Chiari

You Do Not Understand!


From the outside,
It seems like I am Healthy,
From the outside,
It seems like I am lazy,
From the outside,
It seems like I am constantly tired,
From the outside,
It seems like I am detached, 
From the outside,
It seems like I complain too much, 
From the outside,
It seems like I just do not care,
From the outside,
It seems like I drink too much,


But What you cannot see:

From the inside,
A cough, sneeze or laugh sends pain splintering through my head,
From the inside,
Different parts of my body can go numb or begin to tingle for no reason,
From the inside,
The dizziness can send me crashing down, 
From the inside, 
The blind spots/blurry vision can stop me in my tracks,
From the inside,
The ringing in my ears is constant,
From the inside,
The pressure inside my head feels as if it may explode,
From the inside,
My speech is slurred with no assist from alcohol. 


So before you judge,
So before you label,
Ask me what Chiari is!

From the outside in,
We are the same,
From the inside out,
We are worlds apart!


by Sammantha Kinard