The Pain behind the Fame

We’ve all had challenges at some point in our lives which we eventually overcame with time, they say a man without challenges is a man without a future and yada yada; I consider it all bollocks. Not all challenges can be overcome; some are as a result of genetic dysfunctions such as allergies, and sometimes physical disabilities which we simply have to live with for the rest of our lives without a choice.

I am one of such people; from getting sick easily to the daily knee pain, occasional allergic reactions and being hypertensive. I didn’t choose to be this way but sometimes nature has a greater plan for us; which begs the question “are we really at the top of the food chain or simply robots operating in line with an instruction manual?”

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My everyday struggles

I get sick easily- I’ve always gotten sick easily since my childhood, it’s a surprise I even survived at all. At a point in my life I used to get admitted in the hospital every month cos’ I’d suddenly wake up one morning and begin to vomit all over the place a very high temperature that could cook a plate of rice (forget I said that). I’ve always been allergic to every little thing hence I begin to sneeze once I’m exposed to excess air or a little dust, teachers do not flog me cos’ they know I’d skip school for the next one week due to sickness, I’ve been admitted in the hospital more times than a normal person would (maybe I’m a genetically engineered robot). I’ve always been the delicate person, though I’m getting stronger as I grow; my health cannot be compared to that of other people my age.

Knee pain from childhood- I’ve always had knee pain since my nursery school (that’s as far as I can remember). Walking a long distance makes me uncomfortable, almost like I was designed with a weaker body. As a grown up I still have knee pain every single day for no reason at all; I sometimes wake up in the morning with knee pain, go for lectures come back then Kaboom knee pain again. This knee pain is sometimes accompanied with back ache especially if I go through unplanned stress.

Being Photo-phobic- My eyes have always been light sensitive since childhood which I ignored but eventually got worse coupled with a refractive error which the optician calls astigmatism; I ended up using a glasses with focal length of …….I won’t tell you. I talked about this in my article titled “Four eyes stick: My glasses and I”. @Sequoia mentioned being called a four eyed stick as well.

I look younger than my age- Most people think I’m younger than my actual age, you’d be surprised if I told you how old I am. I’m not short and I’m not too tall either but I’ve got a small stature and a really small face, making me look like I’m just 18 or 19 when I’m actually ………I won’t say. It’s really annoying as I sometimes do not get the required respect cos’ these teenagers think they’re talking to another teenager. A girl I once taught was initially treating me like we were age mates perhaps because I didn’t care and always liked it when people feel free around me. During one of our conversations I told her when I got out of high school and my age at the moment; she began to talk to me with a special respect I didn’t request for (I didn’t intend to make her feel bad).

I once got a job in a school about 7 years ago to teach Physics and further math; the interview went well but the principal later told me the students initially thought I was a new student, I felt embarrassed on hearing this. It’s seven years later and I’ve gotten a lot bigger but I still look younger compared to other people of ma age, In fact my cousin whom I’m older than with one year+ looks like he’s two or three years older than me, and will beat me in a fight.

Being hypertensive- After going through a series of chest pain and irregular heartbeat, it was discovered three years ago (2018) that I’m hypertensive. I’m on permanent medications and have to use them every day or my blood pressure will spike for no reason. It’s really weird cos’ I have to spend a lot on those drugs every month (the pharmacy loves collecting my money). Though I’m not a big fan of football, I sometimes want to play football with my mates out there but I can’t cos’ I’d probably over work my heart and kaboom …….you guessed right (I won’t say the word).

I get tired easily- My parents took note of this since my childhood, once I tell them “I’m tired” they instantly understand and I have to relax immediately or I may end up being hospitalized, the hospital was like my best friend while growing up with my skin being pierced by needles and Injections more times than I can remember. I still experience this but not as much as when I was younger, the deal is I mustn’t stress myself or lift heavy objects, must have enough rest at night (an advice I cannot take). I feel like a robot that comes with an operation manual which malfunctions when Instructions are not followed strictly.

Allergic reactions- I’m not sure if everyone goes through this as well but I’ve got some really weird reactions to things around me that I sometimes feel I’m in the wrong planet;

• I’ve got a very sensitive stomach hence I can’t eat okra and vegetables or I’d have a real stomach upset and end up flooding the toilet with “you know what”.

• I’m not asthmatic but I sometimes have difficulty in breathing on exposure to dust, pollen grains, and excess heat.

• I feel cold easily hence I have to put on socks all the time or I wouldn’t feel comfortable, neither will I be able to sleep at night.

• I feel irritated on seeing cobwebs that my nose begins to itch immediately, I think it’s psychological but at the time of writing my nose itches me as well  cos’ I was unlucky to get touched by a web somewhere around the house and I’ve been irritated ever since.

• My nose itches when I eat popcorn or simply smell them, which means I’d have to rent a personal cinema hall if I ever want to see a movie cos’ it’s gonna be popcorn here and there.

And so on… I can be extremely stubborn and often run my mouth to prove a point but I’m not as strong as you think. These are some of my everyday struggles, Welcome to my world; Kristoffer’s world.