Hi Mary,  I joined not so long ago myself.  I am visually impaired also and 
up to 2 years ago, used a guide dog.  I have left side hemiplegia with 
ataxic.

I loved to walk and thought nothing of walking a few miles a day.  But now 
find it takes alot of energy to walk.  Energy that I need to do other day to 
day things.  So, I am also looking at using a wheelchair.

I've decided that I need to do whatever it takes in not loosing ground in 
carrying out day to day tasks and if using a wheelchair is what it will take 
to reroute the energy needed for whatever needs to be done.  Then,  so be 
it.

Have you thought about seeing a neurologist?  He/she, may be able to help 
with some of the issues you are having.

Take care

Erin

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mary Powers" <[log in to unmask]>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.c-palsy
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, April 04, 2008 9:58 PM
Subject: Hello, I'm new here


> hello,
>
> I was subscribed a while back, a couple of years ago, and I decided to 
> rejoin.
>
> I was premature, 11 weeks early, and my dr. and I believe I have mild CP.? 
> hemiplegia.? on my right hand side.
>
> I have a couple of questions:
>
> - I used to have a very bad speech impairment.? called "aphasia."? can 
> anyone relate to this?? it affects BOTH thinking of words, and physically 
> speaking them.? I had a related difficulty called "apraxia."
>
> with therapy, that's gotten a lot better.
>
> it used to be, I could hear people perfectly well but hardly speak.? now, 
> after years of therapy, I can talk much better.? I'm in psychotherapy but 
> she modified it to be more like speech therapy.? I didn't want to do them 
> separately.
>
> - I find a LOT of people assume that b/c I can walk and type, I am OK, but 
> there are many things I can't do.? I've thought about crutches or a 
> wheelchair for quite some time now.? b/c my balance is really bad, and 
> walking is difficult.
>
> which brings me to the last question.
>
> I have strabismus.? and when I was young, I used to have visual 
> hallucinations.? but they were a weird kind.? Not like schizophrenia, but 
> rather, solid objects.
>
> for example, I would think there was an end table, and put down a glass of 
> juice, and the table would not be there.? the glass would fall.
>
> or
>
> I would think there was a chair and sit down and - there would be nothing 
> there.
>
> sometimes, though, I hallucinated blank space.? like, I would not see a 
> wall that was right in front of me.? so I'd walk right into it.? ouch :)
>
> my dr. believes
>
> I may have epilepsy that was not diagnosed.? b/c I do have a lot of 
> confusion and headaches and etc. - things that are typical of mild 
> seizures.? that can cause visual hallucinations.
>
> but also, there is a condition called Charles Bonnet syndrome where people 
> whose eyes have trouble, or they have damage to the brain, hallucinate 
> objects.? (instead of the typically religious hallucinations, or messages, 
> from something like schizophrenia).
>
> I am wondering
>
> I was tested for stereo vision as an adult and they said I don't have it.? 
> they said my brain processes visual information *separately* from each 
> eye.? that's unusual, they told me.? usually with strabismus that isn't 
> treated, the brain "turns off" input from one eye.
>
> when they tested me, they showed me four colors and I was wearing 3-D 
> masks.? I could see the colors blinking in and out as I moved my 
> eyes/head.? but never all four colors at once.
>
> those visual hallucinations I used to have, they were exactly like that.? 
> objects appeared and disappeared.? I am wondering if I had them b/c my 
> eyes were learning to work together.? also, I did have double vision at 
> times.
>
> thanks!
>
>
> I'm a librarian, on leave from work atm (it's been a crazy couple of years 
> and I need a break) - 39, married, 4 cats, no kids.
>
> take care,
>
> Mary Katherine
>
> ps - walking makes me dizzy.? I also have flat feet.? but then I get dizzy 
> a lot.? if anyone knows of an epilepsy specialist, or anything about CP 
> and epilepsy (do they ever go together for anyone except me?) - I'd 
> appreciate it.
>
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>
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>
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