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Living with PN, do you find yourself retreating from life?

Neuropathy | Last Active: Mar 5 10:44am | Replies (144)

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Hello, @suegaleregis. Hardly a day goes by without my thinking of this. Only yesterday a friend phoned to invite me to join 10 or 12 of our friends at a restaurant within a downtown art museum. The friend who phoned knew that I had mobility issues and that the museum's handicap parking is at a remove from the front door; more challenging yet: the museum's restaurant is quite a ways from the front door. The friend said (most kindly): "We'll all help you in and out." While I truly appreciated the offer, I was once again reminded of how many of us (I, for sure!) have to consider where we are on the Willing to Accept Help One-to-Ten scale: One, I refuse all help; Ten, I happily accept help. I used to be a One, even though I knew that I was being foolish. I'm not yet a Ten, although I'd like to be. I'm somewhere in between, maybe a Six or a Seven, but, as I learn more and more how to live with the reality of my condition, at least, on the One-to-Ten scale, I'm moving in the right––or sensible!––direction. // I wish you a good day, @suegaleregis! ––Ray (@ray666)

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Replies to "Hello, @suegaleregis. Hardly a day goes by without my thinking of this. Only yesterday a friend..."

@ray666 I’m a little torn on this one. I find out gatherings happened with close “friends” that I wasn’t invited to at all. Granted, some of them revolved around activities that are difficult for me (shopping, overnight trip/carrying bags, etc). Perhaps it’s hard for them to lock in the meal time around the activity so I can meet them. But it hurts a little when I hear I was excluded from something. I try not to half a pity party and try to focus on being happy that they can (and should) do as much as they can while they’re able, and I really do hate the feeling they have to work differently if they include me. But I’m honored when it’s an occasion they insist they want me to join.