Resilience Redefined

Humans are inherently resilient beings. We possess an incredible capacity to adapt to our circumstances and persevere through whatever challenges life presents. I could never have imagined losing 99% of my independence and still managing to continue with my life. The magnitude of what I have lost in the past few months is indescribable and would have been unimaginable even to me before I was thrown into this situation.

For many years, I have learned to balance my health with my daily life. When my body shuts down, I lose the ability to walk. This can be triggered by something as minor as a cold, an infection, or even my period. Each time, I have fought to recover, to get back on my feet and relearn how to walk. Despite missing out on education and having to quit multiple jobs, I have always found the strength to get back on my feet and keep moving forward.

This time, however, my body could not fight back.

Waking up one day unable to perform the tasks I could the day before is both physically and mentally exhausting. I used to wake up every day with a paralysing fear that my legs would never support me again; now, that fear has become my reality. I do not know if I will ever walk again.

This is not a narrative of overcoming adversity to emerge stronger. Instead, it is an acknowledgment of living a daily personal nightmare. The pain is so loud that it becomes difficult to focus. Days blur together, and it becomes hard to distinguish between being awake and asleep. The world outside continues its rhythm, indifferent to the silent struggle, while you remain trapped in a relentless cycle of agony.

This is a voice for the unseen struggle. The one behind closed doors and at the end of an 8-month waiting list. It is not easy and it does not get better, but as humans, our resilience is remarkable.

Despite everything that is thrown at us, we endure. We establish a new normal, and we adapt.