Hi. I'm 21. I come from a family where "pins and needles" where common occurrences even in instances their shouldn't have been. Both side of my family have had autoimmune disorders. The one I'm suspecting most is the one my maternal grandmother also suffers with. It's hard for me to walk too long without extreme pain in my limbs, my joints ache constantly and pop with the slightest movements, I can bend in ways a person my size should not be able to, and now I'm suffering with a fainting spell I had the other day from overwhelming pain mixed with heat exhaustion.

But basically. I started being open about all of this. Letting people in my inner circle know more about it which has helped a lot. But I use a cane a lot more in public now which has helped treating in reducing stress to my bad leg.

I do get very insecure though because I now live in the same town I grew up in. I'm scared of judgemental eyes. The south has a mouth, ya know? There have been people already to be like "do you really need that?" And then people saying "well what has your doctor said?"

I need it cause it's a fucking mobility aid and I need help to be comfortable walking??! I'm 21. Doctors have doubting me saying I was in pain since I was 17 when I found out later I had rib bruising and fluid build up. I know that this is a long fucking road for me because I'm young and doctors like to take their precious time but I wish people would cut me a little slack. It's not like this is new news 😭