Startle reflex is one of the most search and emailed topics that come to me.  At times I feel like a broken record about it but clearly there is a need for it so I keep sprinkling it in amongst other content

I like to ask questions like this that spark discussion. Although I recognize that there is no conclusive evidence to answer the question I felt it important to write a follow up post as it generated a lot of response and people had been asking if I found a resource with the answer and the answer is no

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Here I sit in the green room
The walls trees, the floor earth.
I sit and listen to the leaves blow
I know true peace,
I hear the sound of a Crow
and the chilling sound of a Loon
on the water below
Although, I am in the yard
It’s like an added room
The trees seem to stand gard,
protecting me
I am comforted by the crackle of the camp-fire lit near by
This is a place of private, quiet, reflection,
for me.
I’m protected and comforted by this space
I am free to feel the breeze from the lake and sun on my face.
I am at peace, I am in paradise
sitting here in the green room.

The post The green room poem wirtten summer 2006 appeared first on through my eyes my life with cerebral palsy.

The understanding of cerebral palsy I gained from starting this blog

I started this as a resource for others; I didn’t expect the benefits I would gain personally. Sure I get to exercise my writing skills, but I also get to learn from the experiences of others,youth, parents, professionals, or others with a general interest in cerebral palsy and that is what I find most rewarding. Sure I can read professional documentation about cerebral palsy if I choose. But I personally feel I gain the most insight from the shared experiences I hear about in the comments and emails I receive as a result of this blog.

The struggle in the beginning

When starting out, I struggled to believe that this blog would be read by human eyeballs let alone people that would find it of use and return. But because I was determined to really give this a true test I gave myself the first year. If after the first year I didn’t see results I obviously would’ve stopped. But like I said above the results were astounding and it is the thing that keeps me going every day. Sure, being that I am only human I sometimes face writer’s block when coming up with new posts and people ask me continually how I do this on a consistent basis.

Eventually, I think it just became routine. In the beginning I did it out of sheer determination to see if I would get any kind of traffic. In other words, I wanted to see if there was a shared interest in exploring first-hand accounts of life with a disability. Because I couldn’t find this, from somebody else’s site, I started my own.

The one thing I love about blogging is that it is always evolving and changing and therefore I am continually learning in order to keep up with the evolution of the blogging industry. I wanted to take you all on a journey through my own experiences with cerebral palsy and what better forum than on the Internet?

Being that I am only one person I understand that not everyone wants to comment on the topic that I write about publicly. If however you would like to share your thoughts with me feel free to do so by means that are provided on the contact page. I look forward to your continued enjoyment of my blog.

The post Cerebral Palsy Building and Creating Understanding appeared first on through my eyes my life with cerebral palsy.

Does startle reflex automatically go hand-in-hand with cerebral palsy?

Is it a simple once you have your proposal you automatically have moro reflex? Startle reflex is common for me in my everyday life, and my friends (at least the ones I can think of off the top of my head) all have it. So, does one go hand-in-hand with the other?
Does anyone know the answer to this? Or can you point me in the direction of a resource that may point me in the direction of the answer. Your insight will be greatly appreciated!

Do you have cerebral palsy and do you have startle reflex

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I’ve only done a little bit of traveling but I’ve learned a lot from what I have done. As with anything in a wheelchair, traveling takes extra time and energy but is very possible. Here are some tips that you can use to hopefully make it a little easier on yourself.

1. Arrive Early
By arriving early you give yourself time to negotiate with all your stuff and have time to overcome any unforeseen problem

2. Ask for Help
The airport staff is more than willing to help you make things easier for you; you just have to know that they are available and ask for help!

These are the tips that I have found useful when traveling by air with a wheelchair.

The post Navigating an airport in a wheelchair appeared first on through my eyes my life with cerebral palsy.

Amakusa-airline Type Dash 8-100 Passenger plane(Japan). It takes a picture from the view deck in the Amakusa airport. See also Ja:天草エアライン for more information(written in Japanese). 天草エアラインが保有する唯一の旅客機DHC8-100。 天草空港にて、展望デッキより撮影。 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In yesterday’s post I explained how this post came to be. I would like to further elaborate and talk about the pre-planning involved when traveling with a disability. For some, this may be common sense or obvious, but planning in advance will make your life a lot easier in the long run.

Traveling by air with an attendant

Do you require an attendant when traveling? And are you planning to travel by air? First before you do anything else I would answer these two questions. If you answer both yes there are some things you need to consider before booking your flight.

• Decide on the airline you’re traveling with

All the major airlines allow personal-care attendants to fly at a reduced rate or even free. This may sound like a wonderful concept, and it is but it can get a little annoying being that you are required to prove disability. That is pretty normal but the problem is there isn’t a standardized form within the airline industry which means every time you want to travel with the new airline you have to reprove your disability and have your doctor sign yet another form. It has been my personal experience that they won’t accept a doctor’s note stating that I require an attendant in order to fly is insufficient proof. What that means, is that your doctor has to fill out each airline proof of disability form which in my opinion can get rather annoying and tedious, not only for you but I’m sure for your doctor as well!

• Flying with medical devices

This can be a daunting experience. I would suggest that you follow the airlines direction is laid out on their website and label things accordingly. The more clearly labeled your equipment is the better. It has been suggested to also put folding instructions or battery removal instructions securely fastened to the chair or scooter etc. also, remove any removable parts and ask them if you can take them on his carry-on this will prevent unnecessary damage. In many cases, you can ask to have your device brought you at the gate. This means less time in an airport provided wheelchair.

In tomorrow’s post I will discuss navigating an airport while in wheelchair.

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