A personal look into Cerebral Palsy

Hi Everyone! For my next blog post I wanted to do a personal look into what it was like to be a teenager, young adult with Cerebral Palsy. So, a former student of one of my grade school teachers, Julianan, who Is a 17 year old high school senior with Spastic Cerebral Palsy like myself generously offered to be interviewed. The following is the interview we did together. Enjoy everyone! And please feel free to share this with family and friends! The More you know; the more you grow. -Jessica !. What type of C.P. (cerebral palsy) do you have? And how does it effect you overall in dally life? 2. Can you take us through what a typical day is like for you? 3. Did you ever see yourself as "different" from your peers? And when did you come to the realization, and acceptance of being "different"? 4. When you're having a hard day, or "C.P. moment" as I like to call them. What do you do to release the stress? 5. You're 17, a senior in high school now, do you have any advice for younger kids entering high school with a disability? Anything you wish someone told you when you were in their position? 6.. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? What are your hopes and dreams for your future? 7.What's the one thing you want everybody to "get" about having a physical disability? 8. When did you have that "light bulb moment"? Where it really hit you? Like "hey, you know what I have cp. I may need to do things a little differently then everyone else but that's okay." 9. What is the biggest lesson that C.P. has taught you? 10. Do you have a favorite quote or lyric that you consider to be your mantra during the difficult moments? If yes, would you mind sharing what it is, and why it means so much to you? 1. The type of CP i have is Spastic Disglashyia . it affects my dally life because depending on how the day goes, i sometimes get muscle spasms in my back and legs-they feel like charlie horses but feel 3x worse when you have CP - i also have a daily routine i'm in mostly during the school year (i'll talk about that later on) 2. Well a typical day fir me is- i get up around 6- i have an aide that comes in the morning to get me ready for school. I go to school from 7:30 to 2 in the afternoon. i have another aide that comes in just to hang out and give me a shower (it's how i get showers during the week) i eat, unwind and go to bed to do it all over again . i also wear braces on my legs but can't wear them 90 degree or above weather because my legs will swell up and bubble. my right leg is short by half an inch because it never finished growing. 3. Yes, i sometimes do feel different since i have to modify everything i do. i don't like to be separated from a class and i like to be included in everything. I accepted the fact of being different after i got educated about my disability back in March 2015 - i'm at peace with it as of that day. 4. When i have a "CP moment" I sometimes have to release the stress by letting some tears come out- i'm usually ok afterwards 5. Well, you know juts be yourself. you may depending on how big the school is, i know know because the aide i have been working with the past 4 years, we were both idiots walking around .They had to give us a map of the school my Freshman year. I just wish someone could have guided us so we wouldn't get lost on first day of my Freshmen year. 6. In 10 years i see myself as a motivational speaker . everyone that knows me says i have a gift for public speaking when they hear me do presentations = this is my hope and dream for the future. 7. One thing everyone should get about having a disability is if you see someone like this don't treat them differently, treat them the way others without a disability want to be treated 8. Well like i said earlier in question 3, when i got educated i learned it's ok to have to do things differently. I also have an awesome group of people in and outside of school that are willing to help me out with anything 9. The biggest lesson, well stay humble and have a good attitude because it will inspire and leave a mark on people down the road . 10. Well, i have a favorite song, Fight Song by Rachael Platten. It's not just for anyone that goes through cancer, and i have to say, it's been s long journey for me but i fought through it. It wasn't for the amazing support system i had in my first two years of school, in that time period was when all the tough times hit i would not be molded into the women i am today ........those 2 years gave me, "My start"