marcaevans
New Member
Hey, my name is Marc. I am a Staff-Nurse from England. I was diagnosed with ASD in November 2016. I was sort of self-diagnosed for about six months before my official diagnosis after I had started researching ASD.
In the months that followed my diagnosis, I kept it fairly hidden, didn't really tell anyone about it. I pretty much pass as an NT in public usually anyway. For the last few weeks, I decided that I am not ashamed of it and embraced it in all its wonderfulness which has just been amazing. I feel much more comfortable with my stimming and more open to sharing my experiences and answering questions.
I am still exploring myself as my characteristics depend on each day, for example, some days I may be more prone to sensory overload than others whilst other days I may have trouble deciphering verbal and non-verbal communication.
In the months that followed my diagnosis, I kept it fairly hidden, didn't really tell anyone about it. I pretty much pass as an NT in public usually anyway. For the last few weeks, I decided that I am not ashamed of it and embraced it in all its wonderfulness which has just been amazing. I feel much more comfortable with my stimming and more open to sharing my experiences and answering questions.
I am still exploring myself as my characteristics depend on each day, for example, some days I may be more prone to sensory overload than others whilst other days I may have trouble deciphering verbal and non-verbal communication.
I notice that you also work in health care. I live in Canada and work in an acute care orthopedic setting in a large urban hospital. I have realized, belatedly, how being an Aspie has influenced my choice of career. I prefer to work mainly weekends/ evenings, when there are fewer distractions from direct patient care. Fewer meetings. Fewer students. I love wearing scrubs! I have a series of scrubs that I cycle through. They are loose and comfy and I don't have to figure out what to wear. After working in numerous other settings, I have ended up (very happily) working with patients undergoing orthopedic surgery. Acuity is high. There are protocols and procedures in place-- for pretty much everything. I can relax into those routines and focus all my energy on patient interactions. I am a very sensitive, emotional and empathetic person. I am fascinated by people and have a strong vocation to help people-- esp. those in pain/ frightened/ vulnerable. I really enjoy forming meaningful connections with people; on my terms. When not working, I choose to recharge quietly at home.
