Tag: teen disability


Tomorrow is another day!

3
May

Hey Guys,

Wow, thank you all for your support. I’ve needed a lot of that lately, and really the only way I can express that to you all right now is through this video that my roommate and I filmed the other night. I haven’t had much time since having gone back to school, fully immersed in catch up work and finals prep, so I’ll just keep this brief.

Thank you, TeenCP for your comments, emails, messages ect. I have felt very moved by this whole experience, and truly couldn’t have “gotten through it” without TeenCP. The worst has come and gone, and I am getting my legs back, one day at a time, slowly and carefully. I won’t make a full recovery for three months, and while that was hard to hear, I am learning to be okay with that. I want to get better, not be worse off! I have learned what patience, tolerance, and appreciation truly means through this all…
Take a look :) I apologize in advance for the skipping, at least the audio is still intact!
TeenCP Update!

If you haven’t already, go ahead and “like” the TeenCP Facebook Page (the icon is at the top right of the homepage) I update on there more often, and have uploaded photos from my surgical “journey”

Anyway, please take care of yourself, I don’t want to hear about any more broken bones as is. :p

-Katy

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You can’t always expect the unexpected!

13
April

Hey Guys,

So I just wanted to update everyone on my results from the doctor…it turns out that it was worse than we all thought! I have to get a minor surgery on Monday to put screws in my bone so that it will heal properly. I guess that doing a cast would not be aggressive enough to treat this injury because I’ve been walking on it for awhile now without knowing it was broken.  I am pretty bummed with this news, but I am anxious to get better so it is what it is, right? I am really going to have to learn how to strength my left (CP) side now!! I am not very nervous for my surgery because I know I am in great hands. I went to a specialist near Soka, and it turns out this doctor was at the speaking event that I did for UCP-OC! Small world huh? That was a pretty cool connection to make. I haven’t gotten a procedure like this since I was 5, so if any of your surgery experts out there have some advice, I would immensly appreciate it! I really have no idea how my body will react to this. They said I should have a speedy recovery, so I am just staying positive. :)

In trying to make light of the situation, My roommate and I were just talking on the way back to our dorm from class, and we were saying how crazy my circumstances are. First of all, it is super wet and rainy outside today and I have to wear a big boot to stabilize my foot, so that’s fun to hobble around in and try not to fall :p and second, I cant go down stairs because my knee can’t bend to that’s been tricky to get around campus like this. And on top of that, I have one broken foot, and the other foot has CP! You can only imagine how tricky it is keeping my balance and getting around. It is a bit frustrating but funny at the same time cause I feel like such a goof, so I am trying to take it easy to keep myself out of harm. I feel so ridiculous walking around campus like this, but everyone here at Soka is super supportive and concerned, which makes me feel less ridiculous ha! I am lucky to be surrounded by such nice people! We are actually hosting an event here on campus this weekend called, Experience Soka for the new admitted students for the class of 2016, and my roomie and I get to meet our hostee this afternoon! I am super excited to show her around and try to persuade her to come here next year haha. Hopefully the weather will turn around a bit before we have our beach “bond”fire night! Anyway, I gotta run to get ready for this weekend, its a busy one now that I am having my surgery so soon!

Happy Friday TeenCP! I wish you happiness and health :)

-Katy

 

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CP Running Diaries…

11
April

Hello Hello!

Well I figure it’s about that time again…I have so much to say so I’ll try to be brief and not bore all of you guys on here haha. (That’s me up top if you are wondering…I’m posing in our family’s gym tee, super fun! :) )

I have been super busy with school these past few weeks! I cannot believe we are nearing the end of the semester, and the end of my freshman year of college! I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of a few great events and programs here at Soka recently. There was a night of “inspiration”–I guess you could say, that one of our seniors put on to raise money for her cause and she featured some students, and I was able to share some of my own story about starting TeenCP and all. I didn’t speak at the event, but there was a story board with “student spotlights” that was put up for all to see–very cool, I’ll try to get a pic up on the facebook page soon. :)

Other than that, I have been a little on the down side because I injured my right foot (non-CP side) and just found out that I fractured a bone in my foot from all the running I’ve been doing. I’m a little more than bummed right now, just because I have to go to the doctor today and get a soft cast or a walking boot put on for a good 6 weeks. I’ve been thinking that it was something that could heal with ice and aleve, but now I have to give in so I can heal properly. Which means I probably wont be doing any running anytime soon. I’m not worried about my half-marathon, because I have a lot of time to heal, I am just more sad because I feel so debilitated by this. :( All these stairs and hills on campus haven’t been helping much. I am so used to relying on my right side for balance and coordination–my right side keeps me walking!! Crazy to think I’ve been hobbling around for about 2 weeks now on a fractured foot. You can imagine how silly I look with CP on one side and an injury on the other….

