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When Numb Becomes Your Survival Language
“I wish you would open up, Krystina.” I hear it a lot.From family. From friends. From strangers who follow my story online.But what they don’t understand is…this guard I carry wasn’t built…it grew. It grew from everything I’ve survived.It’s not a wall I consciously put up.It’s muscle memory.It’s my default setting.It’s the way I…
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To the Men Who Say, “You Must Be Talking to Someone Else…
By Krystina | #Wheelstrong To the men who hit me with: “You must be messing around with other guys if you can’t message me back…”Or any other version of that tired-ass line… Let me say this real clear: I am not other girls. I have goals.I have healing.I have kids.I have a mission. And…
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It Wasn’t the Accident That Broke Me
When I tell people what happened to me,I always pause when I see the look on their face. That wide-eyed shock.That “Oh my God, I’m so sorry.”The disbelief.The pity. But what they don’t know….what they could never guess….is that the most traumatizing part of my storydidn’t happen in the car.Or the hospital.Or even the…
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The Wall I Built to Survive…
I Have a Bad Habit I push emotions aside.I bury words that need to be spoken.I shut down and shut people out.I become an emotionless robot, powering through pain, emotional or physical, to get things done.The irony? I always tell my kids, “Talk about how you feel. Don’t hold it inside.”But the truth is……
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More Than Just a Wheelchair
By Krystina | #Wheelstrong I always say, “You know I’m in a wheelchair, right?” They usually reply….if they reply at all…. “Yeah, I understand.” Followed by a variety of questions or half-hearted reassurances. And that’s when I say, “It’s more than just a wheelchair. It’s a way of life.” But what they don’t understand…
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“The Girl I Loved Died That Night”
By Krystina | #Wheelstrong You said it like it was fact.Like a eulogy wrapped in blame. “The girl I loved died the night of the accident.”And you know what?You were right. She did. She died in that twisted metal and midnight silence.She died when the machines started breathing for her.She died every time someone…
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A World Within a World
By Krystina | #Wheelstrong We live in a time where the swipe of a finger can instantly transport us into someone else’s world.But take a closer look…Are we really connected?Or are we just a bunch of lonely misfits…looking for an escape? Some log on to grow a business or share a talent.Others use it…
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A Boy, A Bike, and a Moment I’ll Never Forget
By Krystina | #Wheelstrong On days like today, I wake up blank.Not sad. Not happy.Just a full spectrum of emotions all tangled together. Why? Because I woke up after only an hour of sleep…. kept up by spasms and pain radiating through my legs. Still exhausted, still aching… I faintly hear my son getting…
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Wearing My Tragedy Like a Clunky Watch
If I’m being honest…I’m exhausted. I wouldn’t wish this condition on anyone.Not because I don’t have strength… but because this kind of strength shouldn’t have to exist.The loneliness that comes with it is overwhelming.And the truth? Talking about it makes people uncomfortable. But not talking about it?That’s what almost broke me. I live with…
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I’m tired.
I’m tired. Tired of being underestimated.Tired of being belittled.Tired of being left out of plans like I don’t exist…simply because I’m disabled.I’m tired of being treated like less than. As a quadriplegic with little to no help, I’ve still managed to accomplish so much.And yet… people only see the chair.Or worse…my past. Yes, I…