In my family, I am the only male with BMD; besides my uncle and my brother, who have already died without anybody knowing or believing what they had. A couple of months ago there was this big family gathering and some of my older male cousins came up to me and my mom and said "hey this is Robert?" (meaning me) My mom said yes. Then they said "oh yeah, I remember when we were younger he used to run around on his tip toes. We used to call him Twinkle Toes" My mom says "Oh Yeah". They started laughing and walked away. Immediatly I was full of humiliation, rage and hatred, but I didn't say anything cause I would have spit in their faces and caused a big o scene so I just kept my mouth shut. I cant take comments like that it is so humiliating plus the way I walk now they were probably making fun of the way I walk nowadays (I've been told that I walk like a lady) so I know they are calling me a queer and stuff. When people make fun of me it destroys me and makes me feel completly emasculated. I am extremely self-conscious as it is and this type of rudness rips me to shreds.

I cant bring myself to tell anyone that I have this humiliating gene mutation. I know that some might say that telling people will help them understand my condition. But it is extremely embarassing for me to talk about BMD. To me it is like telling people that I am not a MAN. Because real men are known for muscles and being strong and athletic. I wish I was a complete man so bad I don't ever want to admit that I am not a complete man. I get so embarassed just bringing up the subject I get really red, start sweating and want to cry. And you know sometimes I laugh when people see me not being able to lift a case of water bottles or if I fall in public, but I am really dying on the inside I keep it all hidden from people then I come home to my room and I drown myself in sorrow and try but fail to get any sleep at all.

Aint it weird how that stupid perfect X chromosome held the key of confidence? My confidence has been mutated. I feel like I was supposed to live a life without this extreme humuliation.  A person that people would want to be around. I was so close.