How handicapable are you?

Sorry to hear about your issues Barb, especially the bone tumours. I know one particular person who has suffered cancer for a long time who I often think of when I get dealt a little blow. She puts me to shame at times with the way she copes.

I've had my share of crap in life but no less than others and I've learned that so long as I have a roof over my head, a comfy bed with access to food and water then I'm in a better place than I once was, so everything else is a bonus.

Remember Barb, you've been labelled handicapped, you can label yourself however you like and it certainly doesn't have to be that. If you don't mind, in light of what you've just said, I'll label you a very head strong, excellent sense of humoured lady who has achieved a great deal and continues, despite your own issues, to help others.

So when life kicks you in the teeth, give it a hefty boot back, and do it twice for good measure.

Thanks! And then celebrate with coffee.

Btw, it's not cancer (well, that part isn't) that caused the tumors (just to clarify).

Life is how we choose to make it!

Wow, Barb. If you get knocked down six times, and get up seven times...


Richard, I thought you needed food, water, beer, and Claude and Riffle.

I'm always finding new ways to do things. I may not have your problems, but I do have some. I buy gadgets that will help me when I find them, wear special shoes, etc. On occasion I'll whine, but then I look at my best friend and suck it up. She was born with serious health issues, and even when she's in a LOT of pain she's SMILING! Because "I'm alive!" You see doctors never thought she'd live long enough to make it to her 18th birthday, let alone go to college and have a career. Now she's in her 30's and for the most part staying out of the hospital. Every time I start thinking how bad I have it, I look at her and tell myself it's not that bad.

I can totally relate. I have numerous health issues and have chronic pain. But I have a positive attitude because things could always be worse. I am blind in 1 eye...but I can see out of the other one. I am not a sick person. I am a person who happens to have some serious medical ailments. There's a huge difference.

My parents were told I wouldn't survive til high school. My allergies and asthma were wicked and controlled my life. But, with the help of a very devoted Mother, I survived. Then I married a service man and went to Germany. I got sick and went to a doctor there, just to find out that the drugs my doctors in the states had me on were experimental and keeping me sick. I learned a little about natureopathy. I got better.

When I was 27 I had a car accident that left me having knee problems. I was told to stay off my feet as much as possible. I got my first dog and started walking 2 - 5 miles a day. I got better.

Then in my early 30's I was given a death diagnosis (not asthma) and told I needed to start chemo immediately. I declined - and took the natureopathy to a new level - ran to the mountains to a town with world renowned clean water, fresh air - and started climbing mountains - couldn't do much at first, but in a few months I was climbing 13ers. Later 14ers. I got better.

Mostly when I get smacked in the teeth, it's financially. I'm not as good at fixing finances as I am my health. That's okay, though. I lost about everything a few times and got so that it doesn't really bother me to lose material items. My lifestyle is fairly minimalist now when I have money and when I don't. I like the freedom of not having tons of stuff. It's easier to move around and keep a little adventure in my life, and that's more important to me than a huge house full of stuff.

I guess, what I believe is that when life decides I need a foot in my *ss, it's actually guiding me away from a bad way for me and onto a new path that is more suited for me in the long run. It would be really kewl if it would just learn to point and nudge instead of smacking me in the face with a frying pan to get me to turn at the fork in the road, though.

I expect it. Just as I expect it when life sends me some good luck at other times. I'm very zen that way.

I have handicap tags but I rarely use them,trying to save the spot for those that need it worse than I do. Not to say there are not times I need it but more often than not I don't.

As far as how I viewed life when it kicked me in the teeth? I pretty well took a lot of Warriors with me on that journey and they deserve of lot of the credit for my not going down a dark road.

Being disabled from birth, I hate the term handicapable.

-g

Keep an eye on the Amy Van Dyken-Rouen story.
Olympic swimmer who recently severed her spinal cord in an ATV accident.
It happened about ten days a go and so far very inspirational. Positive. Amazing.

Amy Van Dyken-Rouen, 6-time Olympic gold medalist, severs spinal cord in ATV crash - The Denver Post