But it is these kinds of things that I try not to look at as a “setback” because if all goes as planned and I get a walking boot, I can still get some cardio in on a bike or elliptical to keep myself in shape. I have never known what it is like to injure my right side;  it is a little discouraging, but it just makes me all the more determined to get better and keep myself healthy so I can continue what I started. This has made me also realize how little I really use my left side, so in a way this is good so I can learn to strength my CP side and practice my strength and coordination that I am lacking because of CP.

Well I have to get going to my doctor appointment, here’s hoping he will give me some “good” news so I can just wear a walking boot!

I apologize for my staggered involvement in TeenCP–I do always love to know what it going on with everyone so keep the “likes” and comments coming on the facebook page because I am on there just as much, and know that you can always comment on here or email me–even if I don’t get back to you right away, I do always read what you guys write or post! :)

Take care everyone–the weekend is half way here. :)

-Katy

PS– It is not too late to sign up for the OC Marathon for all you LOCALS out there! Check out the link up top–run with TEAM UCP-OC!

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UCP Benefit Night & More News :)

5
February

Hello All!

I hope the month of January has served you well! I’m glad to be starting a new month, a new week and a new semester! I’ve been a little under the weather and out of sorts the past week or two, but the semester is starting back up tomorrow and I feel ready to get back in the swing of things. I have been extra conscious of my health right now because I don’t want any stress to make my cold worse! That is why I have been putting in the extra minutes in the gym or on the beach path…I feel like both cardio and weight work outs for me, are such a reliever of stress, anxiety, or just anything in excess–that includes food, haha.

I’ve got a lot planned for this spring. This semester may just even go by faster than the last. I think it always happens that way when summer is around the corner…although the weather here has made it feel like summer. What a teaser! Next Saturday, I will be speaking at an event in support of raising money for therapy centers at UCP-OC! How awesome does that sound? I am going to post a flyer invite for any locals out there. Anyone who wants to dress up for a casino night of fun while supporting a great cause is welcome! Just take a peek below for more info, or visit www.ucp-oc.org to purchase tickets! I will say that I am a little nervous to get up there on stage to speak about myself and my CP and involvement in the disability community. It is a great honor but I feel so funny talking about myself for ten minutes! Thankfully, Bonner Paddock who is not only a good friend of mine, but an amazing speaker will be there as well to tell his story and that is a great comfort for me. It will be a great first experience; I just hope I can impress upon people how great this cause is, and inspire them to make a difference. :)

In other news, I plan to help put together a team with UCP to run a 5k in May. I think it will be a great way to raise some money, support a cause with some friends, and have fun at the same time! It’s my goal to get some people from Soka to run it with me, and whoever else feels motivated to. :) This run will be a great start to my training for the Surf City Half Marathon that I am going to do a year from today! Yep, that’s right, I’m going to run my first ever half marathon (13.1 miles)! Every year, about 20,000 people come to run along Pacific Coast Highway and I want to join in on the craze this time. I’ve put a lot of thought into it, and I am determined to turn myself into a runner this year. It will allow me to set a great goal for myself and I think it will be a great activity for me to focus on outside of school and everything else. I would not tell all of you guys if I wasn’t serious about it, so I hope to keep track of my training with everyone here on TeenCP. I hope that you will all support me in this, I don’t expect it to be easy and very much fun! I know I will have my days when I’ll complain and cut my legs off haha, but knowing I can be held accountable by having it in writing will be a great motivator for me. Last part of the annoucement, I will be running the half marathon in honor of UCP-OC, so any of you who would like to sponsor me or just donate to my cause I’d be most grateful to. Since this is just a quick first announcement, I hope to have more details to follow in the next couple of months since this is far off. I don’t have any amount in mind as far as how much I want to raise, but maybe with your help I can start to get a feel for just how much is possible! Have any of you out there done any event similar to this, or for a cause? Any advice or tips? I’d like to hear what you have to say! This also means I’d like to look for new running shoes, so any TeenCPers who know a good brand, go ahead and leave a comment. :)

Alright, well I feel like I am forgetting something, but also rambling at the same time.

More news to come on everything…this is just the beginning, here we go TeenCP!

Take care.

-Katy

 

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I AM PWD & a fun run!

18
January

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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Catching up… Disability is Diversity

9
January

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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TeenCP New Years Weekend Update!

2
January

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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I wish…

29
December

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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