Things Never To Say To The Disabled!

[persephone]

In a similar vein to my post you know you have POTS when, I thought I'd include this wee gem, which I found on the BBC OUCH website.

Things never to say to the disabled

"You're a credit to the social services."

"You will tell me if I say the wrong thing, won't you?"

"Can I help you, young man / young lady?"

"So you went to college? Was that for rehabilitation?"

"TV must be really important to you."

"I know what it's like, I once [insert injury story]."

"They can treat that these days though, can't they?"

"Are all your family disabled too?"

"Tanni Grey-Thompson must be a real inspiration to you."

"I'll pray for you ..."

Ten alternative responses to: "How did you get like that?"

"I angered a magician."

"I could be able-bodied, but I'm just way too lazy."

"My father is also my brother."

"I was born and raised in a laboratory by an evil genetic scientist."

"This is what happens if you spend too much time on your Playstation."

"I was trying to get a kitten down from a tree."

"Sir, you insult me - but thank you for paying attention to me, it means so much."

"Actually there is nothing wrong with me, I'm one of a new emerging species."

"I was a contestant on Cheggers Plays Pop and bounced too high on the inflatable."

"I was Glenn Hoddle in a former life." (Yes, it is still funny - Ed)

[shannon]

ohhhhh, thank you THANK YOU for making me laugh. This is one of those days when I needed that.

[labas_2u@shaw.ca]

Love it!!!!

Maggs

[jenwclark]

Then there's the dreaded, "You don't LOOK disabled."

Thanks for sharing.

Spike

[willows]

Great post , love yours , I have had a few things said to me in the past 35 years as well ..........all said to me by ' careing friends or acquaintances ' ;

I didn't know you were ill all the time! ( third time of calling in 6 months )

You'll get over it soon, I've seen it in the crystals . ( a weird lady in the village )

My mother was like you , but she's dead now , bless her !

Have tried not to be ill............ to which I'd love to reply: 'yep, like not breathing or swallowing' !

Oh ! you've got a stick........... to which I'd love to reply : 'no and I thought it was a traditional Chinese flying instrument without wings'.

Hello, is that you ? ( because I'm pale , grey or sitting on the ground) to which I'd love to reply : ' no its not me its someone else '

Did I see you in an ambulance last week , I did wave but you didn't wave back !...........may be its because I was unconscious at the time

And my favourite one ...............'you'll feel better in a few days dear, I always do '

when will people ever learn .............Willows.

P.S. My husband has just quoted one he had said to him in all seriousness by an elderly grandmother about his severed fingers and hand , looking down at the stump she said quote;

' never mind dear they'll grow back one day '

[becky]

ha ha, i have one for you,

an advisor at the job centre said to me this week, "do you have qualifications to do admin work?" to which i replied, yes i have 13 gcse's 3 A levels and i've done my ecdl, "wow, aren't you a clever girl" was his reply, i said - yes i'm sick, not stupid!! that shut him up.

i particularly love it when eople say to me, well you're young you'll get over it!

becks x x x

[willows]

OHHHHhhhh ! loved it Becky made hubby and I crease up here.

I've also had people speak to me .........v e r y .............s l o w l y ............... and precisely , like I'm unable to understand what they are saying because I walk with a stick and look ill

Just remembered on board a cruise liner a few years back when I had a really bad attack of pots , my legs swelled up twice to three times there normal size from hip to toe and I couldnt walk let alone bend them ,I went very grey /pale , I kept passing out and became almost incoherent , starting to vomit , sweating , running a temperature ........hubby had me taken down to the nurse in the ships hospital , who asked my hubby ...........

' is she feeling unwell or is she always like this dear '

for goodness sake where did she train , luckily an English doctor was on board who 'saved the day'

Willows.

[persephone]

... to three times there normal size from hip to toe

Were they really 3 x the size? I'd have thought it was physically impossible for legs to swell THAT much?

Becks- clever girl? Is that ACTUALLY what he said? What a w***er!

[willows]

Haven't you ever heard of a condition called 'elephantiasis ' Persephone ???? yes, it is possible for legs to swell even bigger than two to three times there normal size given certain conditions and depending on what size they start out at .

what I actually said was quote; ' TWO to three times there normal size' , as I was just under 8 stone when this happened and as slim as a wisp , they were huge ......full off water and extremely painful, so big that I couldnt get any of my own size 4 shoes/ sandals on my feet OR my husbands size 11 Velcro flip- flops , was unable to bend my knees or my ankles .........and that's why I was kept in the ships hospital and pumped full of drugs.

This was much to my annoyance because we were on a very special romantic holiday were my now husband had just a few hours before proposed to me and because of the cost of the extortionate medical fee's I had to pay .

Willows.

[persephone]

Willows that sounds awful. Hope your leg pain from last night is better today too

[willows]

Nope , still here, still in pain and now about to go back to bed as awaiting a vein to burst under my toe joint, how do I know this ?

Well you get this very cold aching pain that 'stings ' like crazy and when you put any weight on it OR use it in the case of the ones that blow on my hands or my tongue , its painful and gets more and more painful , like a horrendous pressure /stretching pain ............. until it bursts ........ouch, ouch, ouch ........hobble, hobble, hobble.

Then the finger/tongue /foot or toe fills with blood very quickly and you have to apply pressure .........on top of the stinging, pain and swelling

Willows.

[becky]

yes perse, he did actually say, clever girl!! w****er!

and i got the letter through to confirm the appointment and it's the same guy that i spoke to who is interviewing me - this should be fun!!

on the subject of feet swelling, i am looking at my ankles at the moment and feeling very girly because for the first time in three weeks they are back to a normal size, i could wear girly strappy sandals (if i wasn't so accident prone!) not sure what caused the swelling but unlike normal they were actually painful and then my calfs started to swell up, i was not a happy bunny, i was walking around amsterdam in flip flops which were cutting into my feet! yuck!