If you *actually have* a physical disability, what is it?

[ShadeMalkior]

My disability is actually why I first became interested in KS. A few years back, I caught word from an otaku friend of a visual novel being developed around the concept of disabilities, so I checked it out. After only 10 minutes, I couldn't help but laugh at the irony.

I have the same condition as Hisao, arrhythmia. While mine isn't nearly as bad as his, I could instantly relate to the complete direction change of my life after being told my condition. I wound up passing out in the middle of running the mile, and woke up in the hospital with an IV. They managed to stabilize me with just meds, so no surgery required. And now, I take 6 pills a day to avoid keeling over. Since it's well-controlled, I was able to return to school, but only after a month in the hospital. Tests and such kept getting delayed, and they were considering a pacemaker. After concluding that meds were enough, I was released, now forbidden from participating in most sports and being excused from gym class for the rest of my life.

Honestly, I haven't really minded it that much. I never was a physical person, and now I had a very good excuse not to overwork myself. But now, after having finished all five paths and seeing the messages within, I seriously have begun to wonder if I'm just letting my life neutral with my heart as an excuse. Maybe I've been inspired to actually try to come to terms with/manage my condition, but it'll take time. After all, I've pretty much coasted for 3 years now...

Anyways, back on topic. I also have bad vision, but it's easily corrected by my glasses. However, if it continues its route, I'll be legally blind by my 40s. Right now, I'm saving for Lasik, which will hopefully either correct them completely, or at least buy me some more time to pursue my goal of becoming a music producer. Either way, I'm taking it as it comes.

(Not bad for a first post if I do say so myself! Hello all, how's life, etc.)

[Deadeye]

Mine's not nearly as dramatic as others, low vision, still nearly correctable to the point where I don't notice it too much. I can't pass an eye exam unless I get lucky at guessing so really driving's out of the question. But my real physical thing is severe Asthma, kind where if I don't carry the bloody inhaler around I could be dead before the ambulance can arrive. Sad thing is it's triggered by allergies, exercise, and dust. Gotta wear a mask if I go out to a dusty place, allergy meds help with one aspect, none of the long-term asthma meds showed any improvement over just using my inhaler. (I got to use be a test subject when they released the purple disc thing, but I had to stop cause it gave me frequent nosebleeds with no help to my problem.) But as a child I was hospitalized more times then I can physically remember. I thought of it as a second home at times, eventually it forced my family to move to a...less dusty area so it wasn't as frequent. So I can't do outside stuff as much, which is depressing at times, I enjoyed going out.

Edit: Although unconfirmed I think I'm losing my hearing in my right ear. I put headphones and played with various sounds at varying ranges. Seems I lost most ability to hear an actual person's voice in that ear, since unless they're at my front or left of me I can't hear them. Though my terminology may be off. It's not fatal so I don't want to worry the family that even more problems are coming up

[Bix]

Mine are by far very mild and not worth adding a vote, I'm Color Blind and have very weak hearing, I don't have to wear a hearing aid yet, but Its getting worse every year.
I'm also allergic to nearly every kind of pain killer and antibiotic.

[charmisokay]

I have a mild lowered vision, glasses prevent this though.
I also have mild lowered hearing. It have never seamed to effect me in real life for some reason, I think I have problems hearing a specific tone or something like that.

Both things have popped out a few years ago, without any warnings at all.
I fear it might get worse :/
But life goes on anyways

[KaneTaker]

Can see all of three feet without glasses.

I'm more concerned that you have three feet.

Indeed, yet without the glasses, I would not have seen them!

[colfirefly]

Almost complete deafness combined with tinnitus in the right ear.

Pushbike accident at 21 resulting in closed head injury (yes, I was wearing a helmet). Appears my shoulder hit the ground first, which immediately snapped the collarbone driving the shoulder up into the base of the skull, below the helmet coverage.

According to the ENT docs, it's a result of auditory nerve damage, meaning it is *completely* non-correctable.

Also, I have a mild arrhythmia which was not diagnosed until I went to Japan @ 29. I always wondered why I never did very well at sports, even though the cardiologist I went to after returning denied it would have an effect (what?).

