18
January

I AM PWD & a fun run!

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Hi Guys!

Believe it or not, I’ve been writing a ton! I am taking a poetry workshop class and being exposed to some very interesting topics and poets (to say the least) Its an awesome class, and I am learning so much about my own writing and how to read poetry.

It doesnt feel like it, but it has already been a whole week since the I AM PWD  campaign (see resources). I have been meaning to get on here, but I guess its better late than never! It was a great event though, I was glad to be a part of the action and see what they are all about. It was really cool to hear what everyone had to say and really see how passionate the speakers and supporters of the campaign are about integrating people with disabilities into the entertainment world. Although I could never really see myself as an actress or anything, it was still awesome to see how people like RJ Mitte (Breaking Bad) feel confident and proud to represent people with disabilities who aspire to break the norm and act/sing ect…What I took away from the whole experience is that disability truly is diversity! It is the hope of everyone at I AM PWD that this message will become louder and clearer as time progresses. Awesome!

I went for a nice jog today, it was such a beautiful morning at the beach, I felt so alive! This is a pic I took up above this post. It was one of those mornings where you just feel like you could run a marathon…runners high, perhaps? :p I haven’t been doing a ton of cardio lately but I felt great today…and that was empowering in itself! If you don’t normally see yourself going for walks or jogs, or even just get outside much take a moment for yourself. I think you may be pleasantly surprised. :)

Off to write some more…good thing I like to write haha

Take care.

-Katy

Me (Katy) with RJ Mitte, a CP star!

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9
January

Catching up… Disability is Diversity

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Hi Everybody!

I’m off to a weird start this week it feels, getting back into the swing of things at school again. I guess why they call those things “breaks” since they can’t always last forever. :p Kind of a mix of emotions right now…glad to have a routine back, but I also like my lazy days at the beach–in January! and time spent at home. (who doesn’t? Haha) Not too sure how to feel about this class I am taking during our 3 week long winter block (since the semester doesn’t start until Feb 6th). It is what my professor calls it, “an intensive poetry workshop.”  I am looking forward to writing some new things and exposing myself to new material and styles, although I am sure it will be outside my comfort zone at times. But that is what learning is all about, after all right? Are you all back in school too? I hope your week is off to a nice start, my friends!

I had a pretty great last couple days of my break…I met two mothers of young women with CP at my work and was so moved by each conversation.  Just talking to them made me smile so much. I love that people can be so moved by what I write on here sometimes. Not only that, just hearing that I make some sort of impact on another’s life makes me feel just SO good inside. You never really know who you will meet each day when you wake up, and I love that! It still amazes me that CP is really all around us in someway. Whether it be a daughter, a sister, a cousin, or just an acquaintence…so many people in some way, are touched by CP and I think that is great! There is still so much to be done about spreading awareness and educating those who just simply don’t understand CP. A few of us TeenCPers were actually talking about this “lack of awareness” on the TeenCP facebook page… we discussed why things are the way they are when it comes to having a disability and everything…and I think it is really because people just don’t know! They don’t know how to approach someone about their CP, or how to treat them, include them in social situations, or even how to gage their physical limitations. It’s very interesting to think about. Thoughts anyone? Feel free to start a discussion on here or on the TeenCP Facebook page!

Last thing–I am adding one more link to the Resources section…” I AM PWD”…it is in support of peoples with disabilities in the arts and media…they are hosting a bi-coastal LA/NY event on Wed. called ”Disability is Diveristy” and I am going to check this out! I am sure it will be great to see what they are all about–what an empowering title!

Anyway–gotta run, I have food to eat and poetry to read…yum!

Take care, Katy

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2
January

TeenCP New Years Weekend Update!

