11 replies to this topic

[itsjustme]

Scribbler said that as he scrolled through the pages on "Let's see those faces" that he was amazed at the number of people who don't post anymore. I've wondered the same thing myself and then I became one of the lost.

Actually for me I was one of the lost. I had to find myself in this wheelchair. I had to find the life that I needed to be living instead of just sitting in this chair talking about it on the computer.

I am going on 5 years post paralyzation. I LOVE it that my best friend found Apparelyzed for me when she did. Even though I was blessed with a supportive loving family, I had no one to relate to and no one can really understand but those of us who live in a chair what it feels like to live in a chair.

I loved reading the posts of all the young people who do amazing things from their chairs. I could read the words of those who were just beginning to deal with this new way of life as well as the words of those of who had lots of advice for us through their experiences. It is a place to laugh and share stories, to sympathize and empathize, to celebrate birthdays and births of babies.

But, I had to get busy finding my life. I had to start living. I had to get off of the computer and see what all I could do. I started with a weight loss plan which many of you have followed me with on the Weight Loss forum. If I couldn't find anything to challenge me in the house then I got my little dog and went outside. I live in a medium size town and we'd just go all over the place. I've lived here all of my life and I see things from this chair that I never noticed from a car window. i see people and friends. I met an older neighborhood lady who lives alone and I kind of adopted her. I take her fresh veggies from our garden in the summer and warm banana bread in the fall. When she was sick I filled a basket with canned soups and crackers and fruit and left it for her. I can't get into her house to visit during the bad weather but it always makes her so happy when I leave a basket of goodies on her porch.

I take my reacher and a trash bag and go up and down the streets around our neighborhood and pick up trash. I have some very untidy neighbors so I've given up thinking that I can even set an example for them and I just clean up their messes sometimes. I've found reasons to do things. I clean up because it makes the block look much better. I take Miss Betty goodies because it's lets her know that someone cares. I share meals with a couple of our neighbors because we are blessed with enough to share. I do things because I can and that's what is important, that I can do it for someone else even though I am living in this chair now.

I have missed Apparelyzed. I feel like I've been away from home for a while. That's one of the best things about Apparelyzed. You can always come back home to some old friends and lots of new ones.

[Scribbler]

itsjustme, on Jan 16 2009, 05:39 PM, said:

Scribbler said that as he scrolled through the pages on "Let's see those faces" that he was amazed at the number of people who don't post anymore. I've wondered the same thing myself and then I became one of the lost.

Actually for me I was one of the lost. I had to find myself in this wheelchair. I had to find the life that I needed to be living instead of just sitting in this chair talking about it on the computer.

I am going on 5 years post paralyzation. I LOVE it that my best friend found Apparelyzed for me when she did. Even though I was blessed with a supportive loving family, I had no one to relate to and no one can really understand but those of us who live in a chair what it feels like to live in a chair.

I loved reading the posts of all the young people who do amazing things from their chairs. I could read the words of those who were just beginning to deal with this new way of life as well as the words of those of who had lots of advice for us through their experiences. It is a place to laugh and share stories, to sympathize and empathize, to celebrate birthdays and births of babies.

But, I had to get busy finding my life. I had to start living. I had to get off of the computer and see what all I could do. I started with a weight loss plan which many of you have followed me with on the Weight Loss forum. If I couldn't find anything to challenge me in the house then I got my little dog and went outside. I live in a medium size town and we'd just go all over the place. I've lived here all of my life and I see things from this chair that I never noticed from a car window. i see people and friends. I met an older neighborhood lady who lives alone and I kind of adopted her. I take her fresh veggies from our garden in the summer and warm banana bread in the fall. When she was sick I filled a basket with canned soups and crackers and fruit and left it for her. I can't get into her house to visit during the bad weather but it always makes her so happy when I leave a basket of goodies on her porch.

I take my reacher and a trash bag and go up and down the streets around our neighborhood and pick up trash. I have some very untidy neighbors so I've given up thinking that I can even set an example for them and I just clean up their messes sometimes. I've found reasons to do things. I clean up because it makes the block look much better. I take Miss Betty goodies because it's lets her know that someone cares. I share meals with a couple of our neighbors because we are blessed with enough to share. I do things because I can and that's what is important, that I can do it for someone else even though I am living in this chair now.

I have missed Apparelyzed. I feel like I've been away from home for a while. That's one of the best things about Apparelyzed. You can always come back home to some old friends and lots of new ones.

That's the best answer anyone could have given me; good for you, itsjustme....

[Meredith]

beautiful and inspiring...

Edited by Meredith, 16 January 2009 - 09:48 PM.

