Hello.  I’ve been a member for several months but have never
introduced myself.  I’m
Charlotte Clark,  58.  I with mild to moderate CP which
effects my speech, gait and
coordination.  My husband of 35 years is hearing impaired
and designs roads.  We have 2
married sons and 2 adorable granddaughters.  I interests
include cooking, gardening,
reading, pen pals, and plastic canvas needlepoint.  I have
dabbled some with writing.

The doctor who delivered me (at home) was drunk and injured
the base of my head.
When I didn’t walk and talk on time, there was no question
as to why.  My parents were
advised to make me do things for myself.  They fought to
keep me in regular schools and
I felt pressured to make good grades and prove I could
handle the work.  I worked much
harder than my 5 younger, normal siblings.  After high
school I was sent by Vocational
Rehabilitation to business school where I excelled in
accounting.  Before ERA and ADA
it was perfectly legal to discriminate against women and the
handicapped.  After several
years of heartbreaking rejection, I ended up working for
Voc. Rehab. as a lowly account
clerk.  It did not begin to utilize my accountant training.

I quit work at Voc. Rehab. to become a full time housewife
and eventually a mother.
When our sons were in school, I became an active advocate
for the disabled serving on
boards and councils, attending conferences, etc.  I was over
committed, worn down and
burnt out. For a change of pace I began volunteering one day
a week with the Activities
of Daily Living teacher at a nearby school for the
severe/multiply disabled.  I was asked
to join the staff as a paraprofessional.  I worked there 16
years, first in ADL with students
ages 13-21 and then in music with students ages 4-21.  I
retired 2 years ago on disability.

Starting at age 4, I was given injections of an experimental
muscle relaxant.  When I was
6 my doctor was killed and no one else could continue the
treatments.  Other than some
speech therapy, I had no other treatments for CP until I was
past 50.  I was getting slower
and stiffer and turning my left foot more.  Being a
non-driver by choice, I walked over a
mile to work.  I found some arch supports that helped and
was given a muscle relaxant.
The first relaxant caused some nasty side effects.  I was
eventually put on a low dosage
of oral Baclofen.  I changed insurance and doctors.  I
changed the way I took Baclofen.
Eventually I decided it was time to give up the job I loved.

When I first began having problems I went searching for
information on adults with CP.
I found nothing.  When I changed doctors I tried again and
found very little.  When I
applied for disability none of my answers fit their
questions.  I went looking for better
answers.  I found very few answers but a lot more
questions.  It was so frustrating!!  With
my background I an knowledgeable about MS, MD, MR, autism,
etc., and many rare
conditions.  Give me half an hour and I can probably locate
a support group.  So why is
there so little for and/or about adults with CP?  I had a
lot of experience and knowledge
worth sharing but no way to share it.  I had lots of
questions but no one to ask.

I bought a new computer hoping to find other adults with
CP.  I’m fairly new to the
Internet and it still intimidates me.  About the time I
found this group, my life got very
hectic.  My husband had complications from a recent knee
replacement surgery.  He
needed almost round the clock TLC.  (He’s back to work now
and doing fine.)  At the
same time I became treasurer of our church.  It’s a much
bigger, more time consuming
commitment that I ever imagined when I naively said “yes”.
I had to learn two software
programs by using them - with other people’s real money no
less.  Between hubby and
the church books I was feeling rather stressed out and
overwhelmed.  As you all know, it
takes a while to bounce back.

Forgive me for running on.  I’ve been reading your posts for
several months and I feel
like I know some of you.  I’d like you to know something
about me before I start asking
you questions and/or putting in my 2 cents worth.

Here’s to new found friends.  May we learn a lot from one
another!

Charlotte