[Ivan The Mouse]

Ah, I've chosen muteness by accident. Damn it.

But nah, my eyesight is getting worse each day. But my main complains are the plethora of digestive problems I have and mood disorder, so I guess I'm fine.

[NDT]

Well, aside from poor eyesight, nothing compared to everyone else really, I have flat feet which means walking, jogging or running for longer than twenty seconds and my arches in my feet collapse, meaning it hurts to walk without slight limps.

Aside from this, no major problems. However I have been depressed since the age of 11, so I guess that makes up for it.

[Drake]

Just (very) poor eyesight, and a misaligned toe from when I broke it when I was like 5, doubt that counts tho.

[Fallen Seraph]

Well I have a barely visible scar on my left wrist suicide attemp, and some minor scars due to minor cuts in both arms just because I hate me long time ago XP.

I use glasses for myopia not remember my recipe :\ and have this weird ultra shyness so up to others I believe; someone correct me if I'm worng, want to do a sincere vote XD.

[Char]

I'm not really sure about my own. I've had a rather bad heart condition for about 6 or 8 years, but it might actually be something psychological, as doctors didn't find anything wrong with my heart when it was examined several years ago. However, my grandfather did die at a rather young age because of a heart attack, so I haven't totally discarded a "regula" physical disability.

If it's life-threatening or not, I don't know, as the irregularities of my heart go from draining the air out of me to feel like my chest is being stabbed. Sometimes, I just need to regulate my breathing and it's all k', but there are also times when it's useless, and one can only hope for the best, for the pain to go away quickly, and that nobody is near to see my in such a deplorable state.

As to how it has affected me... I had to quit sports. Nothing serious, as I wasn't a really avid sportsman. In fact, I'm pretty unsociable, so I just jogged on my own during sports class in school, while other people were playing football or basketball.
Other than that... just be extra careful around people.You don't want anyone seeing you in such a deplorable state. It's not good for anybody at all. They get worried about you and you're bugged about it, so it's a loss-loss situation. I would hate to be a burden on anybody, so I don't tell people about this. If they somehow notice something is wrong with me, I try to shake it off and blame the weather or something else for my apparent exhaustion.

I don't think this disability defines me at all. Any person, with any sort of problems should learn to accept them and move on, but is sure reminds me I have limits I should be aware of, even if my mind is just imposing them on myself.

Oh, and just for the record, I also have a scar in my forehead. I cut myself badly in the school cafeteria when I was little. This one, however, has never been a problem. In fact, innocent and silly as I was, I actually thought it was rather cool, as it made me different from other people. Now it's just a reminder to look where I'm heading to, or you might crash against something hard and sharp.

Please excuse my bad english, as it's not my native language, and I hope we will all get along (if I keep posting that is. I've been checking the forum for little more than a year now, but this is my first post).

[Aust Kyzor]

Also, I have a mild arrhythmia which was not diagnosed until I went to Japan @ 29. I always wondered why I never did very well at sports, even though the cardiologist I went to after returning denied it would have an effect (what?).

Hisao is a VERY RARE form of arrhythmia. Usually arrhythmia is just a minor heart palpitation, and is little more than an annoyance

[Kanodin]

Long QT syndrome; a more severe type of Arrhythmia. I find it strange that we're all a bunch of broken fuckers lol.

[Krovi]

I have Marfan Syndrome.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marfan_Syndrome

[Kanodin]

Also, I have a mild arrhythmia which was not diagnosed until I went to Japan @ 29. I always wondered why I never did very well at sports, even though the cardiologist I went to after returning denied it would have an effect (what?).

Hisao is a VERY RARE form of arrhythmia. Usually arrhythmia is just a minor heart palpitation, and is little more than an annoyance

If I'm correct on this, Hisao has Long QT, which is an extremely rare and fatal form of Arrhythmia. I mean think about it, Long QT can strike in times of emotional excitement or physical excitement. Emotional was when what's her name confessed to him, and then there was the physical parts of it. So I deduce that Hisao, has Long QT.