I have the best friends a person could ask for
A few weeks ago I (26f) fell down a flight of stairs and suffered a major nerve injury to my knee, leaving me with peroneal neuropathy (below the knee paralysis) and “drop footâ€. I just got home from the hospital and have been having a very hard time adjusting (my injury is most likely permanent). Everything is difficult, clumsy, painful, and exhausting. I bought an ankle brace online but the straps broke within 3 days of use and it won’t stay on. I physically cannot walk without some kind of brace for my lower leg and knee. Without that, I am wheelchair bound. My house is not fully handicap accessible yet. It’s a work in progress and it’s all happening so fast.
I was just venting to my online friend group in a discord call about how annoyed I am with this whole ordeal. I mentioned how frustrated I feel with myself, adjusting to life with this kind of disability, and the inconvenience of it all. I mentioned that I wanted to find a more sturdy brace that is more appropriate for long term use and gives me more knee stability. I am an artist and decided to launch a Labor Day sale to raise money for my new brace and any other medical devices I may need.
Before I could even catch on to what was happening, my entire friend group pooled their money together to buy me a very expensive KAFO brace, the exact kind I need for my condition. I have never in my life felt so loved, cared for, and appreciated by anyone other than my partner and parents. I was floored. These are the best friends I’ve ever had.
My mom spent all day on the phone advocating for me, trying to see if my insurance will pay for a new medical brace and in-home assistance for me. When I told her what my friends did for me, she broke down crying. Now I’m sitting here sobbing as I write this because I am having so many feelings of happiness, grief, gratitude, and sadness. I am overwhelmed.
I love my friends. I couldn’t have asked for better people. I don’t know what I did to deserve them.
