Alex Is Struggling With This Because I Struggle With This - Tumblr Posts

alex suffers from chronic pain.

it’s especially prevalent in his back and neck. doctors can’t really pinpoint why he has the constant pain and pressure. they thought it was arthritis because alex had already been diagnosed with arthritis in his hands; that wasn’t the case though. one doctor said it might be fibromyalgia but changed his mind due to it being so uncommon in men.

there are several days when alex wakes up in severe pain and ends up having to skip school. sometimes he falls asleep with heating pads on his back only to find burns on his skin in the morning. there’s a pillow-type padding on his seat in his house’s dining room.

he often gets made fun of for it. people mimic the limp he has and comment on the padded grips he has on all of his pencils. when he has to leave class to go to the nurse, balled up paper gets thrown at him as he’s walking away.

no one really says anything about it. john and eric have tried to stick up for him sometimes, but no one listens to the two of them. alex doesn’t know why the bullies would listen to them. all three of the boys were quiet and somewhat outcasts. alex simply told them to not bother with protecting him; it wouldn’t make a difference anyways.