Holiday Hell

It's that time of year again! Time to unbutton the tops of your pants and belly-up to the table. Turkey, stuffing, gravy--OH MY! The holidays are the only acceptable time to gain weight with no consequences. But for some of us this can be a myth. My mobility is my most fragile asset. when I gain weight i can feel it in my legs almost immediately. As someone who loves her food I know more than anyone how detrimental this can be. you literally begin to steal your own independence for brief pleasure. so I urge you, enjoy your holiday, but watch your figure-it is more than your waistline that can be stressed.

A few of my friends have blogs that may help your health goals this holiday season:

http://acebell45.blogspot.com/ Modify some of Ace's exercises to your own body type!

http://weeklycheck-up.blogspot.com/ learn about health issues that have the potential to impact your life!

http://changehascomeoverme.blogspot.com/ gain perspective about your life and inspiration for future goals!

I hope this helps on turkey day!

Mr Exercise and Me.

I will say it, I will shout it, I will put it on a banner in Times Square: I HATE EXERCISE AND IT HATES ME. Our relationship has been necessary but very hurtful over the years. While it has tracked me down and caught me when I tried to escape and though I have cheated on Mr. Exercise with chocolate cake and ice cream, it has always lurked there, in the background. Acting like a clingy boyfriend who just can't take a hint. And although Mr.Exercise has seduced me onto the treadmill with the promise of weight loss or better mobility I can never forget his affair with surgery and rehab. So if you feel the same way or would like to tell me about your experience with Mr Exercise take the poll or write a comment. But don't let him know, he is the jealous type, after all.

Charity? Oh, Please.

There is no easy way to say this, so I will just come out with it. I hate being treated like someone's charity. It is the one thing that can actually get under my skin--the feeling that someone is just interacting with me so that they can get that warm and fuzzy feeling that comes from doing something for someone else. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not against charity in general, just the feeling of being used as someone's penance. I actually enjoy doing my part to help out others but there is a great distinction to be made between what I do as a volunteer and what others want to do for me: I don't accept the help offered. I also do not cross the line to assume that the person I am aiding would otherwise be helpless without me.

I remember being young and my parents fighting with people who saw me and wanted to give me things or help me. My parents, however were (and are), of the firm belief that I can do for myself if given the chance, and if for some reason they were not around, I would need to be able to help myself. Needless to say my parents didn't usually have the time to explain all of this and would generally be called names I care not to repeat.

I tell you all of this to say: if there is one thing you do before helping someone, check that they actually want your assistance. It will help spare the feelings of both of you in the end.

The "Falling" Problem

Everyone knows that fall has nestled itself in our backyards. most people gawk and stare at the pretty colors and take pictures of of trees they've never seen before. However fall is something completely different for people like me. Generally the change in season marks higher risk for injury and elevated awareness for some of the silly things people do. I'm not saying not to enjoy fall, but be careful. When it rains this season please, for the love of God, wipe your feet. that is what those fancy carpets are for in front of the doors. They are not decorations, the have a use. Generally when I'm asked about the problems I face at college as a disabled student I say this: " it is not outside, but inside that is the concern." when the weather gets bad people fail to realize what they track inside. They kick up leaves, create mud puddles, and generally make it difficult to move around inside. It is like walking through a maze except if I go off the beaten path I will face plant in the mess you just created. so I beg of you, be mindful of me. I would rather not be known as the girl who got a black eye from the floor.

Je Regrette!

I am so sorry, my dear friends, for not having posted anything in a while, I plan to rectify that situation immediately. As this blog grows, I would like to incorporate different perspectives of people with disabilities from around my community and eventually from around the world. Here is the first one. Enjoy!

Name: Matthew Curcio
Hometown: St. Davids, PA (I consider EU my hometown for now)
Age: 19
Disability: Muscular Dystrophy

Occupation: I am a young collegian
Hobbies: I write. I read. I created Eastern University's Radio Station.

What is it like to have a disability where you live?