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Hi Guys,

So glad that I have the time to get back on here and talk about my latest news to you all. But first, I want to wish you all a happy happy new year! I hope you all were able to celebrate with your family and friends and started your new year off right. Do you have any 2012 Resolutions you’d like to share with us? I plan to write mine down (so they seem a little more permanent, ha!) The weather here has been absolutely amazing here! It’s like a little teaser of summer again– Yesterday, I went to the beach with some friends and ate a delicious local burger joint right on PCH–YUM! Did any of you do anything exciting this past weekend? We never do anything too big out here…just spending time with my family and friends is enough for me. :)

Well anyway, for those of you who don’t know already, I was lucky enough to be interviewed about TeenCP by a great group of people this past Friday. It is for this show called Live Life and Win that airs on channel 11 on Saturday mornings, pretty cool huh? They feature cool teens who are doing something amazing and inspiring, and they asked to have me on the show! It airs in a few months, but I was so flattered to be asked. For me TeenCP has become such a normal part of my life, that I find it funny sometimes that it has become newsworthy. This was my first experience with being formally interviewed about TeenCP and my life by a team of cameras…it was so funny (I don’t know if that is the right word–”awkward” maybe) to me to have two cameras follow me around for a couple of hours asking me about Cerebral Palsy and all that fun stuff. They did a bunch of close ups, and filmed me walking and showing them how my body is affected my CP… I think I did a good job for my first time, although it was a bit nervewracking for me to be asked some questions right on the spot and really put into words how I feel about CP and having created TeenCP. I’m glad I did it though because as I was asked some questions about what inspires me and why I continue to blog, it forced me to reflect and I realized even more how really thankful to have started TeenCP. It is because of you guys that I continue it and I just want you to know how much talking to you all out there really means to me. This has become such an important part of my life and I hope to continue to have the opportunity to share all of this with you, my friends! So a big thanks to Bonner Paddock, Jeff Dolen, and those who are with the Live Life and Win program for wanting to share my story with the nation!

I have added a few new links to my “Resources” section in the past few days, go ahead and scroll over them if you haven’t in awhile! I also wrote a guest blog on a great social networking site called dimmi, that features everything from disabilities to health and wellness and other obstacles that everyday people like us face at some point in our lives.  The link to that will be posted to my “Blogroll” section to the right as well. With the resources section, I just have that there to post not only helpful info for therapies and CP research groups, but also about other people with CP who do incredible and inspiring things! If you have some cool news or CP stars you’d like to feature, go ahead and share with me and I’ll add them to my resources section! I am a true believer in being a team player in the disability community and everyday I am still connecting with some talented and motivational people! So feel free to check out the resources and explore what is really out there. :)

I think that’s all for now–have a fantastic week! P.S. Cool featured photo huh? I took that last night when the fog rolled in downtown by the HB pier :)

-Katy

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29
December

I wish…

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Sometimes we need things, sometimes we want things, and sometimes we wish for these wants…. we wish for the moment when a dream becomes reality…but we know that this dream is only a dream, and it is in that moment that reality is as real as ever.

Sometimes, I wish for things too…

I wish for nice legs

I wish for pretty toes and feet

I wish for even hips and a straight spine

I wish for the grace of a ballerina

I wish to wear high heels like all of the other fashionistas

I wish to strut a catwalk with an impeccable stride

I wish to sprint, to run faster than a rush of adrenaline

I wish to play soccer, to really play soccer

These wishes are mine, I have longed for these to be true for me quite often…but I am writing this tonight because I also want you to know that these wishes are simply my fantasies. Something to smile about. Would like be better if my dreams were my reality? Maybe. But that is why they are defined as fantasies…they are meant to be better, to be unrealistic, and a little bit irrational. So when I do long for these things to be true, I think to myself, “would I even be the same person if I was a dancer, fashionista, or even if I was a runway model, or a runner, or an athelete?” Granted, my physical health would be more stable, and my future health– a bit more secure if I did not have to worry about my weak hips or my stiff knees and ankles…but this is me and I am proud of who I have become!

Well, I wrote this about two days ago when I was feeling a little yucky inside and had to let this sit with me because I don’t know how this will come across to some of you TeenCPers. I just know that I want to be real with everyone and show that I’m not always “happy go lucky” about my CP–I have my moments when I wish for things to be different, but all in all I know that CP has made me stronger because I have learned not to take the small things for granted. And I hope you can relate to that because that is what I really wish for.

