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Identity
Pronunciation: i DEN ta tee (well .... that's close ...!)
Function: noun
2a: the distinguishing character or personality of an individual : INDIVIDUALITY b: the relation established by psychological identification 3: the condition of being the same with something described or asserted (establish the identity of stolen goods)

Sometimes it's difficult for a person with a disability or disease to hang on to their identity. People want to help and I, for one, appreciate it. Really.

But, you can lose yourself to other people's best intentions for you. You know, NO ONE does it the way you would. But I certainly don't want to bring this up to anyone ... I don't want to seem unappreciative or ungrateful because I AM grateful! And it feels good that folks want to help me out, which I NEED! But it's still frustrating sometimes ... it's not the way I "would have done it," or WHEN I would have done it, or WHAT I would have gotten .... So I compromise my wishes in lieu of receiving help (which is usually accompanied with love).

As such, I've learned that this can be a lesson in selflessness. Society focuses so much on what you can do for yourself, what you want, getting ahead, self-promotion, success .... Sitting on the other side of the table now (because these traits defined ME when I was healthy), I question those goals. In the end, do they REALLY define who you are? There is a difference between what you've done from the person behind those "accomplishments."