yes, matt, the perception is there and it is our place to be sure that we
manage our treatment, not others. i have fired a few doctors that just
thought they knew better than i what was good for me. if they do not listen,
and talk and inclued me in deciding how i am treated, they are out.
  matt, i hope you take this in the sperit it is intened. please be careful.
as you get older the pain gets worse. what you are handleing with a few
beers now may require one more  beer next year, and the does more often. and
then more the next. please don't let it sneak up on you, okay?
  in the meantime everybody else, be aware that what is working for me right
now does not work for others and what works for others may not work for me
or you.

-----Original Message-----
From: Matt Conaway [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2001 4:43 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Drugs....


Certainly, alternative ways are not for everybody and sometimews it is
much too late for that stuff.  I'm well aware of that.  But, it does
appear that the medical profession tends to medicate us disabled folks to
keep us under control or to placate us. Yet, most of us allow it to happen.

I've been asked by total strangers in public if it was time to take my
medication.  It's as if just because I have CP and use a wheelchair that
makes me a drug user....It is all about stereotypes. Disabled people all
"need" meds and we are all computer programmers, etc.  Yeah, right!

Get the idea?


On Tue, 6 Nov 2001, Magenta Raine wrote:

> Matt, not everybody responds well to alternative ways. I tried delaying
meds
> by having chiropractic and Feldenkrais... Feldenkrais is quite expensive,
and
> with my increased spasticity and pain issues meds became my choice at age
43.
> I'm now 45, and tomorrow will be trying out a new healing energy session
to
> see if it will help me, if it does, I'm going to LA and get trained in it
> myself so I can work on myself, as well as others. I figure it's a good
> investment.
>
> mag
>