I grew up in the beautiful world allowed me to see. I saw joy in moving, walking, talking, being there, watching others, being funny, family, friends, my old lady friends, my tiny human friends, and the world around me was great!

I found ways to entertain myself when I didn’t have friends around. I found ways to be weird creative funny and sweet! Strange.

I wasn’t bored. And I tried my best to never feel like I was bored. I learned in the power of encouragement you can make someone else have a better day!

I learned that people love to talk about themselves! And I learned to ask questions always. Never having a moment that I couldn’t think of a question.

I learned that being silly can brighten someone’s day.

I learned to believe in other people!

I learned how to make someone laugh cry or happy or just being with them. Sitting quietly isn’t something I’m good at but I learned to be able to do it for others.

I learned about as many different subjects as I could. So I could always have something to talk about with others.

I learned about doing things I enjoyed. Weather it was standing in the living room hula hooping while doing origami while watching tv. Or jump rope.

I learned to entertain others even during nothing. I didn’t have to talk I didn’t have to always try and do what I wanted.

I learned to be joyful while doing nothing.

I don’t get mad when no one talks to me. Or at least I tried not too.

I learned to encourage everyone even while they did “nothing”

I learned to entertain myself.

The joy of nothing is strange you need to learn that it’s hard to learn that even when you are feeling lonely

even when you feel like your life is nothing worth saving.

Even when you feel like you are nothing.

Even when you feel like your opinion is nothing anyone wants to hear.

Even when you are embarrassed! Scary! Hopeful! Humorous!

You are never doing nothing. You are never truly bored. When you learn to be joyful in everything even when it’s very hard.

I’m never alone because the Lord is with me! I’m never bored for the same reason. Because God is with me.

Shayweasel is joyful..

I have been known to walk into a room and everyone oddly notice and not notice all at once.

Growing up I got all kinds of attention I was cute funny sassy and adorable of course! But those aren’t the things I got the most attention about.

I got attention for not being able to read till I was 12.

I got attention for getting pneumonia a few times a year and every winter.

I got attention for not being able to breath after running around outside.

I got attention for not understanding social skills. Like never being sure when it was ok to talk, when it was ok to hug or whatnot to do when you walk in a room full of people.

I got attention for falling down while playing sports because my joints would pop out of place.

I got attention for being uncomfortable in Sunday school because I couldn’t read out loud.

I got attention for being scared of not knowing where people where at.

I got attention for not knowing what to do during Girl Scouts. And not being able to cut things with scissors.

I got attention for being dyslexic.

I got attention for being sick.

I got attention for being autistic.

I got attention for almost dying.

I got attention for almost getting hit by cars in parking lots.

I got attention for being unaware of dangers around me.

I got attention for being to trust worthy.

I wanted attention for painting well.

I wanted attention for being silly.

I wanted attention for being kind.

I wanted attention for doing the right thing.

I wanted attention for what I was good at. Like storytelling! And being good with animals and being a good friend and loving people and having a heart for people! And I wanted attention for being good at sports and that was never gonna happen because I am not good at sports.

What I’m trying to make you understand is that when someone is getting attention from family members or parents or teachers or whoever. And it’s attention of things out of there control like autism or diseases or learning disabilities, that you need to remember they are getting attention in ways they never asked for and honestly it’s not attention it’s help.

It’s help.

People who have differences or disabilities or whatever they are getting more help then others not because they want to. But because they can’t do it by themselves. They are disabled.

They don’t get to live your life they live theirs in bodies or minds that they don’t have control over. They didn’t want this kind of attention. It sucks.

Now may not everyone feels the same way which is perfectly normal! But this is how I feel.

I feel bad about the attention i took away from people. From my siblings. From my parents. From my friends. From the church.

I got attention when I was having a seizure during church. I didn’t want that.

I got attention because I have a feeding tube connected to me and have my backpack on and people notice.

I got attention being allergic to things and having to explain it.