Well, not easy. Living an independent College lifestyle and trying to balance relationships, hobbies, class work and having a disability is just a struggle. It is just an added aspect of life I have to deal with. It is pretty rough some days but I have maybe the most beautiful support system at this college =]

What types of difficulties do you face?

I have a disability that affects my whole body. So every one of my muscles are much weaker than that of others. I use a scooter to get to classes, I fall sometimes, I need help up somedays, I experience pain through out my body fairly often. My disability effects me in the classroom, in the dorm...actually in every capacity. It is a huge chunk of the person I am. But I am okay with that.

What words of wisdom would you like my readers to have?

Learn this about individuals with disabilities...Sure it may be cool to look up to someone with a disability because they seem strong to you in living with a disability. That is fine and okay. But DO NOT overlook the fact that a disability (especially for those who have been disabled from birth) is a NORM in that persons life. For me it is all I know. I do have a strong heart and resolve but this is my reality and my day to day. I am surely as much of a person as anyone else. It is also very important to note that when developing a relationship with a disabled individual do not forget to look beyond their disability and look for other aspects in their life where they may be struggling or hurting. A disability does not encompass the whole.

What is the dumbest thing someone ever said or done to you/what was your response?

Hahahaha what I great question...One time I fell on a family vacation...I was just walking and I tripped over an exposed pipe on a sidewalk. Several bystanders ran to my rescue. One exclaim...HE MAY HAVE A BLOOD-CLOT! MAYBE IT WAS A HEAT STROKE?....I sat on my butt and I laughed audibly. I said I was okay and I got back up with the help of my parents. My day just continued like nothing ever happened.

Tripping Over My Pride

"College is the time to explore your dreams", "College is the time to cultivate your passions"- Ever heard that before? I have- several times. Usually very early in the morning and usually from overly perky campus tour guides who are on their thirteenth cup of coffee for the day. I'm sure that they wanted to get me pumped about being at their university, and I was, but for completely different reasons. Yeah, I wanted to "cultivate my passions" but more importantly, in college, I wouldn't have to go to physical therapy twice a week and I wouldn't have any overly concerned administration members poking around my life all the time. In college I could do anything I wanted.

Oh how wrong I was. Sure -you don't really have to do anything you don't want to, but you will want to file paperwork with your campus's Disability Services Office. Yeah, you can do everything on your own and you are self-sufficient to the point of stubborness, but you will want someone to shovel you out of your dorm and to tell you where all of the accessable exits are when your dorm decides to have a fire drill at three in the morning. Despite what you may think, the offices of disability services is not filled with a bunch of little old ladies with prayer beads waiting to pity you. They are trained professionals who simply want to make campus a fair place to be.

When I first went to college I registered with Disability Services, but only because my mother made me. I didn't want to have an office full of people who were all into my business, feeling sorry for me or acting like my "campus parent". I wanted full control and utter independence. So, when my parents dropped me off, I stopped keeping in touch with my counselor from the office. In hindsight, this was a mistake, in not talking to my counselor I had made things more difficult for myself. In not cultivating a relationship with her, she was unable to anticipate some my easiest needs, such as winter-time transportation or an accessable bathroom. When I transferred (for other reasons), I made it a point to keep in touch with my counselor and everything has gone smoothly. Not only do I tell her things that could pose a problem to me but those things that will make life difficult for other disabled students.

Its Not Popular...

Ever since I entered middle school, my mother and I have debated what it is to be "popular". She was convinced that I had begun trying to be popular; I was adamant that that was not the case. In hindsight, I believe that I was just trying to be well liked, because life is difficult when you are the only one in your classroom who can be heard before they are seen. I wanted people to like me so that there was one less thing restricting me from the life I wanted to accomplish.
I am writing this blog as one of [what I feel is] the most under-represented groups in America: disabled young adults. Sure there are characters on Grey's Anatomy and Glee, but these characters are played by people who don't know what it's like to have their intelligence questioned on sight or to be addressed in the same voice that people address their infants. I do. This blog is to that we don't have to go through life striving to be "well liked", afraid of making any enemies or obstacles; it is so that we can go through life simply being ourselves.