Deborah dear friend,

With 300 plus list members I can only imagine what a nightmare it would be if
everyone posted as much as I do.  Ye Gads!  Everyone's computer would blow up!

You are definitely in my heart, you don't have to be a CP adult.  I'm not
even a CP adult, unless you count Virtual CP (which I brazenly claim).  At
times I have felt a connection with the parents that I didn't initially
anticipate.  Although I am an adult with an acquired disability, and you are
a parent without a disability who had the lovely surprise of having
disability come into your life through your children, we seem to share the
experience of being thrown into a different culture, unique unto its own.

I tend to regard CP adults as my mentors at this point (in spite of my
"grandma status"), although I have a couple of mentors with other
disabilities.  I have such close ties on this list now though, that the CP
world feels closer to me than any other "sub group" of disabilities including
my own.

There are so few people in my situation who's peripheral neuropathy has
progressed as mine has, that our issues are very different.  I'm at flank
speed through the ocean of disability rights advocacy.

Sometimes I see posts from parents and read through without replying since I
don't have children myself.  I'm not always sure what to say and leave
replies to parents who know more about other parent's issues.  I am
definitely in the parent's corner, I'm just afraid of saying something
stupid.  I am reading though.

It seems as though there are two sub communities on this list: Those with CP
children, and adults with CP. Threads keep things organized and separated,
but we are certainly together in our goals and aspirations.

Betty
(I was supposed to have CP; I just got in the wrong line)




In a message dated 06/05/2000 9:08:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

>  I will try better, but for some reason I don't have
>  any comments on allot of the subjects, maybe because I am a mother with a
>  child who has CP, rather than having CP myself.  I will try harder to
>  understand how it feels maybe as my syndromes become full blown I will feel
>  different.  I appreciate the input from the group though, helps me to
>  understand the frustration, hope and success that my boys are feeling.
>  Thanks again to the group.
>  Deborah mom of 4