I said it hurts instead of pretending I could tolerate it

Dear Delyara, There is still some old part of me that wants to cope impressively, even in rooms designed to help me. So when the exercise started hurting, my first instinct was to push through and then act normal about it. This time I did something different. I said, “That hurts.” The physio changed the movement immediately and thanked me for saying it. That tiny moment made me feel both embarrassed and proud. Because what I’m trying to unlearn is not weakness. It’s the performance of strength in places where honesty would actually bring better care.