If you *actually have* a physical disability, what is it?

[aVVian]

Made an account just to post in this thread, haha.

Not sure how much of a physical disability this is, but I have arrhythmia like Hisao does, although it's not as severe (no 17 pills/day; no heart attacks yet). Sometimes my heart randomly skips a beat, prob twice/5 mins. Just thinking about it makes my heart pound more heavily. I believe I have a normal pulse (measured with wrist), but I usually feel 2 beats/sec when I place my hand over my heart. I was okay at sports before (cross country and track teams last year), but now I'm legit the worst guy in my P.E. class. Even warmups and stretches or pushups gets my heart racing. We did the pacer the other day, and not only did I drop about 20 laps from the previous time, I missed the minimum to get an A, and my heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest (3 hard pounding beats/sec). I'm almost always last now when we run laps during P.E.

I just started this game 2-3 days ago, and I'm looking forward to seeing how Hisao trains himself to run with Emi. Maybe I can get some tips.

[Mirrormn]

I just started this game 2-3 days ago, and I'm looking forward to seeing how Hisao trains himself to run with Emi. Maybe I can get some tips.

Hahaha. The only tips you're going to get from this game will involve how to nearly kill yourself by pushing yourself too hard during sex and chasing after girls in airports.

Well actually, to be fair, Hisao's much healthier in Emi's route than the other routes. If you're really looking for some physical fitness ideas and motivation, though, you should go to the Emi workout thread.

[Teryn]

Wow, I really feel for a lot of people in this thread. I used to feel like so few people have invisible disabilities, now maybe it's just that you can't ask anyone in public about their disabilities like you could here.

Ok, um... physical disabilities:

1. Osteoarthritis - After too many days of having my back throbbing after walking for more than 3 hours, I got an x-ray, the diagnosis, and then a cane a little while later. I thought I needed the cane because people would look at me funny if I took the disabled/pregnant/elderly seating on public transit without some kind of mobility device. Then I accepted that I really did *need* it. I've eventually come to feel attached to my cane... no matter how many times I still nearly forget to take it with me when I put it down.

2. Hypothyroidism - After a lot of cold/hot flashes, mood swings and lots of naps, this one was fairly easy to deal with if I have medication. (Actually almost forgot this one until reading this thread)

EDIT: Whoops, forgot some.

3. Tinnitus - Can drive me crazy, hearing ringing in my ears when things are very silent somewhere at night. Can tune it out for the most part.

4. Asthma - Only happens a little in Summer and Winter, going from very cold to hot and vice versa.

5. Low Vision - Nearsightedness. I have no idea how bad it is, but I feel like it's getting worse. People and text start to look somewhat blurry from only a couple feet away.

6. Hearing Loss in the Left Ear - It's borderline normal, but still makes it hard to make out people speaking, especially if there is a lot of noise in a room.

Katawa Shoujo really helped me feel like being human was more important than having disabilities. Considering how many people have posted in the forums, period, I know I'm not the only one with this belief.

[ravenlord]

Heh, my handicap was having a mother who liked sex, drugs, and alcohol when she was 15. That left me with a poor fetal environment and resulted in really bad eyesight, some social and learning disabilities, and a twisted skeletal structure -- mostly ribcage and right leg. Sports is physically painful, and situations where I have to unshirt in public are awkward and embarrassing.

Ironically I ended up with a pretty high IQ though, so I don't complain too much. If someone offered me a "perfect" mind and body in exchange for "normal" IQ, I would decline the offer.

Playing KS really hit home. I am a RL Jeckle and Hyde combo of Hanako and Kenji, depending on the day and my mood. I carry a book with me 24/7, play competitive chess, love the computer, and am painfully shy. But I can but cluelessly direct and blunt, and I have occasional agressive outbursts whenever I perceive in my "special way" that someone (or the world in general) is conspiring against me.

