Disability Corner

[Katzi428]

Disabilities

I myself am disabled. I was born with hydrocephalus (water on the brain) My parents were told that I wasn't going to make it past 2 days old But here I am 30 something years later.
When I was 2 weeks shy of my 14th birthday, I developed seizures as well. I've been on a LOT of medications & trust me, it isn't fun.But I'm here & alive today.

 

[Beebers]

I forgot in my post that I have a heart valve problem too but it hasn't killed me yet and only hurts when it hurts lol. So, take heart all, pun intended, we are on zee Earth, and life is good.

 

[Crazy31088]

OLLLD post, I know, but I stumbled across it and thought it might be worth replying to,

I think its the challenges in life that end up making up better or more creative people sometimes.

I have to agree, though I do think perhaps you have it backward...really, it is a question of which came first, the chicken or the egg.

As for my own disabilities...

I've had a lifelong struggle with anxiety. Throughout early childhood, I had many severe fears that would cause me such panic and terror that I would occasionally have panic attacks. In those days, my prime fears were the Pink Panther, Placido Flamingo on Sesame Street, and clowns. Today, I'm principly afraid of tornadoes, and my childhood.

When I was 6 years old, I was diagnosed with ADHD, but it was under control...until I moved to Cincinnati, Ohio a few months after my 7th birthday. Most of what happened between the ages of 7 and 9 are so severely repressed AND the circumstances around which are so fishy, my memories of the era are quite foggy, even more so than memories of, say, pre-school. It almost seems, looking back, that I abdicated my life, and someone/thing took over. I was reduced to watching what happened as if in a movie theater. I did many, many foolish and thoughtless things; I hit a girl so hard that I damaged her kidney. I went through a long phase of shoplifting. I would throw violent tantrums and became increasingly suicidal. I spent almost all of my time in my room, watching TV (particularly Sesame Street) and reading, and if I was disturbed or questioned, I would be sent into an immense rage. I was very nearly institutionalized, and was on all manner of medications, including Prozac, Adderal, Ritalin, until finally, I was put on Lithium...and was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder at age 9. I've regained control of my life, even though I'm far from perfect now.

This basically just scratches the surface, but you have an idea; my issues pale in comparison with some of yours, but I'm glad I got this off my chest.

 

[The Count]

Hey guys. Like Crazy31088, not sure why I haven't gone through this thread before today.
My disabilities?

Well, as you might or might not know, I'm partially blind. Yep, got diagnosed in Baltimore Maryland when I was only 8 years old.
However, after my dad died, I had to give up the medical check-up visits/flights from Puerto Rico to Baltimore. Luckily, my mom found an opthalmologist who was not only an associate of my doctor over in Baltimore, but a good friend of our family. He explained that I was originally born with Bardett Bedel. This manifests itself by six different symptoms, of which I was born with three: multiple fingers and toes, pear-shaped body, and Retinitis Pigmentosa which is the true definition of my blindness.
Oh, but it doesn't end there! Bout four years ago, I developed the ailment known as Acalaycia, which is a dread upon your digestive system. What basically happens is that you lose the peristalsis motion of your esophagus, and the esophagial sphincter isn't opening the locks to let food into your stomach in the proper sequence. Had a few operations, the last one three years ago, where they cut away half of the esophagial sphincter. Now I can eat normally, though I need lots of water or liquid to help me when eating.

As for my blindness, still have peripheral vision so long as there's enough light. Got myself a screenreader program called Jaws For Windows which helps me develop the life I've created for myself here on the forums for the past two years. You guys have come to know me and what I'm partially like... Passionate about the Muppets to the point that I have my ongoing Muppets Listing threads. Graduated with honors from the University of Puerto Rico, and I'm currently studying law to get the title of a Law Doctorate. After that, I plan to take a course in Independent Living, and carry out a full-blown Muppet research project chronicling almost everything that's already in the Muppet Listings.
Hope this helps explain a little bit more about myself, have a good day, and I wish nothing but the greatest success to everyone in their own lives.

 

[JaniceFerSure]

My impairments

Wow,everyone is so brave to come forward like this,its very amazing. I have ADD,had it approx. since age 4.You really have to make sure I'm mentally focused on you,before you start talking to me,else you'll just be talking with no one listening(I have to be occupied with more than 1 thing at a time/multi-task,or else I lose track of what's going on). I had a major tongue thrust ever since childhood(imagine Cindy Brady),I was in speech class all through elementary school.I still lisp,and I stammer when I'm nervous. Also, I'm hard of hearing in both ears,mostly due to my father's genetics and flying in airplanes(the constant ear popping).My equilibrium is very poor.I'm self-taught in sign-language(since 9 years old);just in case I should one day have to rely on it,and I usually need to read lips as well. I suffer from vertigo still,I love heights;I can look forward,just not straight down when I'm high up. My heart palpitates a lot. I have hypoglycemia.I'm asthmatic(tried walking up the hills in San Francisco,was extremely hard). I'm near-sighted.I'm porcelain-skinned,so I burn easily. I often suffer from manic depression. I'm very reclusive and agoraphobic(I have to force myself to leave the house all the time).Its very hard for me to be around crowds & public places aka Social Anxiety Disorder(the malls,movie theater,supermarket are often times quite difficult).I'm afraid of total darkness. I get claustrophobic.I have OCD,I need my life to be in working order,or else I panic. That's all I can think of for right now.

 

[Muppetsdownunder]

I never realised there was this great disability club here. After reading all these stories I think its time for me to tell mine which I very rarely do, infact I havent told many people about it before.

I've heard the name Aspergers syndrome mentioned in this thread. I don't have aspergers but something similar. I have a mild form of autism.

Mainly the only problems I have are with social skills and meeting people, I feel uncomfortable around new people, I'm very self conscious which is probably the worst problem as I feel I'm being watched and laughed at.

After I get to know people I am totally fine and it doesnt take that long either. I'm getting much better, One of my favourite things to do is meeting people from the internet which is much easier. Its easy to start conversations on the internet as I don't have any problems with being nervous about what they might think. When meeting people from the internet the hard parts over which is the initiation of the conversation. I sometimes see someone when im out and wish I could go up and talk to them, I'm just too nervous I wish I had more confidence.

The disability has made it **** throughout school as being a little different isnt accepted here, school made the problem even worse making me even less confident. lucky its all over.

Its definately not as bad as some disabilities but it gets very hard sometimes as I love being around people and talking to people (especially girls), Its just very hard for me to make friends or start relationships and it always has been. Thats why the internet is a great tool for people with disabilities. I get depressed sometimes as I'm a social person but antisocial at the same time and not by choice.

There you have it!

 

[Whatever]

The disability has made it **** throughout school as being a little different isnt accepted here, school made the problem even worse making me even less confident. lucky its all over.

School's the same everywhere, I hated high school.

 

[Muppetsdownunder]

I just realised that a word was blurted out with these things: *** and I didnt even post a bad word, I think the word I put was hard h.a.r.d. Why would that be banned?

 

[Whatever]

Dunno. Maybe you misspelled. It isn't hard to do.

 

[Whatever]

Lol.