A Smal Change

 When it was regarding this, I wanted to do a quick podcast and blog at the same time using Recording. So that I could actually be more productive and make sure that I have enough time for everything else throughout the day.

I wanted to talk about how things have really changed for me regarding things because life is a lot harder having any disability such as cerebral palsy which I have.

I also wanted to talk about how things have changed for me recently, as this is a general post for this week and I wanted to make sure that it was clear that I was talking about the changes for me. That's why it changes for me, at least. So I had started with Herbalife a while back. which is in Three Weeks With Herbalife. And I will be putting a stronger, more impactful post about that in the future.

Another one was to do with the way that exercises are to do with me as well. Which I've also mentioned. So my goodness. What a change, things have been. After a year of trying to get anxiety out of my situation and just living through a pandemic and a move, I felt better just living and trying to de-stress throughout that entire time. 

During that time I found that Fitbit was actually able to do exercises on top for disabled people now rather than just able people. So I have been doing a few of those exercises and made them my favourites on the app which you can get from Google Play and Apple iOS. 

And they will be put out on another exercise post that will connect to the original one that was done during the pandemic. Which is here exercise or no exercise. Here in the UK, we are coming out of the pandemic and back to almost normality.

Does cerebral palsy affect intelligence?

This is one of the most common questions I get

So what do I mean by that? 

Well, as mentioned before in this blog. In various posts such as life with mixed diplegic cerebral palsy What is the difference between us Learning who you are! Just to name a few. And quite honestly the answer in my opinion is no! 

My reasoning for this?

Just because someone has the condition does not mean they are going to be of low intelligence. A condition of  Cerebral palsy is a form of brain injury. Not a person's intelligence. 

What are the main functions of the cerebrum?

 

The largest part of the brain, the cerebrum initiates and coordinates movement and regulates temperature. Other areas of the cerebrum enable speech, judgement, thinking and reasoning, problem-solving, emotions and learning. Other functions are related to vision, hearing, touch and other senses.

Meaning that cognitive parts of the brain are affected by cerebral palsy but it doesn't mean that we are low intelligence because we have to think things in a different way.

Many of us are teachers, university staff and much more. If that was the case there wouldn’t be people who had the condition but were in these jobs.

There is this misconception that because we have a disability it means that we have low intelligence. And that is just not true!

That would be like gagging people of all types by what they can do, not how someone thinks.

To show another example of this would be professor Stephen Hawking. Who, although had Motor Neurone Disease (ALS) was able to teach and research at the prestigious University in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Until his death in 2018. His IQ was 160 which was the same as another theoretical physicist Albert Einstein. He is most famous for his theory of general relativity. 

So although Stephen Hawking was physically disabled by Motor Neurone Disease it did not take his ability to think away. This would mean that as the disease took hold then he would have been put in a care home never to be heard of in the first place.

Therefore cerebral palsy is a condition that affects the brain and the body physically. It does not mean we have low intelligence. 

Societies angle.

As far as I can see from a personal point of view it is the generations before who have thrust their opinions on all disabled, not just those of us who have cerebral palsy. But every type of disability.

What do I mean?

Right up to the 1980s here in the United Kingdom people who have any disability at any level were put into care homes. 

It was even evident during the 1990s when I was out with my now-husband we heard an old lady say that in her day people were put away.

We were put away for being different and deemed simple-minded just because our limbs were not able to be used the same way.

And unfortunately, the lingering thoughts of having disabled people put away is still being considered no matter how badly a person is physically affected. Because being disabled is not the norm. 

But what is the norm?

Being short-sighted, long-sighted having to wear glasses, wearing hearing aids because we’re hard of hearing. I Have asthma. These are the accepted norms for what I’ve seen people think but walking differently, speaking differently unless you are from a different area of the same country are classed not. 

There is also the problem of being of different races and religions that are still being argued about too. 

So my final thought on this is what is normal?

What are your thoughts on this?

I have used information from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

Wikipedia for Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein

Solutions for the seasons and their affects on a body with cerebral palsy

 Solutions.

