The Mirror’s Betrayal

Dear Delyara, I looked in the mirror today and didn't recognize the person looking back. The illness has taken so much—my energy, my hair, the spark in my eyes. I look like a sketch of a human being that someone forgot to finish. People tell me I’m "brave" and "a warrior," but I don't feel brave. I feel cheated. I’m angry at my own body for giving up on me when I still have so much I want to do. I’m tired of being a patient. I’m tired of being a "case." I just want to be a person who can walk to the park without having to plan for a three-hour nap afterward.