To Tell or Not to Tell "It's all in your head" or JSR is DA BOMB

I have a double handicap. Along with the pain of Fibromyalgia I also live with the beauty of being Bipolar. Both of these disorders are what I call "Phantom Illnesses." There are no tests or procedures that can definitively prove that one has either. Anyone who is afflicted by Fibromyalgia will tell you what a struggle it is to make people understand how destructive it is. If I were to say I had Diabetes I bet I wouldn't hear"that just doesn't make sense," "you just need to eat better" or "it's all in your head." If I were having trouble going off medication for Cancer i don't think you would respond "that's what happens when your brain goes off an addiction," "you just need exercise" or my personal Roller Derby fav "why don't you just play tennis?" It will never cease to amaze me how a person can have so much compassion for someone with one kind of ailment can turn around and be so cruel to another.

From the moment I put on my skates I knew I was gonna take more time than most people. I get tired faster and feel more pain then most but I am determined to be great. What is so flippin' threatening about that? On my first team I was actually asked to leave because "my request for special treatment" was a "detriment to the league"

If I asked to leave the floor for an insulin shot it wouldn't be considered special treatment.

I have always been honest with people about the obstacles I face. I have always hoped to educate my community about Fibromyalgia. At least 2 times in my life my honesty has been used against me. As if taking more water breaks during practice or sitting down during a music rehearsal were a character flaw. It sounds awful but I used to pray I had Cancer or Arthritis so I wouldn't have to be on the defensive all the time.

But the Jefferson State Rollers proved me wrong. I was terrified that I would be shoved out for my "request for special treatment." Not here. I have received praise and support from my JSR girls and in a moment of fear one girl told me "Everyone participates in one way or another on the floor and off." So do you tell or don't you. Whatever makes you comfortable but I now understand that the people worth knowing are the ones who trust you when you say it hurts.

Sincerely,
The Incredible Falk