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and spent some time with your family and friends. Let’s bring in the new year on a good note, TeenCP! Here we come 2012. :)

I don’t know much yet since it all happened so fast, but I am going to be interviewed tomorrow morning by a national television program about TeenCP and everything I do and have done to get to where I am…I am nervous, but what a great opportunity and solid way to finish the year! I hope this brings more awareness to all us teens out there dealing with disabilities…REPRESENT!

Talk soon…stay cool kids–

-Katy

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20
December

Lunch with some CP stars!

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Hi Guys!

What a great weekend we had here in Southern California. The weather was nice, the sun was out in December and I went to lunch down near San Diego with Bonner Paddock and John Quinn, two very inspiring people who have Cerebral Palsy. I feel lucky to know them! For those of you who are unfamiliar with Bonner, he climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise money for kids with disabilities and is now on track to be the first person with CP to do an Iron Man! John wrote a book about his struggle to keep his CP a secret in the Navy, and has ran several marathons as well! To find out more about their stories, see my Resources to the right of this post and you can buy John’s book and donate to Bonners cause. :)   Both Bonner and John are great examples of living life without limits. It makes me want to get out there and challenge myself physically…. maybe I’ll come up with somethin one of these days :p I had a very nice time talking with John about how he has dealt with CP and his world travels from his time in the Navy. It was great to get a chance to catch up with Bonner on his Iron Man training too! I think it’s awesome we all can relate to each other with our CP and really support one another in the present, and in our future adventures and causes. Thanks to John and Bonner for a fun afternoon, I look forward to next time!

As for tomorrow, if all goes as planned I’m going to stop by UCP-OC in the morning to talk about the Friday Night Club for teens and catch up with Elizabeth the Marketing Director at the center! I think it will be a great opportunity to get the word out to local teens who have a disability and would be interested in joining the fun. The night that I went to was a great experience for me because I still havent met that many teens with CP, so I look forward to more of these nights where I get to connect with others like me. It will also be a great way to spread awareness to the community and show that disabled teens like to have fun and socialize just like everyone else!I feel like that fact sometimes gets lost at first glance with some disabled teens, because maybe we don’t move or speak the same way a normal teen does or but that’s why awareness is so important and the Friday Night Club at the center is a great example of that.

Well that’s all for now, I’m off to wrap some Christmas gifts…so fun! I hope you all had a great weekend and get to relax a little over the holidays. Happy Holidays!

Stay cool TeenCPers–Katy

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14
December

SUA at UCP and more :)

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Hi Guys!

Okay, okay, so all tech problems aside I am just happy to write to you all. I’m successfully surving my first college finals week and am looking forward to a nice break to enjoy the holidays with my friends and family!

I want to talk about the Friday Night Club event at the UCP-OC Life Without Limits Center  that I went to last week! I brought a few people from Soka with me and we had so much fun! I was surprised by how many people were there–about 30 or so I’d say and most of them were really cool teens with CP and also what seemed like other disabilities. We played bingo, jenga and cards and enjoyed some yummy snacks. Later, we watched Elf to get into the Christmas spirit (that just happens to be one of my all time favorite movies!) So yeah, I’m so glad we were able to go and hang out and meet some cool people. It was a great experience and I am happy that a lot of the other students from Soka aleady asked me when we can go back. It is nice to know that I was able to share some knowledge about disabilities and what it is like for myself and some other teens and what the center does for kids and teens.

Other than that, I’ve just been finishing research papers, taking exams, and doing some Christmas shopping! I’ve noticed that its been abnormally cold and rainy out these past couple of weeks for Southern California. (The featured photo was taken outside my dorm right after a storm!)  I’ve had to really make sure I stay warm and dry while exercising because my joints and muscles are extra tight in the cold! I have to be careful not to slip and fall on the campus stairs either! I dont know what would affect me worse–the embarrasment of falling, or the actual pain from falling, ha! I sometimes feel like an old grandma walking around after a work out because I’m a little slower and tighter than usual. I shouldn’t be complaining though, there is probably a ton of you who live back east and have to deal with snow and disturbingly low temps. :p How does the cold weather affect your CP–if at all? Any tips out there to stay warm and healthy from any teencp-cold-weather-experts? Haha…alright, well I am off to write a paper–my last one of the semester thankfully.

