It's hard enough anyone growing older. For those growing older with any form of disability, it's much harder to know how they may age. We can never know for sure how that will manifest, or what we may have to deal with.

Wisdom and growing older

But it's not just the physical symptoms that may change for anyone growing older, it's the added weight of all the years, and your experiences piling up behind you. I call those experiences, but wisdom doesn't always follow your experiences.

We can notch up experiences, but that doesn't always mean we've notched up understanding or an acceptance on our experiences and without both, there is little to no wisdom.

Ageing with a physical disability

When it comes to a physical disability, we trust that what we initially get to deal with will continue, and there will be no further developing symptoms, but that's not a guarantee. When I was initially diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia a few months ago by a holistic clinician, I had been dealing with jaw, teeth and facial pain for months.

My maxillofacial specialist visit

Then an already pre-arranged visit to a maxillofacial specialist and an x-ray and I came away with the right diagnosis, one that is easier to manage, but I still deal with jaw, ear and facial pain.

As I sleepily clambered down the stairs to take some paracetamol, I went back upstairs to put a heat disc on the nerve pain area, then fell asleep again. The difficulty and concern is not knowing what I may have to deal with next, living with a physical disability.

Ilana Estelle is a mental health and wellbeing advocate who combines educational insight with her personal experience of living with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. She holds diplomas in Counselling, Diet and Nutrition, Nutritional Therapy, Psychotherapy and Counselling, and Stress Management. Through her writing, Ilana supports others in navigating their emotional, mental, and physical health challenges. In addition to writing for The CP Diary, her work has appeared in healthy lifestyle magazines. Ilana is also the author of three books: Cerebral Palsy: A Story – Finding the Calm After the Storm, Spirituality, Healing and Me, and Survival: The Covid Years – Time for Change.

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2 comments on “Growing Older”

  1. I am pleased your diagnosis wasn't Trigeminal Neuralgia, but something that you can manage more easily and I am sure with you positive attitude and determination to tackle it, you will succeed.

    All of us here as part of The CP Diary community wish you better.

    1. Loving your enthusiasm, but the task isn't easy and my triggers aren't always easy to pin-point.

      Those change every day I think that's part of the problem. Food can set it off, fresh air can set it off, eating cold things can set it off, spicy things, hard or chewy things.

      TN is an even harder issue to deal with. Originally diagnosed with that by a holistic therapist, I'm pleased that has been ruled out.

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