Many of these Solutions will come across as common sense which they are however people who don't know how cerebral palsy affects people with it. people should take these into account. remember it is not just the brain damage that was caused at birth it is the secondary issues such as muscle tone and joint problems that occur later in life and when this starts to show it is best to address s two seasons correctly for that particular person it depends on how they are generally and what they are as part of the disability.

If in summer the person is unable to control their body and body temperature then the best way is to keep as cool as possible as this will help the person with their movement if they can if on the other hand, they become cold then it is best to keep them warm and it doesn't matter whether they are outside or in because if someone was to have the central heating on in their house in the summer and it was hot they're muscle tone would also be affected and too difficult to manoeuvre easily for day-to-day life. therefore windows should be open at times and that person dressed appropriately.

If the person can walk on their own with or without aids then it is best to consider what they are doing for that particular day because everything has to be taken into account for the amount of energy that is used by that person for that particular day making it harder for the next day or 2. The average person would just put on a coat or jacket etc for that particular day but a person with cerebral palsy has to account for everything that they are doing as well and where they are going and how they are walking or moving around.  if in a wheelchair or a mobility scooter then the person has to again-dress accordingly to what the weather is like as any other person would. but as I have just said in my previous paragraph the person or people who use aids such as a walker or walking stick have to take those into account for where and what they are doing on that particular day. 

Therefore just like anyone else a coat or jacket would be needed for 4ev re1 who is walking on their own or in a wheelchair/Motability scooter however additional needs would be required for a wheelchair such as a blanket or waterproof cover, for the person who is sat in the chair for long periods out and about, should a shower or freak weather happen. 

Also while at home the person should be doing simple exercises that they can do with the carer or on their own to keep that mobility at the level that they are at rather than deteriorate further than expected or wanted at a quicker pace. 

I have another post on that earlier in my blog And they can be found at Exercises or No Exercises

Summer and its Affects on the Body with CP

 it's summer

This is the third season when everyone one.is outside and it doesn't matter whether you have a disability or not but with this season comes the reversal of the situation for winter. because again muscle tone and joint pain can occur. With cerebral palsy, it doesn't matter because of the muscle tone being tight being because of it being too hot just as it would be if it was too cold as in winter. 

A good example of this was a British Paralympian who was in Rio and said that her body loves the heat for muscle tone as it made it easier to run etc however her skin and the rest of the body where cerebral palsy is not affected the body hated the heat because of the humidity.

Doing this group of posts I asked various members of a group who have cerebral palsy and different types such as spastic, ataxic and diplegic And it doesn't didn't matter what type of disability or cerebral palsy someone has where the weather will affect the body to some extent. 

In conclusion to this then it would make no difference whether the person went out if they were worse too hot or too cold because the disability would be affected in the same way however when the weather is ideal then is the optimal time to go out and do things.

Spring and its Affects on the Body with CP

So it's spring:

This is a season where things get a little bit easier. the weather has been getting slightly warmer each day. Maybe a few days where it has been more difficult to get out however because of the way things are with cerebral palsy this is also the time of freedom to start with. Here in the UK, we are just coming through the winter when we are stuck indoors. because of the way the weather has affected our bodies with cerebral palsy.

Warmer days

These are the days that are slightly better than the last few months because of the way cerebral palsy is affected and the pain and the looseness of muscles is beginning to happen again because of the warmth. making things happier for us as we can move freely. it doesn't mean that we have to stay indoors but we do if it is a colder and windy day because of the pain in our muscles and joints. 

Windy days

Again like Autumn and Winter, these windy days in spring make it harder for us to manoeuvre and whether we are using support or not does matter so is more suggestive today to stay in as it makes our joints more painful and muscles tighter making it harder to move.

 what you doing

Rainy days

Feed the days are difficult despite being warm we feel often that we can't go out because of the factor that the ground is slippery so decide not to it doesn't mean that we don't all the time but most of the time I'm if it is a stormy rainy day then we don't because of the muscle tone and joint pain.

Sunny days

These can be the best days as it cannot be too hot but yeah it's warm enough to keep our joints supple. These are the days when there when we grab opportunities with both hands because we can do the most.

Cold days

Similar to winter and autumn this is when the pain for joints and muscles are stiff making it harder for us to do what is required on a day-to-day basis. So we spend most of the time indoors doing things if we can.