Take care everyone–can you believe December is half way over? Stay healthy during these chilly months, and enjoy your holidays.

-Katy

 

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23
November

SUA Movie Night, among other things :)

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Hello Everybody!

I can’t believe November has come and is already almost over! And Thanksgiving is tomorrow, wow! I don’t know about you all but I cannot wait for some of my mama’s yummy food! I hope you have all been doing good lately… sorry I have been so out of the loop as of late on here…. school has picked up a lot lately. I can’t believe I am already registered for spring semester and planning my concentration! I hosted a movie/fundraising night with a club at Soka and there was a pretty good turn out! About 35 students showed up and we raised nearly $100 (not bad for my first college event, eh? :p) Anyway, we watched Beyond Limits– Bonner Paddock’s film about climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise money to build centers for kids with disabilities. I was so happy to be able to talk a bit about CP and this great cause to my classmates… and while I am here I want to thank Bonner for coming to the showing and talking with everyone afterward about the climb and the OM Foundation, that was really great!

In December a few people from Soka and I are going to UCP-OC’s Friday NIght Club for teens with disabilities to hang and socialize. I am super excited about that! It’s nice that Soka is so cool to the Life Without Limits center, I am excited to show some people what they are really all about! I think it will be a great way to connect with others and who knows, maybe event meet some more teens with CP! :) More to come on that in a few weeks…

On a random note, we started the wheel in ceramics yesterday (that spinny thing that you can make pots and plates on) and I never realized how much work that is on your hands! Having CP on my left side, definitelt does not exclude my hand! Has anyone ever had any difficulty with ceramics or anything like that? I didn’t realize how easily it could fatigue my hand haha.

Well I am on the run once again– Off to Big Bear Mountain for a few days with my family, yay! I hope it snows… Take care everyone, happy holidays and for those of you traveling, please do so safely!

-Katy

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21
October

CP Coffee Talk!

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Hi all,

I am in much better spirits this week! Definitely happy it is the weekend, and happy that I am feeling, well–happier! I know this transition is going to be a continual thing for me, but it is nice to be staying busy and planning a movie night here at Soka for a great cause that helps bring attention to something that not only I am passionate about, but affects me on such a personal level. So far, the date is set now for Thursday November 10th at 8PM and I have the Humanism in Action club here on campus helping me promote this lil fundraiser! I think its great that we can enjoy a cool movie in our nice lecture hall while still supporting OMF in their efforts to build centers for children with disabilities. There is still much to be done to made this possible and successful, but it is nice that I will have the club to help me out now!

Because this is quite a personal thing, I am not going to bring forth any names here but I just want to share with you all, a conversation I am in the middle of with another teen with CP. I’ll call this a “CP coffee talk” because im sitting here drinking some coffee and it just sounds like it fits. I feel like many of you guys can or have been able to relate to this at some point in time. We talked a bit about how daunting it can be to realize that CP is something that will be with us for a lifetime. And yes, it is scary to think about sometimes… there are times when you just want to be free of any adversity and be able to relate equally with other teens, whether that be with sports, or dances, or dating… we all just have to approach these situations a little differently because of our CP. And I think that is okay. It teaches us invaluable information about ourselves that most people never get a chance to see in their entire lives.