[dom]

yes i rarely post now some new members are a bit too 'wacky' for me and i don't enjoy the conversation,also there seems to be a bit of a clique going on here which is ok for the 'in' crowd but a bit boring for the rest of us,never mind i suppose it takes all sorts,
then as the poster said it does seem that once you get things of your chest you are ready to do new things and just pop in now and againn when you feel like it,some ppl never join these sorts of groups as they never had anything in common with us before so they don't feel they have joined some club and i fully understand that

[EileenM.]

i'm replying to justme i agree with what you wrote. i'm new to this website, and don't know my way around. do you have any advice for me. where do i go for directions on posting, profiling, etc.

im a c4-5-6 have been for almost nine years in april. i have four children, and i am married. june will be 25 years. when i got hurt our children were 5, 7, 9, 11. three boys and a girl. we all have been through a lot. what keeps me going is my faith in the Lord, and my family especially the kids.

i have had many surgeries because i sit too long without pressure relief. i had a flap done o my right ishium in february, and was bed-bound for 6 1/2 months. before that for two years i couldn't sit up very often because i had a sore. my two ishium bone have been shaved so i won't have any more problems. i have to remember to do my pressure relief, or the new skin will break down- duh.

i've gone to town on the cnty bus with my caregiver this past summer. we were going about twice a week until it gt 2 cold. i felt so free and independent. i'm even thinking about taking a fun class this summer

i used to be depressed alot but not so much now. need to go, but i'll be back. be happy

[qbounce]

dom, on Jan 16 2009, 03:34 PM, said:

yes i rarely post now some new members are a bit too 'wacky' for me and i don't enjoy the conversation,also there seems to be a bit of a clique going on here which is ok for the 'in' crowd but a bit boring for the rest of us,never mind i suppose it takes all sorts,
then as the poster said it does seem that once you get things of your chest you are ready to do new things and just pop in now and againn when you feel like it,some ppl never join these sorts of groups as they never had anything in common with us before so they don't feel they have joined some club and i fully understand that

I think for a lot of us, just getting our feelings out there is a form of getting through the day. Even a way to start/ end the day. As far as cliques go, yah, either you join and meet new friends, or you don't . . . no ones pulling your arm either way. It's really what you make it in here, and what you get from it. Empathy, friendships, information, whatever.

Hopefully you've found more than just wacky sorts in here. Humor, also helps.

[itsjustme]

You know, the commonality of the circumstances that bring us together on this forum is what makes us a family, and just as with any family we have our characters, our eccentrics, our optimists, our pessimists, our mature members, our young members, our young at heart members, our kids, our babies (How is that little one doing Lucydog? Close to 2 years old? Time flies.) and our friends of the family.

When you are gathered at a family get together don't you laugh at some, laugh with some, scoff at some, roll you eyes at some, disagree with some, agree with others, find joy in the love and comradery of family and friends, or is your opinion that if it isn't your way then it's the highway.

If you are a bitter, stubborn, unmoveable personality then you are missing out on so much of what life has to offer. How boring if someone didn't stir things up once in a while. And isn't it funny that even though most of us have never met we can get such a sense of who someone is and would be like to talk to through our written words.

I'm 58 years old and I can talk fashion and makeup with the girls. I can talk world view being in America being a part of one of the most amazing hopeful times in our country's history. I'm far enough into my paralyzation that I can offer some good advice sometimes and still learn from others. I contribute and hang back when I have nothing to contribute but I consider Apparelyzed my extended family and my viewpoint is just one of many.

Diversity is a spice which enrichens our lives.

Edited by itsjustme, 17 January 2009 - 04:29 PM.

[evilmac64]

Amen

[dom]

itsjustme, on Jan 17 2009, 04:26 PM, said:

You know, the commonality of the circumstances that bring us together on this forum is what makes us a family, and just as with any family we have our characters, our eccentrics, our optimists, our pessimists, our mature members, our young members, our young at heart members, our kids, our babies (How is that little one doing Lucydog? Close to 2 years old? Time flies.) and our friends of the family.

When you are gathered at a family get together don't you laugh at some, laugh with some, scoff at some, roll you eyes at some, disagree with some, agree with others, find joy in the love and comradery of family and friends, or is your opinion that if it isn't your way then it's the highway.

If you are a bitter, stubborn, unmoveable personality then you are missing out on so much of what life has to offer. How boring if someone didn't stir things up once in a while. And isn't it funny that even though most of us have never met we can get such a sense of who someone is and would be like to talk to through our written words.

I'm 58 years old and I can talk fashion and makeup with the girls. I can talk world view being in America being a part of one of the most amazing hopeful times in our country's history. I'm far enough into my paralyzation that I can offer some good advice sometimes and still learn from others. I contribute and hang back when I have nothing to contribute but I consider Apparelyzed my extended family and my viewpoint is just one of many.

Diversity is a spice which enrichens our lives.

I'm far from bitter or stubborn i have met a lot of good ppl on here and i can talk world view being in the UK
it's just as the first poster said spending too much time in front of the pc and not living life is not for me either

[eleanorigby]

It's been quite a while since I've been on (a couple of months actually). Honestly, I just got busy. With work, school and my friends and family, I just got very distracted and wasn't spending much time on the computer. It was just sort of a coincidence I got on here today. I love this site and the people (at least the people that were on the last time I was here, lol) are amazing. But if I have to choose between going out with my friends or studying and apparelyzed, I choose real life (although sometimes when I'm studying I'm tempted to choose apparelyzed. deffo need to some hang out some more again though because the info I got here and the people are met are priceless.

[Nickleblue]

Great posts - Great advice - one of the reasons i keep coming back again and again.
Thanks for your post - magic,
take care
Nickle.

[LuckyinKentucky]

I'll get busy with things and not log on for long stretches, but when active I drop in at least weekly. As time passes by and i see new faces come.. and often go. I become less concerned about all the issues and ups and downs that come to so many in our shoes.. probably my having gone through it makes easy for me to spot and my trying to be through with it me more apt to be silent.

Still though I'm all about sharing helpful tips, seeing others ways of doing things, and commenting on things that I've gleaned a little knowledge of.