For the past few years, I've been telling a story about a show I saw "One Time" about a "Girl Who Didn't Feel Pain". It feels like I saw the show a million years ago, and quite frankly I'd almost decided (in my head, I don't share my neurosis with others) that I'd made the whole thing up.
All I have to say now is, "Bless you, Discovery Health Channel. Bless you." It's a horrible condition, and one that I thought I'd created in my own head until tonight. Ashlynn from Georgia, I think about you, and wonder how you're doing more often than you'd ever know. Even when I thought I made you up in my head.
I was going to tell you the name of the very interesting program, but goddamnit, it was just on and already I forgot the name of the fucking show. Fuck.
One thing that makes me nervous was that her parents were speaking on the program (you like how I say 'program' like I'm elderly? It's my newest attempt to seem 50 years older than myself. I'll check that one off the list) about how they can't wait for a cure, how they're sure there will be some fantastic genetic advances in the future that will allow for her to feel pain someday. I don't doubt that.
My question is, how will she cope?
And now? It's the woman with half a body. It's not a title I would bestow, because she's only missing her legs and part of her spine, but due to her amazing ability to get around using her upper-body strength she's developed some awesome muscles, and she's a sturdy lady. She's another lady I'd forgotten about (although I didn't think I made her up - Ashlynn seems like she might have more troubles than this woman who can do more than I can with less limbs than me. She was shooting a gun, for fuckssake. I'm scared to death of guns - and I thought about Ashlynn more because I worried about her), but when they showed the footage of her husband proposing to her (1999, on Maury) I suddenly remembered I'd watched that episode. Strange how that works out, isn't it?
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