Final ideas

This is when in fact things become freer. however, because we find it difficult to move around on bad days when it's cold or windy such as in winter or autumn or early spring it makes it more exciting for when summer comes.

Winter and its Affects on the Body With CP

 

Why winter?

Carrying on from my post about autumn and its effects on the body with cerebral palsy. This post is about winter and its effects on a body with cerebral palsy.

Warmish Days:

These would be classed as the best days to go out as people have the least amount of pain in their muscles and joints due to the challenges the condition gives.

Stormy Days:

These days are avoided. As much as possible because of the pain that happens because of the way the muscles and joints are affected. However, we have to carry on regardless and go out if possible. Again that depends on how the condition affects the body.

Rainy Days:

These are similar to stormy days but can walk. They can be just as tricky especially if using walking aids such as sticks or crutches as the ground becomes more slippery. Therefore even with aids, it is more difficult to walk if done.

Cold Days:

Pain wise these days are absolutely the worst in my view. As my knees are very worn out. And as I have mixed cerebral palsy everywhere. But in general, these are the ones that affect every person with the condition. I try not to go out on these days

Snowy Days:

These are days again when there is a lot of pain if we go out. Which is very unlikely as well as the cold the ground is unstable as it's slippery. Even if we were able to go out it would be difficult with whatever aid we used. The pain in our joints and muscles could be unbearable.

Thoughts:

So even if we do go out in autumn it depends if we need to go out for anything. But it doesn’t matter what type of cp we have the effects are the same to some degree or another.

Autumn and its Affects on the Body with CP

 What do I mean?

As with every type of cerebral palsy, there's so much to think about. There are 4 main types which I have mentioned in the following posts Life with Diplegic Mixed Cerebral Palsy Common Questions for me Challenges ahead Part 1and Challenges ahead Part 2. But it doesn’t matter what you want to be able to do it can also depend on how your body reacts to stimuli such as the weather. So that means the seasons affect the body daily as well as the season as a whole.

So what?

I am picking autumn because here in the northern hemisphere have just gone through autumn and currently going through winter before the next seasonal change with spring on the way. But not here yet.

  

Ok, what happens?

Each day can be different as the weather is. But there are generalisations and these are as follow because it also depends on how you slept the night before. again this depends on where you are living. Because if you are living in say sheltered accommodation where you cant regulate the temperature of the building let alone your own room.

Warm Days:

These days are my favourite ones as I can be almost free to be and do anything that my body actually can do. And it's just not my particular type of cerebral palsy that finds these are the best but again this depends on where you are living.

Wet Days:

These are the days that are in some respects the worst as it means that we can’t necessarily go out. If it's just a little bit of rain and we as a type of person can walk a little it depends on how wet the ground is as it is uneven and slippery because of the wetness already on the ground. Yet if it has been raining and you are in a wheelchair, self-propelled or motorised you are also dependent on how good your chair is. Because you have to judge what is an urgent event or not. As this can affect the wheelchair.

Windy Days:

These days are in some respects the worse because the wind will make you feel cold. As the wind can get everywhere around you even if you have a blanket over your knees. While you are in a wheelchair. If you can walk then it makes it harder to move as the buffering can cause you to fall. So a walking aid such as a walking frame can be a double-edged sword. I say that because it depends on the type of cerebral palsy you have. As well as how severe it is. Because the frame may make it harder for you to walk but again that depends on what type of walking aid you have. A walking stick may be helpful to a certain extent too yet that may not be as stable as a walking frame. However, this also depends on how you walk gait wise.

Cold Days:

These are also the worst types of days as well as windy days because of the way that the cold affects the muscles and joints on a day to day basis and it doesn't matter what type of cp you have.

The Seasons and How They Affect The Body With CP

 

What do I mean!

In the next series of posts, I am going to be going through the ways how the seasons affect the way cp affects the body on seasonal and weather types. This will include the way the affects the muscles and moods.

The following is brief outlines of each post. That will be up weekly.

Winter:

This is a particularly hard season, for many of us with cerebral palsy. As its weather and temperatures affect us quite severely. I will be discussing these in the next post. Which is out next week.

