figuring since I look dreadful and am sitting on my rollator, surely my ears fell into the floor and I can no longer hear either. 

She loudly whispers to my  husband, "Poor thing, she's hot huh?" (Could've just said bless her heart.  Down here it'd mean the same thing). "Yeah, but she's hurting right now." With annoyance in his voice, he answes.  He wants to get me some meds - yesterday!  My eye is droopier, legs are soon going to attach signs to themselves declaring they're out of commission, and did I mention I'm hot and hurting?  So, she takes it even further, being nosey and really, really wanting to know what the heck is wrong without just asking, which would've saved us all a bit of time she asks in that too loud whisper for deaf people.  I'm sitting right in front of her, instead of addressing me, asking me, she asks my husband, "Was she in a car accident?" I just looked at her, droopy eye at its' finest, but I don't care.  "No.  I wasn't.  I have a neuromuscular disease, Myasthenia Gravis."  "Oh, goodness, you poor thing."  As of she knew what I spoke of.  Maybe she'll go home and google it.  If she can pronounce it, sound it out, or turn on a computer, I don't know but I certainly was glad my 'Must-be-deaf-since-I'm-using-a-rollator-or-slow' self was finally leaving that store.  

Of course, those black pants I grabbed quickly didn't fit.  Isn't that in the laws of physics somewhere or in some unchanging rule of science?  Super Hubby returned them for me another day. He was greeted with Mrs. Busybody who asked, "Oh, is it a bad day for her today?"  No it was a rather okay day, but had things to do and I couldn't waste another "spoon" on that store again.  We only have so many spoons, or energy, everyday.  Most people can walk into stores and try on outfit after outfit, but we can't. Just because I need a rollator and am not very old, doesn't mean I can't hear you. If you wonder, ask me. Don't talk about me as if I'm not right there. I can and will answer you, and if you have any questions I'll do my best to answer those too.