I feel guilty. I didn’t want this attention but I did get the attention.

I was able to get more “attention” more “help” because I was unable to do it on my own.

I wasn’t being an attention hog I was unwanted attention hog.

when I was alone but because I was able to have helpers I got to be a helped hog.

Shayweasel is apparently a hog today….

The worst part of having a rare disease or any disease is the fact that you have limits. We all have limits but sometimes the the limits I have are normal day to day things for others. Like going to church. Going to the store. Seeing people. Talking to people. Cleaning. Spending time with others. And much much more.

And you get left out. Alone. Because you can’t be there. You can’t do things. You are rarely there, you are rarely here.

You want to be there you want to go to church the store just be around people. Be normal. Persay. But you can’t be. Because your body can’t do it. Can’t do much. Can’t be normal persay.

I’m not normal. But what is normal you may ask? Normal some say is boring. And it seems boring to me. But it also seems almost safe.

As I walked out of church I was so close to the car almost there. I had a headache for the past few hours and I knew I felt off. I had used my magnet for my VNS a few times. I don’t like having seizures around people. I feel guilty. I scare people.

Normally people don’t know what to say. Don’t know what to do. And they have a right to be scared of the seizure. I get it.

when you can’t hang out because you are vomiting. Or seizing or both. You feel as if people can’t relay on you because you never know how you will feel that day. You don’t have enough energy to spend two days in a roll going somewhere like the store, or church.

I use to be someone who never canceled plans because I felt bad when others did it to me. But I had to learn how to say no. How to cancel.

I use to be always there. Then I was rarely there. Now I’m somewhere in the middle… I hope I can stay that way…. because now I’m here..

Shayweasel is here

As the coming week is rare diseases awareness week, I sat down to write a blog post about it. And it was hard.

I enjoy spending awareness. I enjoy the simplest ways to help people understand not just me but others who live their life’s with diseases and illnesses.

I feel guilty for spending awareness because I feel like I’m talking about my diseases to much. I’m making it all about me and my diseases. Like that’s the only way I see myself. And others see me as.

I want people to see me for who I am as a weird human and friend, a child of God. Someone who loves her nieces and nephew a lot. Who has watched future man on Hulu through three times in a few weeks who rewatches movies and tv shows and reads writes, writes books, Who doesn’t like being in a room of more then 15 people but does it on a regular basis, who talks way to much after you get to know me, someone who crochets and knits and sews and paints and takes photos, who is sarcastic and funny, or who tells weird stories and laughs. Who smiles.

But I am all of those things but I’m also not well. I am dying. Slowly like all of us are.

And my daily life is overwhelmingly effected by my diseases. I can try and say they aren’t a big deal. To try and forget them. But when I forget that could kill me. If I try and forget that’s when mistakes are made. That’s how you miss medicines, or feedings or eat something Your allergic to. That’s when I have seizures because I looked at the police car with flashing lights as we pass it on the road. That’s when I fall down because I didn’t remember to pick up my left food like I should have, And so on…

It’s unforgettable but it’s unforgivable when you try to forget.

I want to know when is Awareness seem like attention seeking? When does Awareness seem like a plea for pity? When does Awareness become who you are? When does your Awareness become so guilty of all the things I asked above?

I don’t want pity. I don’t want attention. I don’t want people to only see my diseases.

I can sit somewhere talking to someone for ten minutes and afterwards and during I try hard to not talk about my diseases too much. Not talk about me too much and honestly not talk to much. I don’t want them to see me that way. I feel guilty when I do talk about them to much or just talk to much.

I’m wanting to say sorry for talking so much about me or my diseases, I want to say that I’m sorry for being sick and making things about me or making them uncomfortable

But my diseases have altered my life always. They effect everything.

Without them I wouldn’t watch tv shows through dozens of times.

Without them I wouldn’t have met some of my best friends and maybe just maybe I would have met a few of them but our friendship wouldn’t be one of understandings like they are.

