CW: medical trauma, invasive exams, chronic pain, medical gaslighting, ableism
The chorus of Get Well Soon messages singe my tender flesh. I have dragged myself back into bed after another session of poking, pushing, Does it hurt when I apply pressure here? Here? Here? Here as well? I'm so sorry sweetie. You're doing such a good job. The exam is almost over. Good news! The diseases is superficial at this stage. Much like the small talk with acquaintances I see once every 6 months when I'm freed from the piercing talons of my cramps. They ask, How have you been? I cannot dodge the sucker punch to the gut. It knocks the wind out of me. Every time. I've been hanging in there. Deep breath in. Breathe out.
MK Sullivan is a queer disabled poet who writes about grief, trauma, alienation, and how we can come together to care for one another. Their writing is rooted in a disability justice politic.
(From ILL Anthology: The Witness)