Lucy Grealy
...al. At a young age, Lucy became aware of what it’s like to be severely, chronically ill. After finding out she was sick her sisters behaved differently toward her. They were polite, caring, and gentle. "Suddenly I understood the term visiting. I was in one place, they were in another, and they were only pausing." This is what Lucy said when describing how she felt when her family came to visit her. Even her father felt uncomfortable at her hospital bedside, and Lucy was relieved that he didn’t come very often. However, there was one place in which she hated being more than the hospital and that was at home. In the hospital the other patients and the staff expected little from her and she felt no guilt or shame. Surrounded by her family, she blamed herself for the tension, arguments over money, and her mother's depression, even though these problems had existed before her illness. Her hair fell out and she became faintly aware that people were staring at her face. Nevertheless, "I . . . was naturally adept at protecting myself from the hurt of their insults and felt a vague superiority . . . . " This is what Lucy said when talking about how she was used to the comments and faces people make towards her. When Lucy was well enough to return to school, her disfigured face attracted name calling from classmates. she finally understood that she was percei...