I have been #goinggreen for CP throughout the month. Today, I am going to recap my life with cerebral palsy.
I have left sided hemiplegic cerebral palsy. I was diagnosed at 6 months old. I have been to every possible therapy you could imagine throughout my childhood.
I have had 3 upper extremity surgeries to improve my quality of life and increase function. I see a physiatrist every three months for botox injections to tame my spasticity.
I wear an AFO on my left leg for stability and to improve my drop foot. I also use hand braces on my left hand to support and stretch tight tendons and such. By wearing them, I’m hoping to avoid any further surgery. I also just completed a round of PT and OT to supplement my other exercise routine.
Life with cerebral palsy as a kid being told two opposite things about life. I could do anything I wanted. I just had to work for it. And, the exact opposite, there’s something wrong with me, and that I’m dependent on others for even the basics of life.
Adolescence and my early adulthood, I spent proving both statements correct. I was fiercely independent in parts of my life. I was also severely crippled in fear to do things that I believed I wasn’t capable of.
It was only in my late 20s and 30s that I started to rewrite that narrative and do it afraid. We became parents. I got my driver’s license. I got a job I was passionate about. I went back to school and got my Bachelors degree. Now, I have my career with a health system I am proud to be a part of.
Indomitable Bellatrix 