Invisible strength (a story about invisible disabilities)

Invisible strength

1. It began as a sort of fading away, so gradual that Andy didn’t notice until he was too sick to care.
2. First, there’d been the cross country runs that became too hard, even as he pushed himself to practice.
3. Next had come days when he could barely lift himself from the couch.
4. Finally came the day when he collapsed entirely. He vaguely registered his mom yelling something, but it was all slipping away…

5. Andy awoke in a bright room painted in what someone had clearly decided were “fun” colors, a nauseating mix of vibrant greens and oranges.
6. He didn’t feel good, exactly, but he felt more alert than he had in a long time.
7. His mom sat beside his bed, and a doctor offered a hand to shake.
8. “I’m Dr. Lopez,” she said. “Welcome to Boston Children’s Hospital.”
9. Andy startled. “The hospital? Why?”
10. “Because you have Addison’s Disease. I recognized it by that tan.” She gestured at his darkened arms.
11. She continued: “ Addison’s Disease means part of your adrenal glands stopped working. Your body won’t hold on to salt or do some other important things without medication. It’s very rare, especially in kids.”
12. “Then how’d I get it?” asked Andy.
13. “You didn’t do anything—sometimes, it just happens. The good news is, we can treat you. The bad news is, you’re gonna be on medication for life.”
14. Andy fell silent, processing this change. From cross-country star to lifelong sick kid? It was too much to absorb, so he asked another question. “When can I go home?”
15. She smiled. “As soon as we’re confident you’re doing well.”

16. A week later, he arrived home to the entire cross-country team, led by his best friend Hector, waiting to greet him in his front yard. Though still exhausted, he grinned.
17. “Man! Glad you’re all better!” Hector shouted.
18. Andy looked down at himself. He was less tan, and he’d put back on some weight. He certainly looked all better.
19. “Glad to be back!” he said, dodging the painful reality that he wasn’t all better. He didn’t feel like himself and his body felt exhausted and

    foreign

    . But he wasn’t ready to admit that.

20. Three weeks later, he slipped through the cracked door of Coach Ramirez’s office.
21. “I need to quit.”
22. Coach looked up from his paperwork, then laid down his pen. “Why?”
23. Andy glared at him. “You know why. You saw the doctor’s note before I was allowed back. And you’ve seen how badly I’m doing.”
24. Coach stared right back. “Is it because you’re slower than you used to be? Because you can’t run as far?”
25. Andy looked at the hands twisted in his lap. “That, and more,” he whispered. “I hate trying to hide this from my friends. I hate that they tell me that if I keep practicing, it’ll get better. It’s not getting better, and I’m tired of trying to hide it.”
26. “Well then,” said Coach, “why don’t you stop hiding it?”
27. Stop hiding it? Disappoint the friends who counted on him? And yet…

28. A week later, he was ready. After struggling through each day’s cross country practice, he had come home and researched Addison’s Disease for hours each night. In the process, he had learned more about what was happening to him and some strategies to help him feel better. He had stopped eating gluten and started walking in the mornings before school. And he had begun to feel hopeful that his presentation would matter.
29. On the next Monday, Coach called the team into his math classroom.
30. “Andy has prepared a special presentation,” he announced.
31. Suddenly, Andy panicked. What if his teammates couldn’t accept him this way?
32. He forced himself to talk through his anxiety. “So, today I want to talk about what I’ve been going through. I have an invisible disability, which means that even though I look fine, the truth is, right now I’m not.”
33. He kept talking, explaining his challenges and efforts and hopes. And, once he’d finally exhausted all his words, silence fell.
34. But only for a moment, as his teammates burst into thunderous applause.
35. “That was so brave! I didn’t realize! I’m sorry I’ve been pushing you so hard.” said Hector.
36. “I should have told you,” said Andy.
37. Slowly the room emptied out, until all that remained was him and the team manager, a quiet boy named Morgan.
38. “Hey,” said Morgan. “Thanks. That meant a lot to me, because I have an invisible disability, too. I have Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia, so my heart races whenever I stand up. I always wanted to run cross country, but it’s too much for me, so that’s why I’m team manager instead. Anyway, thanks.”
39. Morgan started to leave, but before he could, Andy called, “Hey! Do you want to start walking with me before school? I feel like it’s really helping.”
40. Morgan smiled. “I’d like that.”