Reality Check

Morning: Wake up and take 1 pill. Wait 30 minutes. Take 2 pills. Wait 30 minutes. Take 1 pill. Wait 30 minutes. Start breakfast. Halfway through breakfast take disgusting, thick, yellow suspension liquid. Complete breakfast. Take the remaining 7 pills. Now, I can start my day.

Noon: Take 2 pills. Wait 30-45 minutes. Have lunch. Take 4 more pills. Go back to my day.

Dinner: Start eating. Halfway through eating enjoy another spoonful of the yellow liquid. Finish eating and relax until the sun sets.
Evening: 2 hours after my evening snack, take 2 more pills. Wait 30-45 minutes. Take 5 more pills.

Bedtime: Before I lay down to sleep, I take 1 sleeping pill. This will complete my daily medication cycle.

Of course, there are those days when I need to take nausea, bowel, anxiety, or pain medication. I can rack up another 4-6 pills easily. In the chance, I come down with thrush, a fungal mouth disease, there is a swish and swallow suspension I can use as well.

Then, toss in (and don’t laugh), showering, using the bathroom (on a more than normal basis), picking up, dropping off, and taking care of my son, going to appointments, errands, Masonry, and occasionally doing something for myself, it makes for a busy schedule.

When the public sees a young man walking with a cane, they assume he wants to set a trend or look cool. They don’t see the heavy duty brace on my knee. They don’t see the cancer scars on my calf and ankle. They don’t see the fractured back. They don’t see the hidden scars, the hidden pain, the hidden child scared to death he won’t see the light of the morning star.

Don’t pity me. Don’t say you’re sorry. I don’t want special treatment. I just want to be normal. Whatever that may be.

Cheers!