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Mikayla Major
Professor Gonzales
English 122
13 May 2015
The Strength of the Sick
Finding out that you are ill and will never quite be the same is a life changing experience.
When people get sick or the doctor says they have a disease, and that its not curable, many
people think their life is at its end, and there is no hope for the future. When one first gets
diagnosed they go through a phase called denial, then that leads to somewhat of regret, then
comes acceptance of that you have a disease or disorder and there is simply nothing you can do
about it. Many people see the word disability as something that prevents your life from
continuing, but the word disability does not stop your life, it is what you choose to do with it that
will define your future.
The word disabled is just a word, it truly means nothing if you do not let it control your
life. To be disabled means that one has a physical or mental disability: not able to perform one or
more natural activities (which could be walking or seeing) because of an illness, injury, etc. As
one can see that disabled is for the impaired, the ones that are seriously injured and there is no
way of helping them. Other than that, the word disabled is just used as a label, so people know
that the ones that do not look right, or the ones that have a blue placard, have something wrong
with them. But that is not a good way to look at us, just because a limb might not function as
well as another, or if a person had brain surgery and lost part of their eyesight, does not mean
they cannot function like other people. Take Mairs, for example, when she states, I want them to
see me as a tough customer, one to whom the fates/gods/viruses have not been kind, but who can

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face the brutal truth of her existence squarely. As a cripple, I swagger (46). This shows us here,
that the word disabled, makes us feel limited to the opportunities around us. The reason how is
because when we hear disabled we automatically think that we are not capable of doing certain
activities. For instance, I lost the sight in my left eye during surgery, but because of that, I did not
think I was going to be able to do all the fun things that other kids got to do, like playing sports.
But that was not true, because as soon as I was old enough my mom placed me in any sport and
every sport I wanted. So as anyone can see disabled is just a label, because it gives us something
back to fall on, if we are to scared to try something new. So the truth is, that disabled is not us,
because we do not look at ourselves as weak, but rather strong and ready to conquer anything.
Because so many think that when one becomes disabled that their life just stops, they
tend to make excuses regarding their impairment. What this means is that one might say they
cannot do something because of their illness, which then allows them to bury themselves inside
their house, while others are outside enjoying life. That is great if one wants to take that road,
which is long and lonely, and gets you nowhere, but there are better ways to compensate for what
one might have. Take this woman with MS for instance, she is described as one who took to her
bed, and has never left ever since. When she needs something she sends her tiny, frail husband
out to the store to go pick it up, even though she has a perfect wheelchair, and specialized pants
that can protect her from any embarrassment that she might have (Mairs 53). This way is the bad
way to go, because even though with MS, which means everything eventually stops functioning
properly, does not mean that one cannot enjoy life. An illness should not be the reason why
someone hides from the outside world. In fact being able to go out and still do the things one
loves, with an incurable illness, shows just how strong someone truly is. There would be times
when I, myself, looked down on myself, for the cancer that I have. I never liked the idea that I

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was different from everyone else, and that I had to do easy tasks differently than others. I
eventually accepted that yes I do have cancer, that a lot of others do not have, but I am still just
like them and still can do everything that they can, I just have to adjust myself to certain things.
Adjusting yourself may seem hard at first, because one is so used to doing things in their own
way, but it is a whole lot better than giving up.
A way to move forward and live your life, is to find someone trustworthy and that you
can tell anything too, and talk about your illness and how it is affecting your life, and maybe you
can find a solution to cope with it so you can move on with your life. By doing this, it allows for
all the emotions and anger to just run free and actually be heard. It is a great way to speak up
about how one actually feels and to get feed back on how to help accept ones illness. Zach
demonstrates this when he says, What I often did to help me cope with this was Id talk to my
family about it and Id talk to the school counselor. I would say to myself, Ive got to live with
this so Im going to try to get through it, and I have (3). This is power, because one is not
letting the illness take control, they are taking control of the illness. If one does not learn to take
control and figure out the next step for themselves, whether it is to get help and talk to someone,
or make a final decision, then one is not living or trying anyways. It is one thing to say that I am
working on finding a way to enjoy life with my disease and its another to just say it and not
actually do anything about it. With me, I got my cancer when I was two, so I do not remember
how I was or how anyone else felt. Sure they have told me how upset and scared they were, but I
do not have the memory of those times. But I am still learning how to adjust my life to the
cancer. Over the last ten years I have found different ways of doing things, like schoolwork for
instance. When I was in third grade I remember that it was time to learn multiplication and
division. I did not comprehend any of the material, because unfortunately when in surgery I

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became to have long-term memory loss, which also had an effect on how I was able to take in
information. So long story short, the only way I was to learn was by using flashcards everyday.
No, it was not fun sitting down with flashcards when I could have been playing, but it helped me
remember the material I needed to pass that grade. So when having a major illness, disease, or
cancer, constantly means readjusting to make it fit your lifestyle. If one does not know how to do
that then it is really good to talk it out and ask for help, and yes, one will eventually be able to
get through it.
Disabilities are a tough thing to come by, but you keep moving forward and find ways to
work around them. In life there are always going to be potholes that we have to try to get around,
disability or not, but we do it because it makes us stronger in our journey. Carla Charter shows
this when she says, Theres another way that Ive learned to deal with my disability, and that is
to get out in the world and deal with it. That means I travel, often by myself. If I come up against
a roadblock, then I figure my way around it right then and there. As a result Ive learned to use
my adaptive equipment to help me ride escalators, and to use curb cuts on days when Im having
trouble judging the edges of things (2). When reading this I can see her determination to live
and express herself by being herself. My story is similar to Mrs. Charter, because I, as a child
had to adapt to knew ways of learning in school. I remember the hardest thing for me to do was
my multiplication tables, and I would fail every quiz I had. I was embarrassed because all the
other kids understood the material. So for me to understand how they did, I practiced every day
with flash cards, until I could recite them to my mom. Doing that made me feel so proud,
because I did not fall behind, and I grew stronger every step I took.
With having a disease means that one in some sense is stronger than most people. What
that means is that one has more strong will to live and try to get better as much as they can. Even