I’m going to be real here and let you know that it has taken me years…(my whole life!) to see this a bit clearer. And I STILL feel lost and confused sometimes about my own CP and I do find difficulty in seeing the the positive in it some days. It is not easy…life is not easy. I dont like having Cerebral Palsy, to be blunt, I don’t really know anyone who tells me how great and fun it is having CP…. BUT I will tell you that I have found that Cerebral Palsy has made me such a stronger person, that I dont think I could be myself without CP. And that’s also something I’ve found in talking to others with CP. We all couldn’t imagine life without it. It’s a blessing and a curse, in short. I hope I am not making too many assertions here about what it is like, having CP because I do realize CP affects everyone very very differently. I am just here to express my thoughts as a teen with CP :)

I’m off to run some errands, have a GREAT weekend and I will keep you guys up to date about the movie night and all things important!

-Katy

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12
October

Soka Movie Night & Someone Like Me!

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Hello Hello,

Well Well Well, it is Wednesday night already! Every day is different for me as of late, but today was better. I took a much needed nap and felt a little more in the social mood :) I’m learning there really is no time limit to this whole transition thing, so I am just taking it day by day!

I am excited though, because tomorrow I am in the process of putting together a movie night in honor of the OM Foundation. I will show Bonner’s film, Beyond Limits on November 12th in Soka’s big lecture hall (if every thing goes as planned!) It will be open to the public, and donations are welcomed, appreciated, and all proceeds will be given to the OM Foundation to help build those centers for the little ones in need of therapy, support, and even some fun!! Can’t wait to get some flyers made and put up around campus, wish me luck! Any locals out there, I would love to have you join in on the fun and get involved! Any one out there who can help me make an impact and show everyone what this cause is all about, please come!!

On another note, (awhile ago) I finally read Someone Like Me: An Unlikely Story of Challenge and Triumph Over Cerebral Palsy by John Quinn! I have been wanting to tell you guys about it, because it was such an “eye-opener” for me. John’s experiences in the Navy with CP (he hid his disability the entire time!) were full of determination and  triumph and I am still so impressed with all that he went through. He just shows how capableone can truly be–CP or not. As I read, I felt enlightened as well because I was learning all the details about how CP affects someone else. Most of what I know about CP is purely off of my own experiences, so I was fascinated to read what he overcame, in the physical sense and how he deals with CP on a daily basis. Anyway, if you have not already picked up a copy, go for it! It was a great read and I highly reccommend it… I have a link to John’s website on my Resources Column to the right.

Have a great night guys! Gotta polish off my latest essay for writing… good thing I like to write, ha!

-Katy

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3
October

Some CP talk & “stuff”

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Hey Guys,

Well here we are in October! Can you believe it? Soon it will be Christmas time and we will be awaiting a new year! 

Well, I guess I will just get to the point here… I have been feeling very torn between my own thoughts lately. Self doubt, uneasiness in all this change… its a weird mix. I know it’s a not a direct result of my CP, but it’s always there with me and I feel like it just adds to my stress sometimes. I am learning to be patient with myself. I have to find that confidence I know I have in me… Any words of encouragement from any College CPers out there?

Yesterday, I went on a hike in a nearby canyon which felt pretty good… I am a bit out of shape and my legs were workin’ overtime, but it is always nice to get outside and talk and think and work out a bit. The photo I put at the top is one of the views at sunset. It is called “the top of the world” in Laguna Beach, where you can basically see all of Orange County and the ocean in a 360 degree turn.

Last week I was able to breifly talk about TeenCP to my class in a lecture style class, and that was really cool! I feel like a lot of people in my circle now have a better understanding of what CP is, and they saw that I am pretty open to talking about it now. Even though I was nervous to talk about my blog and CP, it was relieving to have everything be out in the open. I am sure some of you have come across this feeling, and if you haven’t really had the opportunity to speak openly about your CP, I encourage you to just go for it! I think you’ll find that many people will admire you for your courage and openness. Also, when I spoke about my blog I talked about doing a movie night at Soka for OMF (see blogroll or resources for link to Beyond Limits) and I think I could get a lot of people to get involved in this cause! More to come on that after Halloween probably… 

Alright, well I am beat from these Monday Blues…Off to a better day tomorrow!

Take care everyone, and try to stay healthy during this upcoming holiday season!

-Katy

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