Triggers
Hi, I’m Michael, and I’m a stroke survivor.
One of the hardest things to explain to someone else is your triggers. For starters, you probably don’t fully understand them yourself, and you certainly don’t know all of them. Triggers can be anything, and they are as unique as you are.
The struggle to register: navigating disability in sports
I’m part of a sports organisation that has an upcoming event requiring a registration form. I had verbally expressed my interest in attending and was excited about the prospect. However, I was late submitting my application paperwork, and they denied my registration. They advised that multiple reminder emails had been sent and that no one was an exception. Rules exist for a reason.
The hidden burdens of living with a disability
The truth was complicated, difficult to explain and embarrassing. When you do explain, you feel like a burden and as though you’ve let others down. It’s not the Australian way to seek special treatment or to stand out. Unfortunately, this is the reality for many of us who live with a disability—most of the time, we’re fine, but sometimes we need a little extra support.
The anniversary of my stroke: a day of overwhelming emotions
The truth was that the registration deadline fell on the second anniversary of my stroke. Leading up to it, I underwent a series of annual tests because the cause of my stroke was an issue with my heart. I had just restarted rehab after a year-long break, and even something as small as putting on a hospital wristband for each appointment was a trigger. The NDIS and DVA were also hounding me for paperwork, and I was worried about making mistakes because correcting them is costly.
Finally, the application form for the sports event required me to write about my stroke and disability so the judges would be informed. I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, but I was obliged to provide this information—in Japanese. Thus I was concerned about using the correct language.
Cognitive overload: when disability becomes too much to handle
Cognitively, my glass was overflowing. I was well beyond being able to respond to reminder emails.
Moving forward: lessons learned from a challenging experience
After a flurry of emails back and forth, my registration was finally accepted, and I will attend the event. However, the experience left me shaken and less sure of myself. I’ve become more confrontational, expecting to be challenged about my disability. It wasn’t a good experience, but I hope that everyone involved learned from it—including me.