Lately, it’s become impossible to ignore just how much one part of my body changing can ripple through my entire life. That’s the part people often don’t see. Disability isn’t just the injury or the diagnosis, it’s the domino effect it has throughout.
I’m currently in a moon-boot with an injured foot, and it’s causing so much disruption to my life in so many ways. It’s not just a foot injury, it’s a whole body and lifestyle effect. Due to the boot, walking with my frame is harder than usual because my balance is off, my centre is off, and my body is compensating in all directions. Every step requires more thought, energy and effort.
And when movement becomes harder, everything else follows. My fatigue increases, pain rises, confidence shrinks and my world narrows just a little bit more because I become so much more limited in what I can achieve.
Right now, I’ve had to postpone my rehab review and my rowing course is on hold. Things I rely on not just for fitness, but for confidence and momentum, have been paused because my body simply can’t carry them all at once.
On top of that, my NDIS funding doesn’t entitle me to all the therapy I need right now, especially when things flare up at the same time. The irony is that with this injury, i require more support than usual but funding doesn’t stretch to meet reality.
So I’ve had to make choices.
Speech therapy is on hold even though my speech isn’t great at the moment and I can feel it slipping. I know I need support there, but I don’t have the funding to do everything so I have to forgo that for the moment.
I know I could self-fund things, but that option is not easy, fair or sustainable.
And this becomes another exhausting part of my day. It’s not just the pain or the inconvenience, but the constant recalculating, adjusting and the invisible decision-making.
What do I prioritise today?
What can wait?
What can’t?
This is the side of disability that doesn’t get shown often; the relentless adaptation to constantly changing environments.
I’m again reminded that progress isn’t linear. My progress right now is letting things go, even when I don’t want to. And dealing with the grief but reality of it. Pretending I can do it all doesn’t help anyone.
So for now, I’m focusing on keeping myself upright and moving in safe ways.
Disability has a way of reminding me that my body is one interconnected system. When one part struggles, everything feels it. And learning to live well isn’t about fixing every piece, it’s about responding with care, flexibility, and a whole lot of patience.