Challenges Ahead Part 1

 You're 20 years old and in some respects. You have the rest of the world and your life ahead!

You have had a lot of physiotherapy sessions all through your childhood. It stops as soon as you become an adult. What is next? That is the question.

You don’t know what you’re going to do next and how you are going to do to keep yourself as agile and fit as possible?

All your life had to be split between going to physio sessions and school.

Now that’s all over you’re meant to get on with your life on your own.

You are half excited and half scared witless. You know that physio has stopped. It means it's up to you to do the work no one nagging at you to do your exercises. All you want to do is be normal!

What do you want to tackle first?

Work?

Life in general?

Physio?

Work

This is going to be a choice of options for what you can do physically, or not. Yes, that is the reality of the world. It's not what you want to hear. Some so many people are ignorant of the condition.

It's your chance to prove that we can do whatever we set our minds to.

In the USA, 9 main famous people who have the condition Josh Blue a comedian, Abby Nicole Curran; Pagent winner and founder, Dan Keplinger Artist and Speaker; Geri Jewell author, actress, comedian and speaker; Christy Brown artist, poet and author; RJ Mitte actor, producer, model and activists; Bonner Paddock athlete and advocate; Jhamak Ghimire writer; Maysoon Zayid Comedian and activist

. To find out more about them check out 9 famous people with cp.

In the UK, there are not as many well known, but Hannah Cockroft MBE Paralympian, David Smith MBE Paralympian

, pic British Paralympic Association, Lee Ridley comedian are just a few.

That doesn’t mean you can’t be whatever you want as long as you know your own limitations without being negative or restrictive.

I never really wanted to do anything business-wise. I was a creative child making my jewellery other things.

However, it was thought that I would be best at doing office work but started as a cashier for local stores while training to be an office administrator.

It wasn’t what I really interested in doing and my own dreams were not really heard.

It is only now in my late 40s that I actually managed to do what I wanted to do which is writing in various forms. To prove the point I have a series of poetry books published and I write this blog, intending to educate people about cerebral palsy with my take on it. You can get my books from here Questions, More questions and The monster within

But the choice is yours and not what other people want you to or expect you to do.

Once you have decided what you want to do either short term or long term.

Yes, you may want to find your own home. So that might have a bearing on your dreams as well but that depends on your own circumstances.

Life in General

What’s next? You are on your own and are single. You have not really considered what is your next move because you are not sure what you want personally. So think about what you want!

1. Partner
2. Family
3. Pets.

Or are you in a situation where you need constant care? That doesn’t matter. You can still do things for yourself. You are your own person. You have your own feelings and wants. It's your life, it's your body you are living in.

Being disabled doesn’t mean you can’t have a partner. The attraction is attraction whoever it is you want to be with. You need to show the person that you are just the same but yet have some challenges that they don’t have.

Do you want pets? Think about, what can look after yourself, rather than leaving it to the people who care for you. The choice of a pet has to be something that you love but look after it on your own.

Physiotherapy

Has this gone out the window? I bet it has. It certainly did when I was your age. You know what though, you need to do it. Yeah, it's a pain in the backside but you need to keep doing it. You feel like your body is invincible and you can do almost everything everyone else is doing but truthfully in the next 20 years, things will begin to change. Your body will change a lot quicker than the average person. I talk about my own life in common questions for me and Life with Diplegic Mixed Cerebral and how it has changed so far. Seriously though stick with them because as you get older your body does wear out quicker and you will become tired quicker. But to maintain your tone and everything

January has Almost gone: Winter is half gone! with Cerebral Palsy playing

 A new month!

January is going. Tomorrow is the first day of February. Has anything changed for you?

Have you had to stay in more because of what has happened in the last year and this new month that’s just going?

Lots of little things have happened this month certainly for me. Some of the things I couldn’t control and others I could, that’s ok!

You know what though, February is a new month. Each day is like the new day of a book. I acknowledge that I am the one in charge of what I think and what I can do. There are lots of things I can’t do but I know what I can, that is important to realise.

There are days particularly in the winter when I do struggle with my condition. It makes me feel like I’m not capable of anything I mentioned feeling low several times in posts such as Urgh the feeling and Urgh again as well as Urgh!!! Cerebral Palsy can take a long run and jump. These posts are all written either in late Autumn or throughout Winter. S.A.D is also a possibility as my moods change as the seasons’ change.

The move and it's effects

Since the move, I know that it's just my cerebral palsy that is making me feel low. It frustrates me so much at times. Because of the energy, it is zapping from me. I think of what I should be doing as a mum, and as a wife, but I know it makes me feel guilty for having the Cerebral Palsy as I am too tired to do what is required at times.

The place we are living in is making me feel a lot safer and more confident in what I can do. I am a lot happier than I was before. At the old home

What now!

But now and then, the feeling of exhaustion. Just from day to day living wipes me out. On those days I just want to curl up, sleep until I feel better.

I realise that it is very much to do with what cerebral palsy has done damage wise. Causing more depression episodes the older I get. Due to the change in my own body’s ability to live from day-to-day.

If you are in a similar situation then check out Liz Whitely Counselling and her blog. In the post, I have linked above is all about cerebral palsy and mental illnesses particularly depression and all it's’ types. If you are really struggling mentally because of your condition then please contact her through the link and she will be able to help you in many ways.

Another way of getting help is by getting in touch with the Cerebral Palsy Advice UK Group here in the UK where they can help and point you in the right direction for the help you really need.

Love and peace

xxx