Spina Bifida

Forum was looking a little empty, so I figured I'd fill in some space with another thread.

 When thinking about the reality of things, what do you folks think are some positive things [the Good] (because, in spite, etc.), negative things [the Bad], and things that you wake up to every day that find you wishing were quite different [the Uglay (don't want to get sued by Clint Eastwood :p )] of Spina Bifida?

My own:

Good: SWEET PARKING! Okay, well and meeting some great people that I would normally never meet (and being involved in great things I never would've probably done).

Bad: Paralysis (legs)

Uglay: Having attached to me a pre-determined social stigma, that I'm not as social (and with that 'other' pre-determined social 'assumptions' stemming from that) or 'competent' as non-disabled persons; as well as the condescending and needless pity others sometimes try to force upon me. 

 Hey Windrider this thread is a neat idea!

The good:

People seem more friendly
The Parking
Not having to feed parking meters
Not having to go into work every morning
This website
Making students haul Scuba Equipment

The Bad:

Taking Neurotin everyday
Legs going crazy at nite when I'm trying to sleep
Crutches that make noise when I walk

The Ugly

My ugly braces
Prognosis of my neuropathy
Possibility of major neck surgery
Becoming a high level Quad if I injure my neck in any way

Joe 

 

 

 

 

 

For me living with sb it would be

The good: Friends. Even though I don't have many friends, I have the most amazing best friend. She and her 2 year old daughter have been my world. We have had our problems, but we always end up finding each other. We just about do everything together and she is there when I need her. Everytime I see her and the little own I know that everything is ok. Another good thing is meeting awesome people that I wouldn't have met if I wasn't in a wheelchair. I have met some wonderful celebrities and just some wonderful people as well. Another thing is getting good seats at concerts! lol

The bad: Probably would be not being able to do the regular teenage stuff, like partying and sneeking off at night...lol. I joke that I now am thinking about this at 24. Also the boyfriend situation that I am now getting sorted out, because I have one! lol

The ugly: Would be the surgeries. Also the sometimes incompetent doctors. The idiots that look at you at concerts and then just stand in front of you. The idiots that watch me get out of the car and then give me looks. Also the idiots that have handicapped placards that don't need them and take up VAN spaces, which is why I don't drive. I can never find a parking spot and my mom ends up having to park in a regular spot and then has to back out a little to let the ramp down to let me in and out of the van.

I came up with 4 advantages of bein' around someone in a 'chair:

1. You get the best parking spaces.

2. You never have to walk anywhere cuz you can always catch a ride on their lap.

3. If you get mad at someone in a 'chair you can always chain them to the bumper of the nearest out of state truck.

4. Men in 'chairs don't leave the toilet seat up. 

The Good: Best Parking...Meeting new people. And having an open mind that most "normal" people do not have.

The bad.Painful leg spams every second. (before my last surgery.they are gone now.)..The way people act towards you.Either they avoid you..Or they are overly nice.

 

Ugly..Cathing..Too many surgeries.(12 so far). Not being able to enter certain stores or building that only have stairs. :(..It seems a lot harder for a guy in a chair to meet women.

 

LOL that was really funny. But being a girl myself I like being carried everywhere by good looking men. I think thats another advantage.  But on a serious note how bout getting to the front of the lines at parks sometimes.

Hi, I like this board. :) I don't think Clint Eastwood would mind.

Good:

I always have  a chair no matter where I go...The parking thing isn't so good for me because people in this area park in the Handicap spaces even when they aren't and the police don't do dittly about it.

Bad:

I find as I get older I ache more and it's harder for me to do the things I once loved, like horse-back riding.

Uglay:

All the scars I have on my body. On the one hand I can say, "Hey I survived this." On the other hand, I don't need an ugly reminder that I had to go through it in the first place.

I'm new to this site and I'd love to chat with anyone that would like to message me. I don't get online very often but I'll reply ASAP to any messages. TC

Good:

*  people tend to remember me (ok, so maybe that's not ALWAYS such a good thing, but usually)

* I think having a disability has increased my creativity, meaning that my entire life I have always had to look for different ways of accomplishing what I wanted to do.  I enjoy a new challenge & having to use my brain to figure out new ways of solving problems.  And I get a lot of satisfaction when I accomplish something that way.

Bad:

* being unable to get into places that are not wheelchair accessible (particularly bathrooms!)

* when I was growing up, I was never asked to do things like go on vacations with my friends, etc. While I did have good friends, I look back & wonder if maybe I missed out on being included in certain experiences because people either didn't think I cold do it or didn't want to put forth the effort.

Ugly:

* Pressure sores.  HATE THEM!!!  And I hate having to constantly monitor whether the activity I'm doing is going to cause one. 

* Stereotypes- some days I feel like no matter what I do to show them otherwise, many people are always going to assume I'm helpless, need pity, etc.