Dear Kyle,
Thanks for your message. I don't recall having participated in the UVA
gait study, but so much has happened in our lives that I can't trust
myself at age 70 1/2 to recall all the activities in which we've
participated. Thanks for the web address. I'll have to visit it and let
you and everybody else on the listserve know.
Thanks again, for calling this to my attention.
Sincerely,
Bill Ach
On Tue, 9 Jul 2002 15:42:32 -0400 "Cleveland, Kyle E."
<[log in to unmask]> writes:
>Bill,
>
>You and Robin wouldn't happen to be the couple who participated in the
>UVA
>gait study, would you? If so, your picture is at
>http://www.viconstandard.org/archives/1997no2/gaitstudies/gaitstudiesarticle
>.htm
>
>I think Kat, myself and the rest of the group would be very interested
>in
>reading about your experiences as you aged. For example, have you
>always
>had the level of spasticity you are currently experiencing? Are you
>under
>the care of a physiatrist or the like? Do you experience chronic
>pain?
>
>I guess we'll wait for Bobby's survey....
>
>You and Robin both sound as if you will be wonderful resources! It's
>encouraging to note that you are so involved with a number of
>activities.
>You might provide a glimmer of hope for those of us who might not be
>aging
>so "gracefully".
>
>-Kyle Cleveland
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Bill K Ach [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>Sent: Tuesday, July 09, 2002 3:23 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: A new aging survey for the list
>
>
>Dear Bobby,
>
>I would respond. My wife Robin and I are cerebral palsied from birth.
> I
>classify Robin as hemiplegic, as her right side is affected. She is
>also
>spastic, her spastcity affecting her upper and lower digestive tracts,
>in
>that she has occasional difficulty in swallowing and has a tendency
>toward constipation, and is taking Lactulose and calcium magnesium
>multivitamins to correct her lower bowels. She displays very little
>ataxia or athetosis, but she has a seizure condition which she
>controls
>very well with Tegretol, and she is under close supervision of her
>primary care physician and a neurologist.
>
>I, on the other hand, have considerable ataxia and spasticity in my
>lower
>extremities and must use a sock aid and a dressing stick to pull on
>socks
>and trousers. Robin assists me with my left shoe, while I can pull on
>my
>right shoe, but I must pull my right leg over my left leg to draw the
>shoe on.
>
>We both have balance and coordination problems; mine are more severe
>than
>Robin's. Our speech is clear and we are able to communicate without
>minimal, if any, effort. We both volunteer 10 hours per week at the
>Wake
>Forest University Baptist Medical Center and Robin personally escorts
>visitors and their families to their doctors and clinics, as a lobby
>hostess for Information and Admissions and she literally walks all
>over
>the Medical Center. I am a volunteer librarian at a resource center
>for
>the Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine.
>
>In short, Robin is spastc and hemiplegic, while I am spastic and
>ataxic,
>and quadriplegic, as I have limited use of both hands. My CP is
>largely
>concentrated in my lower extremities.
>
>We regret we have been so dilatory in posting to the discussion group.
>We paint a lot, produced seven artworks within the last year, one of
>which was scanned into the document that contained my late
>father-in-law's autobiography and have entered three of those art
>works
>into a local juried show for artists with disabilities. We work in
>acrylics and produce landscapes and seascapes, sing in our church
>choir
>and participate in activities in our retirement home, singing with
>their
>vocal group among those activities.
>
>I will do a better job in future of responding to messages received by
>the group.
>Sincerely.
>Robin and Bill Ach
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