Hardest part of being disabled. Finally realizing that I may never "get better"... Losing the use of my "good" leg for crutching from spinal damage, and that I need to fight for a specialized wheelchair so I don't end up living life in bed.

People see nothing obvious from the outside, they have no idea what's going on inside. Doctors that ignore obvious signs and symptoms and give poor treatment. Fighting for good medical care is exhausting sometimes.

By comparison, there is no hard part of being a parent. The level of "hard" is much easier for me. Sure, it's tough to tell your kid you can't fully participate physically, and that you can't always be at the events. But there are so many other opportunities that make up for it, like my kid knows that he can always find me for a cuddle, to read a book, play Legos/magformers, pillow huts, or anything else you can imagine doing on a flat surface. Plus I am raising a kid with amazing compassion for others.