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though ones disease might have control over ones body, does not mean that they have to give
in. It just means that normal tasks will be more difficult, but not impossible. For example when
Goode says, which had me meticulously slicing raw pork into matching strips so theyd all
finish cooking at the same time. I cant count the times friends have watched me tackle an overly
complicated prep job-always girding themselves for a bloodbath-and anxiously urged me to try
using a food processor (44). This demonstrates how strong willed people with illnesses are,
because they do not just want to take the easy way out, but show that just because they have a
disorder does not mean they cannot do what they love. Taking the easy way out works, but its
important to yourself that you know that you can achieve anything as long as you practice and
never give up. I remember a time when I was younger and in school, and the math course I was
taking was extremely hard. I never could remember the material and so when the test finally
rolled in, I flunked every one. At that point I just wanted to give up and not even try, until my
mom encouraged me to keep moving forward and eventually I got it. Just the fact that I did not
allow my cancer to win the fight, makes me a strong person. Disorders do not have to define
your life; you define your own life.
Disabilities make one more confident, and more willing to strive for what they want to
achieve in life. Before people get diagnosed with an illness, we often do not see how much of our
body we use to operate normal, daily procedures, until we are faced with a life changing
condition. Tovar says, a young lady, Marissa, explained how she was able to readjust to her
situation, by saying, And I used to be a righty, I used to bowl right handed. I taught myself
how to bowl left handed.I dont think anyone should give up on what they love, just because
of one limitation (1). She is a very strong girl, who was able to get passed her illness, and go on
to do what she loves. I can relate to her because since I lost my vision in my left eye, I have had

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to readjust to how I look at things. For example, when I am in a car, instead of being able to look
out of the corner of my eye, I have to turn my head and slightly my body around to make sure
everything is safe to move forward. I am not saying it is an easy task, but with a little practice
anyone can do it.
Another great example of being strong and going for what you love is when Leone Harris
tells the story of her life with Parkinson Disease. Harris stated, I felt a sense of urgency that I
hadnt experienced before, in some warped iconic way this ticking time bomb gave me the
courage to finally fulfill my dream of painting canvas. I began the pathway of finding myself,
filling my days with nature, song, meditation and painting. My damaged left brain was over
compensated by my healthy right side and I became left handed (2). This is so powerful because
she was able to look past her disease and fulfill her dreams. Thats so special that one can accept
what they have, but not let it get in the way of their passion. For me, I hope to one day not think
of my cancer as a bad thing, but as a good thing. Because if I really look at it, I do not know what
my life would be like if I did not get the cancer, and sure Id be healthy, but what other child
would have gotten the cancer that I am supposed to have? No one deserves to be ill, but I would
not choose to give my cancer to anyone else.
The word disability can be seen in many different ways. Some may see it as an ending to
a life, and some may see it as a way to be stronger, than what they were before. One thing a
disability should not be is a way to give up ones life. It should be a sign to go out and live,
instead of constantly sitting in a house wondering what your life could have been. The word
disability is just a word, and no one should see it as their life, see it as an opportunity to do
something youve always dreamed about, and go for the stars. (2536)

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Works Cited

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Charter, Clara. "Navigating a Rare Genetic Disorder with a Positive Attitude." Scope Blog RSS.
N.p., n.d. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2015/05/12/navigating-arare-genetic-disorder-with-a-positive-attitude/>.
Goode, J.J, Peterson, Linda, Brereton, John, Joseph Bizup, Anne Fernald, and Melissa
Goldthwaite. "Single- Handed Cooking." The Norton Reader. By Linda Peterson. 13th
ed. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2012. 43-45. Print.
Harris, Leone. "Why Would You Want to Be like All the Other Mums? - My Invisible Life." My
Invisible Life. N.p., 24 Feb. 2015. Web. 21 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.myinvisiblelife.net/want-like-mums>.
Mairs, Nancy, Peterson, Linda, John Brereton, Joseph Bizup, Anne Fernald, and Melissa
Goldthwaite. "On Being a Cripple." The Norton Reader. 13th ed. New York: W.W.
Norton &, 2012. 46-55. Print.
Trovar, Jocelyn. "Teen Wins State Bowling Competition despite Disability." KABB. N.p., 29
Apr. 2015. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://www.foxsanantonio.com/news/features/topstories/stories/teen-wins-state-bowling-competition-despite-disability12368.shtml#.VVKDOhZChol>.
Zach. "An Online Resource for People with Disability." Zach's Story: A Young Person's
Perspective on Living with the Skin Condition Epidermolysis Bullosa. N.p., 13 Jan. 2010.
Web. 21 Mar. 2015. <http://www.e-bility.com/>.