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| Disabilities...(and the misconceptions)...what's yours?
Posted: 12/16/2006 5:20:46 AM | | I am legally blind. 18% field of vision. Can't ever get a license, shouldn't really anyway. Very limiting, dating was very difficult, but I don't need to anymore, I caught a fish, actually we hooked each other. I just recently moved to a location where I am within walking distance of everything I need, and it is wonderful. | |
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| Disabilities...(and the misconceptions)...what's yours?
Posted: 12/16/2006 9:08:07 PM | He he, so I went for this annual medical check ups. The nurse once again measured my height. I asked how tall am I now as I haven't paid much attention to my shortness. (refused to wear high-heels after 30 ) She told me I am 4 ft 8 ins. Oh, that's fine. The bright side is that I can put on a costume mask like a 10 years old for trick or treat in Halloween; not so bad, eh??
I bring this up for I saw a post in here someone said that she's only 4 ft 6 ins and people have misconception that short people are not very bright. Well, not in China. We have a popular saying that "short guys are gifted talented", thus people are more serious in dealing with us short people. Hey, I am actually quite clever not without a reason.
Then, of course, I am almost completely deaf. Without my hearing aid, I could not even hear my own voices. I wasn't born like this, I was not well looked after when I was a child when I was sick; but not about to give the details in here. My right ear has 100% hearing lost, and my right ear with hearing aid, I can only hear 40% of what normally should. Well, whenever I need to speak and question something, I would say: "I am closed to completely deaf, please bear with me!", and nobody made big fuss about it, (so far). I can still communicate well enough to have my own business and deal with many Government Authorities each day.
I would not deny my hearing lost is a disability; the fact I need to depend on a device (and more important a battery ) to cope with life, it is a disability to me. When I can only hear people face to face, but cannot hear any on air announcement or listen in a movie theatre, it is a disability, and why should I not admit it? But, because I am not unhappy about this loss of ability, the word disability doesn't have much meaning to me. And best yet, when I don't want to hear noise, I have the option not to hear it by turning my hearing aid off; I do enjoy that complete quietness times and peace. Life is not so bad. | |
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| Disabilities...(and the misconceptions)...what's yours?
Posted: 12/16/2006 10:27:40 PM | I have Multiple Sclerosis.....no one would ever know unless they were around me for a long time....then you'd start see some things.
There are a lot of problems, but no one would know because I refuse to complain. | |
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| Disabilities...(and the misconceptions)...what's yours?
Posted: 7/3/2007 8:48:47 AM |
I would not deny my hearing lost is a disability; the fact I need to depend on a device (and more important a battery ) to cope with life, it is a disability to me.
lovely isnt it to depend on such a little thing? lol
the biggest misconception people make is they think I can hear more or assume I sign
most do not know I am impaired, get annoyed when i dont respond and then become shocked when i explain why and even more so that I don't sign but they still forget and still annoyed
to me listening with a hearing loss is like a puzzle... with missing pieces
we must figure out what those pieces are to see (hear) the whole puzzle
do you know how freakin' talented we have to be to do that?
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| Disabilities...(and the misconceptions)...what's yours?
Posted: 7/30/2007 6:46:57 PM | what a heartfelt, honest response... one to which I can relate... really!! Now... all you forum followers... what would you do if a fellow POF'er bashed your disability on line...and cruely put you down for it outright??? Some insight, please? It just happened to me (again!) and I think it's just WRONG  | |
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| Disabilities...(and the misconceptions)...what's yours?
Posted: 7/31/2007 8:37:25 AM | live2ride
stuff like this makes me smirk with a devilish grin
this to me is a golden opportunity to bring out my sassy side and come up with something witty to stump the person down to an itty bitty size... but thats just me
sometimes we just have to wipe things slide off our shoulders like a pesky bug and carry on with life full knowing that we are better than that because we would never treat others that way
i once heard that to treat others with kindness leaves a lasting impression then anger and also puts you in a better place at the same time
best of luck | |
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| Disabilities...(and the misconceptions)...what's yours?
Posted: 7/31/2007 8:44:34 PM | This is something I do not tell a lot of people for a lot of reasons mostly because it takes to long to explain and then no one ever thinks anything is "really" wrong with me.
FIBROMYALGIA
Widespread pain. Fibromyalgia is characterized by pain in specific areas of your body when pressure is applied, including the back of your head, upper back and neck, upper chest, elbows, hips and knees. The pain generally persists for months at a time and is often accompanied by stiffness.
Fatigue and sleep disturbances. People with fibromyalgia often wake up tired and unrefreshed even though they seem to get plenty of sleep. Some studies suggest that this sleep problem is the result of a sleep disorder called alpha wave interrupted sleep pattern, a condition in which deep sleep is frequently interrupted by bursts of brain activity similar to wakefulness. So people with fibromyalgia miss the deep restorative stage of sleep. Nighttime muscle spasms in your legs and restless legs syndrome also may be associated with fibromyalgia.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating associated with IBS are common in people with fibromyalgia.
Headaches and facial pain. Many people who have fibromyalgia also have headaches and facial pain that may be related to tenderness or stiffness in their neck and shoulders. Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction, which affects the jaw joints and surrounding muscles, also is common in people with fibromyalgia.
Heightened sensitivity. It's common for people with fibromyalgia to report being sensitive to odors, noises, bright lights and touch.
Other common signs and symptoms include:
Depression
Numbness or tingling sensations in the hands and feet (paresthesia)
Difficulty concentrating
Mood changes
Chest pain
Dry eyes, skin and mouth
Painful menstrual periods
Dizziness
Anxiety
I have every one of those symptoms except depression and anxiety.
