Becoming/being, disabled?

[Pax]

Wynrider - can't imagine how hard it must be to be the one at home when your loved one is on the job. Kudos to you for sticking it out, almost every guy on my shift was divorced more than once.

My avatar is just a hand, but I like the idea of a hamsa much better!

[salsabike]

Pax, those pictures are fabulous.

[Catrin]

Pax - this pics are great and yes, you were a baby at the time A very strong baby, in body, mind, soul, and spirit. How could you not be? You were breaking your own glass walls and ceilings. That makes it even more difficult for you when faced with the consequences of your knee. You will persevere however, and find things that you enjoy as much as those activities that your body has a problem with now. That spirit that led you to succeed in firefighting will help you in this as well.

I find your story so inspiring - and your example has really helped me to set aside my own internal problem accepting my own partial impairment with my knee, and increasing foot problems while focusing on finding other things I can do.

[Crankin]

Wow, Pax, you look awesome! And I am pretty sure I didn't look that young at 23.
Again, finding alternatives is the key. During the year my autoimmune/Fibro stuff was bad, I really got into yoga and walking. When the cycling season started again, I did a lot of farm stand and errand rides, riding to my medical appts. As the summer went on, I added in more and more fitness rides, but I put no pressure on myself. The good thing is that attitude stuck with me. It kind of was the impetus to make sure I was not focused on cycling as my only sport.

[Pax]

salsabike - thanks!

Catrin - glad I could help a little. That is the thing I miss most about those days. When I stepped off the rescue or ladder truck, I knew I would be able to help. Stop the bleeding on a car accident victim while offering a little comfort, crawl into a building and search for someone left behind, or even just go to the local schools and show the kids the cool fire truck and watch the dawning on their faces as they realized "she's A GIRL" and then see the HUGE smiles on the faces of a few of the little girls. Absolutely best. job. ever.

Crankin, my mom always said I had the face of an angel... and that it was very misleading. LOL


We will be home to Illinois by the end of August, once we get settle I think I'm going to try yoga. There is an amazing studio nearby that offers classes for people with physical issues, so I think it might be a good place to start to see if I can get some of my flexability back.

[shootingstar]

Very cool, Pax. Actually one of my former jobs was librarian for a provincial govn't regulatory agency on fire code enforcement, fire protection engineering (a specialty engineering area) and firefighting. So our clients including govn't folks, engineering community and fire departments. From a distance I sort of know your world Pax and of course, a ton of info. on physical demands and risks. I also met women firefighters who were the rare ostriches in their large fire depts. 1 of them lauched formally a human rights legal case against a major fire dept..

I also met the rare....Asian-Cnaadian and black firefighters in Metro Toronto. It was so rare at that time... in mid 1980's.

Above has nothing to do with disability post-firefighting, just being part of a time when barriers were being broken down. Some of those barriers are still there.

I wrote this awhile ago and coincidentally I wrote it before I had my concussion: https://cyclewriteblog.wordpress.com...ions-for-life/

[Pax]

Nice blog post, SS.

On my shift there was one black guy, they didn't want him there either, so they paired us off for all drills and training. They thought it was hysterical when I had to carry his 6'4" 240lb carcass down a ladder, and they were stunned that I could do it... fellas never seem to understand leverage, they just thought I was freakishly strong.