Seeing this deconstructed in KS has been a real eye-opener and look in the mirror (with my super thick glasses and my nose close to the glass ) After arcing with Hanako I have been making major life changes, like getting rid of the elephant in the room and being proud of my uniqueness and getting out a lot more IRL. For sure, it is scary and painful and difficult, but rewards are already coming in. And I have a counselor now too -- he is really cheering me on. He also said that I am not his first patient to mention KS as a catalyst, and he wants to investigate it now to see what it is all about

[ZXRN]

yep definitely that low vision thing. Astigmatism ain't fun. Prolly coz all of the gaming i do...

[~Shultz]

I have low vision... But if I actually have a disability, I think it would be Total Blindness

[Cossack Commissar]

I'm surprised how many people have bad vision as their physical disability...
I feel kind of bad, as mine is above average (20/15)

[Kutagh]

I'm basically Shizune, being deaf (though with hearing aid and cochlear implant and not mute).

[acewing905]

Very weak lungs, if that counts as a disability. I was a premature baby, about two months early. It seemed my lungs hadn't developed properly for some reason, and had to be kept in an incubator as I almost died, unable to breathe. As a result of that, I can never engage in any strenuous activity, as I quickly tend to be asthmatic. No sports, no running, though I'm encouraged to do lot of brisk walking, and I tend to walk much faster than others as a result of following that advice.

[SotiCoto]

I was born without a tail nor whiskers.
Also I seem to be an ape.
As someone who thinks "cat", being an ape is definitely a physical disability.

[ZXRN]

This is why I'm Rin, right? Being adept with your feet is quite the skill. Though itching is hard and emotions can get the better of you. I connected with Rin on another level being an artist myself stuck in this same condition. But taking on her nonchalant attitude has done wonders for me, finally I feel like I'm a part of something important. Although I wasn't born like this.

so, you really don't have arms? Am I getting that right?

[SotiCoto]

Hmm... there seem to be a LOT of physically different folk here.
Shame there isn't a tally of "not physically disabled" people on the poll too so we could get a good idea of just what portion of the userbase considers themselves "physically disabled".
Seems like a lot in any case.

... Which IS sorta odd, because usually the point of these Eroge Visual Novel type things is to sorta vibe with the protagonist... rather than the potential targets of his generally blank-faced randiness.

[pandaphil]

*Edited since this thread was rolled into a pre-existing one.

I was diagnosed with diabetes last year, and a few years ago, found out I had congestive heart failure after a week long stay in the hospital. Basically it means that my heart doesn't pump blood out as well as it should (less than 20% capacity in my case), so I get out of breath easily, and have a constant dry cough and feel stuffy since blood tends to back up in my lungs.
Then on top of that, I have high blood pressure. Thankfully I'm able to keep it mostly under control with pills. Going from over 200 at one point down to the 120's currently.

I also get hit with frequent bouts of depression, and thanks to a lot of abuse in school, I grew up with serious self-esteen problems, and shyness.

[YZQ]

Don't have anything that justifies listing here. Saying my blessings every night before I doze off.

[Dr. Casey]

My birth didn't go very well; I'm the youngest of five kids, and my mom's body had taken quite a beating from some of her past deliveries (they weren't nearly as disastrous as mine, but they were enough to cause some damage and make future births more difficult). I had a stroke a few minutes before I came out of the womb, which has left me with a myriad of minor symptoms; short term memory problems, terrible sense of direction, confusion in busy settings such as a classroom or family gathering, moderate speech problems (I often have to repeat what I say a time or two). My parents were afraid the first few years of my life that I would turn out much worse than I have; at the age of four I had the speech skills of an 18 month old, and the special needs therapists scored my IQ at 80 and said I would never be able to read, but I went to a nice preschool with a wonderful teacher that managed to turn me completely around and bring me up to speed.

If we're including shyness and self-esteem issues as disabilities, then I can sign up for that camp as well, perhaps. In middle school and high school I was every bit as shy and unconfident as Hanako; I very rarely said anything outside 'Here' during roll call. I started working through my issues early 2011 and am considerably better now, though.