My story begins where everyone else’s does — at birth I suppose. And like many other children, I had some insecurities growing up. But at 10 years old my world came crashing down around me when I was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. A few years ago my condition worsened very quickly, and today I am telling MyBodyStory in the form of poetry. It was the most honest way I could truly share myself…

My name is Shawnte and I am 32 years old. I was born with cerebral palsy. I use a posterior walk as well as an electric wheelchair. I also struggle with chronic pain. As a child I’ve had multiple surgeries-all relating to my disability. I work as a computer technician at a library here in Maryland and I do a little modeling. I am a single mother to two wonderful boys who are 8 & 9 years old. When I’m not working, I love to volunteer in their class and I also volunteer at a few other places…

I can vividly remember the first time I was called fat. It was by my brother, and I was seven. If you didn’t know my name was Dominique, and were around my family you would think my name was “fatty” or “biggins” or “chunketts.” These were just a few of the names my brothers would call me. But it wasn’t just them though, it was my father…

It was just weeks past my 13^th birthday when an infamous novel convinced my impressionable adolescent self that if I wanted to calm my anxiety, why didn’t I just start cutting myself? The teenage figure skater in the novel cut herself when she was struggling, and I saw those images as my awakening…my completely dysfunctional “aha” moment. Finally! A way to channel the immense anxiety…

When I think about my body story, I have two main themes: Fat and Hairy. Accepting my fat body came to me much more easily than accepting my hairy body. I remember the first moment I realized I was fat. I was in 3^rd grade and it was picture day at elementary school. The school I attended at the time measured our height and weight on picture day. I remember stepping on a scale, and one adult called off my weight to the other adult who wrote it down. The adult who wrote down my weight bulged her eyes out at the number…