We would love to have you share your story with us!

How has the "invisible factor" of your MS or your illness effected your life?

Awareness is so healing!  Together maybe we can raise that awareness so that those who live with illness can be spared the humiliation of the looks, stares, or confrontation.

Email your story to me at deanna@whydoiparkhere.com and I will post it here on our website.

Thanks so much!

Deanna

June 19th, 2008

Shared by Christy Garcia

I had just gotten off work and was already pretty tired. I remembered I wanted to stop by the store on my way home to pick something up. There were 2 handicapped spots in this specific parking lot. They were both unoccupied, so I pulled in & hung my Handicapped Placard on the rearview mirror. It was about 103 degrees outside and I just knew that even the walk from there was going to be hard on me.
 
It is the hardest feeling to describe…In the past, before my MS diagnosis, I didn’t mind the heat all that much. I’m a Native Mesa, Arizonan- so the heat was just something that was there. Anyway, the moment the extreme heat hits me it’s almost like the wind gets knocked out of me and I become out of breathe. And the fatigue, well, it’s horrible. And it takes a long time for my body to start to feel somewhat normal after being subjected to extreme temperatures.
 
So, I walked as fast as I could from my truck to the store so I didn’t have to be in the heat for very long. I found what I went in to get & checked out. Obviously it was still hot out so, as I did on my way into the store, I walked as fast as I could to my truck. That is the worst part, because then you have to wait for the truck to cool off.
 
I put the truck in reverse & looked in my rear view mirror to make sure I was clear. There, standing behind me was this older gentleman brushing his two pointer fingers together in a “tisk-tisk” motion and shaking his head from side to side with this very angry look on his face he was saying, “You’re not supposed to park there.”
 
Now, I think of myself as a very kind and rational person & I normally would just let things like that go, but this was the third time somebody has given me crap about parking in a handicapped spot. I understand that I don’t “look” handicapped because I am young and I walk just fine. Nothing is wrong with me on the outside. I understand how it can be confusing…
 
So, I put the truck back into park, flung the door open and went to try to explain to him. I was yelling, “Sir, Sir, Excuse me, Sir.” And he just kept walking- totally ignoring me. That got me so frustrated, there I was trying to explain to him and he just ignored me. He had the nerve to accuse me of doing something wrong and then didn’t have the decency to let me explain. “Just because I don’t look handicapped, doesn’t mean I’m not! Just because I’m not old and cranky like you doesn’t mean I don’t have a reason to be parked here!” I continued to say as he walked away. I kind of went off a little because I was so upset. I just jumped back into the truck and drove home. I was so mad, I was shaking!
 
It just frustrates me beyond belief, that I am going to have to live with this for the rest of my life. What do I need to do? Walk with a limp? Use a cane? I shouldn’t have to. People just need to have respect for other people’s situations. They don’t know what I go through on a day to day basis. I hope people will read this and think twice before they judge someone.
 
I have MS- MS does NOT have me!

October 1, 2008

Shared by Kelly P.

I was diagnosed 6 years ago with fibromyalgia which is an auto-immune disease that affects your muscles and causes severe muscle pain throughout my body.  I have tried many different medications without any success and it can be a very trying disease.  I am a nurse by profession but had to stop working because I could not keep up with my duties.Having to stop a career that I loved and found rewarding caused depression and a sense of loss.  I enjoy my time volunteering now which is about all I am able to handle.
 
I have not only found that people judge me when I park in the handicapped parking or the time the woman at Walmart told me there were no scooters available because people who don't need them use them.  I felt like she sized me up as she made the statement, as if I had to justify my medical history to her.  I also find it difficult when people ask me where I work and I tell them I am disabled, because they can't see it I always feel compelled to explain.  Why???  All I have to say is they can make there judgements about us but they are not the one's who have to live in our bodies.  Living the truth everyday is my justification, my pain reminds me of the reason why I am disabled.
 

Kelly