It's not fun but I keep on with my life, if someone wants to bash me or act like im "defective" because of this so be it. The people who are important in my life wont do that to me and thats all that matters! | |
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| Disabilities...(and the misconceptions)...what's yours?
Posted: 7/31/2007 9:54:02 PM | Ok, I'm in the music trade. I make musical instruments. But I don't play them. Why?
because I have a strange form of "dyslexia" which causes my left hand to respond slightly faster than my right hand. I notice this mostly when I type fast, My letters get mxied up in roder.
In typing a letter you can use the backspace key to correct errors. You can't do that in live music.
I love music and I wish I could paly well but I can't. A lot of people don't understand that. :-((( I get so many disappointed looks from people.
Very few musicians can make the instruments they play however and nobody seems to notice that flaw. | |
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tehlsw
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Joined: 7/28/2007
Msg: 86 | |
| Disabilities...(and the misconceptions)...what's yours?
Posted: 7/31/2007 9:59:40 PM | My aunt has fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. I've seen the kind of pain she's had to go through (years at a time of nonstop symptoms) and it definitely isn't a fun thing to live with.
My dad has had hydrocephalus since childhood, which either masked itself as meningitis and/or mastoiditis, or was caused by it. The doctors really don't know the cause of his, since he's believed to be one of a kind in terms of those with the disease. He only had a shunt implanted two years ago, since he was being treated for everything from RSD (reflex sympathetic dystrophy) to multiple sclerosis before that, as hydrocephalus in an adult that hasn't already been diagnosed is rare, to say the least. When they finally found what it was, his doctor walked into the room, looked at the CT scan, then at him, then back at the scan, and asked why he wasn't dead yet.
As for me, I don't really think of them as disabilities, just the hand you were dealt...if the dealer was stacking the deck against you. Depression runs through our family, which led to alcoholism with my grandfather, and saw my great-grandfather end up in an asylum before the days when it was recognized as what it is, so it's only natural that I got a bit of it. It was a lot worse when I was younger (manic-depression, anxiety, etcetera--the whole nine yards), and I made some really stupid decisions because of it, but I figured I either had to learn to deal with it or end up killing myself, so I chose the former. I still have off-days (who doesn't?), but I've gained a lot of self-control and an incredible amount of patience and tolerance because of it. It'd probably take more for someone to make me upset or angry than it would most 'normal' people, so I guess I should be thankful for that.
Beyond that, I've got a screwed up knee that I sometimes have to wear a brace on, but it could be worse. I usually only feel it in the winter, or when I've been doing a lot of legwork. It's not really a disability, per se, but it can be fairly painful if it's acting up and I want or have to do something physically strenuous. | |
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| Disabilities...(and the misconceptions)...what's yours?
Posted: 8/1/2007 3:08:01 PM | I wear an orthotic device - foot brace - because I have foot drop brought on by the damage caused by a blood clot in my right leg. I don't really consider it a disability as it doesn't prevent me from functioning in my day to day life. Other than the fact that I can't run or dance (fast), I am really not held back by the brace.
I am thankful for the way things turned out when I think of what would have happened if the clot had moved up into my chest rather than into my leg. I am still here and am still very much involved in living the life I was given.
My father had a favourite saying that still drives me today, "Do the best with what you are given, and NEVER give up." | |
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| Disabilities...(and the misconceptions)...what's yours?
Posted: 8/1/2007 10:07:49 PM | Ha ha, have to make a correction on my statement:
My right ear has 100% hearing lost, and my right ear with hearing aid, I can only hear 40% of what normally should.
I mean my right ear is completely deaf, and my left ear with hearing aid and a battery, I can hear about 40% of what a person normally would hear.
Well, once again, I am not unhappy about this at all. Today I was on the City Train and there were announcement after announcement of an interruption of the railway - as usual I couldn't even make out a word of it; all I heard was Charlie Brown's teacher talking in the air. It didn't bother me for what if I don't understand English? Even with a perfect hearing I still won't be able to understand a word, right? So instead I had fun watching the people around me, the Train stayed still for almost half hour, and boy people were impatient and frustrated!
what would you do if a fellow POF'er bashed your disability on line...and cruely put you down for it outright??? Some insight, please? It just happened to me (again!) and I think it's just WRONG
he he, just bear in mind this 3 things:
1) 50 to 70 years down the road, we will all end up equally as a pile of ash.
2) even with his healthiest body he could still be sick and suffer like any of us, in a hospital bed we are all one same human with no difference.
3) of course, at least for this mean time you are a happier person than he is, no need to get upset. | |
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| Disabilities...(and the misconceptions)...what's yours?
Posted: 8/2/2007 5:51:00 AM |
anemia, anger, depression... .....These are all handicaps, and not disabilities. Disabilities are usually brought on by impairments. Looks like I paid attention to today's lecture!
Understanding of a person's handicap is the first thing to acknowledge. Some of these handicap's can be quite difficult to understand, as it's hard to tell how a person really feels inside unless you get into their head. It's important to find out exactly how a person is feeling, and why they are feeling the way they do.
Physical impairments is probably easier to cope with than mental impairments, as they generally go hand in hand. A person can accept that they are limbless or whatever, that's generally not the problem, but how they 'feel' about being unable to do the normal things and care for themselves can push them into depression. They feel useless, angry, and most of all frustrated, and this is when they need someone who can relate to them.
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