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Struggling Not to 'Overdo It' in My Life With a Disability

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It’s sometimes so hard to know your limitations. It’s hard when you want to be Wonder Woman, but you can only be you. When I get super excited for an event, I can often overdo it. When I’ve been looking forward to that day or event for a while, I want to experience as much as I can. When you have a disability, you often want to live life to its fullest because you don’t always know when you will get another chance to experience it all. This will often gets me in trouble because I will over do things and get sick.

This time I was out in the heat, which is exactly what you’re not supposed to do when you have a heart condition. But I persevered through and overdid it. In my mind I believe I am being tough, but the next day, I woke up with my face swollen, coughing and bedridden.

The question is, was it worth it? Is it worth putting my health at risk just to do more? Not really. I had a wonderful time, but I need to learn when to say it’s time to stop before I overdo it. I put myself and my health at risk.

Originally published: November 13, 2018
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