Medical Mumbo-Jumbo Part One CP and me

Look two posts in one night! since my first post told you that I have dealt with interesting challenges in my life, I thought that it was important that my first medical-ly post introduce you to my oldest companion, cerebral palsy.

People often ask,( okay maybe not "people"per se, maybe one person one time asked me this question, just go with me here)if a cure was found for CP tomorrow, would I use it? A valid and interesting question. The askers of this question are often shocked when they hear my answer because in fact I would not get rid of my CP tomorrow if it were possible. While it makes life much more difficult then the lives of most typical 26-year-olds, it has also taught me many valuable skills and lessons.I will go into these in more detail in another post but suffice it to say that I would not change this facet of my life if given the choice.

Every person with cerebral palsy is affected by the disorder differently. I have what's called spastic   cerebral palsy. This means that my muscle tone is higher than normal resulting in my muscles being  tighter than normal.  It also means that my left arm is essentially a decorative item. The spasticity of CP has tightened the muscles in my left arm and hand to such a degree that my left elbow will always have a small bend  and my fingers on that hand have no free will. They often curl toward the center of my palm in an attempt to avoid doing actual work. That strategy is successful. Ever tried to grasp a small object in a closed fist? Try it sometime it's a super fun party game.


That same lovely high muscle tone also impacts my legs. My hamstrings quadricep and hips are the most noticeable manifestations of spasticity in my legs. My legs are weak, I can only stand comfortably for about a minute at a time unsupported. The important thing in that sentence though is that I can stand. This is thanks to an awesome orthopedic surgeon who was ever mindful of my desire to walk for as long as was possible, and when that was no longer a possibility he still strove to preserve my ability to stand and transfer from my wheelchair to my bed, the toilet and shower, and other chairs. Over the years it did become necessary for me to stop walking as my primary mode of mobility and I have now used a power wheelchair for fully half my life. My "tank" and I get along well.

Lastly, I am blind in my right eye. Of all the things that CP has done to my body this one is the one that requires the most compensation and adaptation.I have no depth perception or peripheral vision. I can't count the number of times I have driven off full-fledged curbs thinking that I was close to the curb cut. Yeah, not so much. As an easy way to think of the effects that CP has on me, I often think of that old children's song "One Eyed,One Horned Flying Purple People Eater." Yeah, that's me minus the horn and  the cannibalism.