Spring:

This post is about the way this seasons weather and temperature affect us.

Summer:

Again this post is about how the season in all its types and how it affects the body when it has cerebral palsy.

Autumn:

This will be the final post about how the affects the body with cerebral palsy in the series although I have posted about the way ages affect the body with cerebral palsy. These areas follow:

• Challenges Ahead Part 1

• Challenges Ahead Part 2

And in this following series that starts with the following  about Depression and Cerebral Palsy

Final comments:

I hope you enjoy these posts.

Cp Depression and your 40s

You're in your 40s and cp are throwing spanners in the works:

Ok, so you notice things are getting harder and you are more and more frustrated. I get it. I’m going through this stage of life right now and get what you are going through. 

What happened for me to begin with

Life was pretty good to start with. The kids were off to school and I was in control of what was happening around me. Yet I could tell that things were going wrong within me. Not chemically but physically. It was the little things that I was losing control of, such as putting my shoes and socks on or crossing my legs at the knee.

Those Feelings kicked in again!

As I mentioned in previous posts such as The feelings of frustration, and despair because of the way things are with my body I felt that I was losing control of everything around me. This included the feeling of not being a good mum because of the inability of being able to do something that I perceive that the average mum can do. And some of the things that I couldn’t do. Sometimes it is frustrating that the children wouldn’t do the chores that I asked them to do. And they were chores I can’t do anymore. You may say what about asking your partner to help. Yes, I did and do but just sometimes it is the feeling of loss of independence. It can be the realisation that says in 10years time the brain damage that is consistent changes something else that you thought you wouldn’t necessarily lose but lose anyway.

What I did

I did what most mums would do which was to nag the kids to help but this didn’t work. Because as the kids got older they became more and more independent and didn’t want and still don’t as I write this. But I have to realise they are teens right now and don’t want to do anything that their parent wants them to do. And that is normal! 

How I counteract those feelings:

When I first noticed that things were going awry I said to my hubby I thought I needed to go back on medications and so I went back to my doctor and went back on medication. And I’m not sure if I will ever come off them as anything can trigger an episode. And when I have been off them by mistake I acted like a completely wild animal with my anger and frustration. My kids have politely asked me to never come off them.

I also got another case of counselling and in this round, I had CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). Which I do use almost daily. Because there are things that can trigger an event that causes that to arrive. But that is diminishing slowly.

Final words

So I have said what I used to help myself in my moods in this post and the posts before I mention the different types of ways of getting help for yourself as an adult and to aid children who have cerebral palsy to learn how to deal with their condition as they get older.

But it is up to you how you help yourself or the person you care for.

CP and depression in your 30s

So the 30s have hit and you’re feeling low again:

So looking at what you have and the thought of why you. And the feeling of being a burden is another problem because you are not able to do things that the people who you live with can. 

Remember that these are also issues that occurred when you were a child, teen and in your 20s 

Ok, the feeling is there again!

This is when you are going through another bout of depression because of the feelings. But you are not alone. There are lots of people who are in the same box.

What to do?

Ok so the feelings are there and you've been given all the cues to get the help in your 20s. Now is the time to use them again. 

If on the other hand, you're reading this post then it's ok. I've been through the same things and didn't know anything until I was in my 30s 

What I did!

It was at this age I finally started getting the help I needed.

I was diagnosed with clinical depression at this point. So I was put on medication. I also went through a course of counselling. For a long time, I managed to be content enough and came off the medication. 

When my family grew and my children were eventually off to school I noticed that my body has started to get a bit more worn. Slowly I also noticed that I was getting more and more tired. However, I ignored all the warning signs and carried on and let life take over.

In that sense, I should not have left myself got at this point but I did. For some of the stuff I was dealing with I got healing thanks to the counselling but there were things I was dealing with and didn’t know.

If you have those sorts of feelings realise that everyone has these and it doesn’t matter if you have a disability or not.

Last words

My thoughts are if you have not got the help you need then push for it but if you have it then use it. There are so many apps as well that can help you. But not everyone is the same so it is best to search on your phone and try as many as possible till you find the ones that work for you.