Welcome to the CP category; I’ll be sharing my personal stories of living with Cerebral Palsy, highlighting the challenges and how I navigate them. Through these posts, I hope to give you a glimpse into what it’s like to live with this disability and how it impacts my day-to-day life.
What is Cerebral Palsy?
Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a neurological condition that occurs when parts of the brain don’t develop properly, often due to infection or abnormal brain development. In my case, I was born three months early, and as a result, the part of my brain that controls movement didn’t develop fully. The exact reason for my premature birth remains a mystery, but it’s a key part of my story.
How Cerebral Palsy Affects My Daily Life
Living with Cerebral Palsy affects every aspect of my daily life, from moving around to completing simple tasks. Here’s how I manage these challenges and the tools I rely on to maintain my independence. My disability affects both my arms and legs, leading to poor dexterity and making it impossible for me to stand or walk unaided. As a result, I rely heavily on specialized equipment and care support to navigate my daily life. Over the years, I’ve had to become quite resourceful, and my opinions on accessibility and disability services have become well-formed!
To maintain my independence, I rely on a variety of tools. My wheelchair is my constant companion, helping me get around, while grab bars are essential for transferring between surfaces. To make these transfers as safe and efficient as possible, all my equipment needs to be at the correct height and in the right place.
I have a wet room with grab bars surrounding the toilet, a shower chair, a slide sheet to assist me in transferring in and out of my shower chair, a custom-made manual wheelchair and a profiling bed.
Without the above products, which I will review, Without these products, I would need to rely on a hoist, which many people with disabilities use. While there’s nothing wrong with using a hoist, I want to maintain the use of my legs, and I prefer to use my muscles and stay as active as possible. Keeping my body moving is not just about independence; it’s about maintaining my health and well-being. I’m lucky enough to be able to use my legs, so I want to keep doing that.
Why Sharing Matters
I plan to review each of these products in future posts, sharing my insights and experiences. I hope that by doing so, I can help others who might be in a similar situation or educate those who want to understand more about living with Cerebral Palsy.
If you have any questions or want to share your own experiences, I’d love to hear from you in the comments. Let’s learn from each other and continue the conversation!
