A different shaped pen

Win Charles

A different  pen is about how disabilities don’t define  but how the joy of writing  can help us heal  ourselves about the  that whoever you   God presented your body with

Épisodes

  1. 09/11/2025

    Fell Off The Bed, Got A Bionic Upgrade

    Send a text A small fall on a birthday turns into a life-altering crossroads: months of rising pain, a confusing ER visit, and a label that never fit. When a CT scan finally reveals a 50% hip dislocation, everything snaps into focus. We walk you through the raw truth of misdiagnosis, the grind of rehab that couldn’t fix what wasn’t identified, and the moment a clear choice emerges: a total hip replacement designed for a body that lives with cerebral palsy. We get real about the options and why only one makes sense for long-term stability and independence. You’ll hear how casting after surgery helps tame spasticity, why tendon lengthening protects the new joint, and how a six-week recovery is structured to rebuild safe movement from the ground up. This is not a miracle story; it’s a practical plan rooted in orthopedics, neuromuscular care, and lived experience. From transferring with a walker to standing with support, we map the milestones that make mobility possible again. There’s also the human side: waiting on insurance, feeling trapped by a bedbound routine, and leaning on faith and friends for strength. We talk through school timing, sharing updates from the hospital, and using social media to bring people along without losing privacy or agency. Most of all, we center advocacy—how asking for the right scan, insisting on a second look, and having a medical ally can change the outcome. If you care about patient advocacy, disability-informed surgical planning, and the courage it takes to choose a new path, you’ll find insight and heart here. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs the boost, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway so we can keep this community strong.

    24 min
  2. 29/10/2025

    I’m Choosing Strength While My Body Throws Curveballs

    Send a text A messy week of medicine, mobility, and mindset turns into a clear-eyed plan. I open up about why unclear x-rays pushed me to a Halloween CT scan, what the images might mean for a partial or total hip replacement, and how osteoporosis complicates the decision. Pain has a timeline and a cost, and I trace both—back to mid-July—while making the case for choosing function over fear when the joint won’t cooperate. There’s more under the surface: colon treatment arriving by UPS, GI side effects that hijack the day, and the quiet discipline of tracking symptoms and messaging the care team before small problems become big ones. Between switching dentists, coordinating imaging, and nudging school paperwork across the finish line, the to-do list becomes a roadmap to agency. Rehab will be hard if surgery happens, but I’ve walked that road and know the steps: honest expectations, consistent effort, and a community that reminds me why progress matters. Transportation is its own battle. Financing for a vehicle didn’t come through, so I’m exploring family support and accessibility options without apology. I don’t need luxury; I need reliable, safe mobility that respects my body’s limits. Through it all, I stay focused on what I can control and invite listeners to be part of the momentum. Share the episode, send it to a friend who needs a nudge, and help us reach 10K downloads across the feeds. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell me: what’s the hardest step you took toward healing, and what did it teach you?

    10 min

À propos

A different  pen is about how disabilities don’t define  but how the joy of writing  can help us heal  ourselves about the  that whoever you   God presented your body with