Without them I wouldn’t be living in Beaufort North Carolina.

Without them I wouldn’t have been able to be as big of a movie buff.

Without them I wouldn’t want to help people understand other people better in ways that I could truly relate too.

Without them I wouldn’t be the same Shayweasel I am today.

Without them I wouldn’t have a small Noodle Doodle the Tiny Poodle.

Without them this joy I have. This beautifully odd happiness I find in the smallest things that I find there because of the struggles of life have showed me how to love the little things. Wouldn’t be the same.

I have guilt of Awareness because I want people to be aware of all the other things I am. And all the diseases that effect my life.

I am guilty of being aware of rare diseases.

And I’m not sorry. But I do apologize for the weight you might feel when reading about awarenesses of Rare diseases, or cancers, or mental health, or addictions, or whatever it might be that the awareness days weeks months that we have so many of. Because the weight the reality the harshness is heavy.

I’m aware I might talk to much about myself and rare diseases. But ask me about other things. Try and understand how I live with rare diseases that effect everyone. That I’m more then someone who has rare diseases. That I want to be aware of you. Of all the things that make you. I’ll listen and I’ll be aware.

I have guilt of Awareness. But I’m learning to not to feel guilty about it. But not to much about it.

But I still am always open for any questions, any time any day! I don’t mind ever being asked about my health. About my life.

Shayweasels biggest thing she is guilty of is being sarcastically honest and speaking my mind and being more beautifully fantastically then most also that makes me totally humble right?

(Sarcasm goes here.)

Shayweas our!

I enjoy answering questions and I don’t mind explaining my diseases and life to people. But the other day I spoke to a group of people. And it didn’t go good.

Ironically as I was telling them about the effects on my body, my brain went into it’s I don’t know what we are doing mode and I couldn’t think and couldn’t figure out what I was saying. it’s like trying to figure out a movie that you haven’t seen before and you come in with ten minutes left. You get what there doing then but have no clue what they did.

Whenever this kind of thing happens, I feel embarrassed and sadden by the reminder that even if I do everything right I still have a damaged brain, still have epilepsy. I still had a stroke.

The emotions I feel afterwards are almost always in someways overwhelmed. I don’t want people to see me as just a sick person. So when this happens that’s what I feel like comes across. But in the same moment I can’t leave my diseases somewhere so yes I’m sick but I’m also really weird movie and tv show buff and reader I also spend more time laughing then anything else.

The way I have learned to deal with these feelings is letting the feels being felt and pray.

God blessed me with a clear brain sometimes but he also blessed me with foggy confusing days. He had control even through I never will.

The Lord has a wonderfully fantastic way of making you feel safe if you let Him.

I also have to remind myself the Devil doesn’t like when someone talks about God or does something good in the name of the Lord. He wants to break you so you never want to do it again.

And part of me wants that. To never speak or never write or never talk anymore. I know that I can’t give into that feeling. The pressure you feel after doing something that fails is hard. But my rewards aren’t on earth.

When I feel this way I go and find a safe place my safe place is the Lord.

When you fail, when you fall down the Lord is there. There is a song by Twila Paris (yes that’s her real name.) that has the lyrics

“They don’t know that 
I go running home when I fall down
They don’t know Who picks me 
Up when no one is around
I drop my sword and cry for just a while
‘Cause deep inside this armor
The warrior is a child.”

That song is one of my moms favorite songs and I have always loved it but I love to hear her sing it more!

I say all this to say failure isn’t always failure. I feel as if I failed or just didn’t do why I meant to do while speaking, but maybe it’s not a failure in Gods eyes.

I know that I go running home when I fall down

I know who picks me up when no one is around.

I drop my sword and cry for just a while because deep inside this armor the warrior is a child.

So with my child like faith I will run to the arms of the Lord.

Shayweasel is picked up by the Lord!

The lyrics to this song –