Skip to main content

Just How Independent Are You?

Since it is CP awareness month I am going to try to be more intentional on opening your eyes to my world. Recently I got a question from someone that asked me so what do you usually need help with? Like do you do your own hair? Do you cook? So here we go...

The Lord has truly blessed me to the fact that I am such an independent person living with CP. When this person asked me if I do my own hair it struck a soft spot because I remember being younger and wondering if I would be able to do my hair on my own. I absolutely can. I curl it, straighten it, do messy buns all of it. I do my makeup and everything.

So you may be thinking okay okay what do you struggle with..

Buttons..especially those tiny ones. Oh boy they are a challenge but you know what is awesome they have this item called a button hook that I have used since I was five years old. It literally is the best adaptive tool and allows me to button any size button.

Cutting.. Oh you want me to hold a fork and a knife to eat? Haha oh no I am a mess if I do that. The food item would have to be pretty tender or soft for me to use a regular knife so here is another adaptive tool I use which is called a rocking knife. It has a handle on top and the blade is in a u shape so you just rock it back and forth to cut your food. Its pretty awesome and has saved me from having to ask someone to cut my food.

Twisting caps.. If you are my dear friend you know how I really hate water bottle caps, soda caps, pasta sauce lids, all to those items where you have to twist the top off. I just don't have the ability to squeeze and twist hard. I mean don't get me wrong I try but most of the time I end up asking someone. My dad just found a device that will twist off any cap so we shall see if it works and if it does oh boy that will make a difference in my life.

Scooping food on to my plate.. I mean lets be real if you ask me to hold something, balance it, and pick up something else it is not going to go well. I mean I can do it but it is probably easier if someone else helped me.

But other than those few things I am pretty much doing everything else by myself. Thank goodness for people creating these adaptive tools that allow me to do the things that I struggle with. I don't know how the Lord has blessed me with such independence but I am utterly grateful. Only He has given me the strength to never give up and to always try. Even if I try and fail I find a way to make it possible. The Lord has given me the strength and determination. Yes things can be frustrating but there is always a way. Because people with CP are warriors and we will always fight for our needs.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Struggle is Real with Adult CP

 Here is something that frustrates me about the state of California. Basically since I was diagnosed with CP I went to CCS (California Children Services). They provide free occupational and physical therapy until your 21. This is so awesome and I would go twice a week until high school where I would do more check ins because I was becoming more independent and doing so well I did not need it as much. Now I know what your thinking...um Nicole why are you frustrated with this? Well did you noticed I bolded until your 21? This is the issue. Once you turn 21 they are like bye bye good luck with the rest of your life. It has been difficult because you get dropped off and on your own without any recommendations of where to go next in life.  Most of you know that hot yoga has been a life saver for me and has basically become my physical therapy and it has been great until...covid. Due to the shutdown it also caused a shut down of my body because my physical therapy (aka yoga) was taken away (

Acceptance

For those of you that follow me on Instagram or Facebook you have probably seen my yoga videos that I have been putting up. On the recent one I had a friend comment about how much she loved my openness and confidence. This really got me thinking about what a road I have been on to get me to where I am at today. Back when I was a senior in high school I got nominated the most inspirational senior. Now when you are nominated for this award you have to write a speech and make the speech in front of the whole school at an assembly. I remember when I first found out I started bawling. Like what? People think I'm inspiring? At that time I was NOT comfortable speaking about my disability. In fact I couldn't even read the speech my principal had to because I was a wreck and was far from confident in myself. Even halfway through college I was not comfortable mentioning my disability. It was like the BIG elephant in the room. It made me nervous and I thought people already see that I

A Whole New Decade

 It has been over a year since I have been on here but I thought that my upcoming birthday of turning 30 was fitting to write a post about this last decade of my life. Especially since this blog has been a part of my 20s. So I thought I would write a letter to my 20 year old self.. Hey girl, It is me, the older, stronger, more independent version of yourself. I know right now you are so excited because you just got your driver's license which is the first step to independence and knocking down a boundary that people said you could not break through. But girl that is just the start. You truly have no idea how God is going to move you to become such a successful independent woman. I know right now you are worried that no one is going to want to hire you for being a special education teacher. I can tell you it is not going to be easy. You are going to have to fight for your abilities but the right principal is going to see you and believe in you and give you that chance because here w