Each post in this series comes from someone at Savior who has a disability. Today, we hear from Alyssa Barringer, one of Savior’s newer members.
Tell us about yourself.
My name is Alyssa. I teach Latin, I teach, coach and perform improvisational theater, and I read stacks of books to my kids.
Tell us about your disability, and how it affects your daily life.
I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) as well as some other still-mysterious hormonal irregularities. About 1 in 10 women have PCOS, and it affects every person differently. It causes irregular menstrual cycles, which is why it is a common cause of infertility; but it also affects sleep, metabolism, mood, and skin.
Roughly 1 in 20 women have PMDD, which I experience as 7-10 days of anxiety, brain fog, and flu-like symptoms.
I do not yet have a diagnosis for the other hormonal irregularities, but the main concern is fainting spells. When other people would go into fight-or-flight mode under stress, I faint and then need a day to sleep it off.
The PMDD gives me 7-10 days every cycle of fever, fatigue, and anxiety. The PCOS means I never can quite predict when those PMDD symptoms are going to hit. (And, when they do hit, how do I know for sure this fever is hormonal and not a mild breakthrough COVID case? Should we all get tested? Should we keep the kids home from school?) This makes it difficult to make plans more than a week or two ahead of time. It often feels easier not to plan ahead at all, just to avoid my disappointment and other people's inconvenience if I have to back out at the last minute.
I usually have a couple of days per cycle where my symptoms are too severe for me to be on my feet or safely drive a car. I work part-time and largely from home; I have had to decline opportunities to grow my job because my health is too unpredictable.
What does or can the Savior community do to make you feel loved, supported, and fully included in the life of the church?
Just because I can do something this week doesn't mean I would be capable of it next week; conversely, just because I am not capable of something this week doesn't mean I wouldn't be excited to do it next week. I appreciate when I am invited to participate and serve in ways that intersect with my gifts. I also appreciate when leaders understand that, if I have to decline or back out, it is about timing and not about my willingness to be involved in the church.