what i tell my mother

during my first week alone,

i call my mother

i tell her about my classes

and the friends i’ve made

i tell her things are going well

i leave out that day in the lab

and the smell of isopropanol 

that took me back to the hospital

i don’t tell her

when i take a sip of water

sometimes all i taste is benadryl 

and my throat closing

i don’t tell her

that i sat in my dorm

trying to rip an iv out of my arm 

that wasn’t there

i don’t tell her

that i walked to campus health

knowing they cant fix crazy

i tell my mother

when i was being poked and prodded

i thought it may never stop

i don’t tell her

that i don’t think it has

i don’t tell her 

maybe i’m allergic to remembering

not just iron sucrose Izabella is a teenager from Washington, DC. Her goal is to raise awareness about dysautonomia and the challenges disabled teenagers face.