Since being diagnosed with dystonia, Rogers has faced physical and social challenges. At times, she says strangers assume that because she's physically disabled, she must also have a low IQ.

"In the beginning, it was very difficult for me, but I got over it," she says. "It takes awhile to adjust to how people see you, because I think people consider me a bit of a spitfire, a strong person. So to suddenly have people seeing me a different way was definitely an adjustment."

Strangers aren't the only ones who've treated her differently. "With my friends, I think people think if they hug me, they're going to break me," she says. "I think they immediately associate me with pain."

Despite her positive attitude and high pain threshold, Rogers says living with dystonia is overwhelming at times. "I would say I cry probably once every six weeks about dealing with this," she says.

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