Becoming/being, disabled?

[Sylvia]

Pax, It is a process, and I'm glad you are making headway.

One of the things that concerns me when it comes to disabilities is there is a bit of a stigma that goes with it in our culture, much like there is with getting "old". And since the two often go hand-in-hand it makes it even harder. The husband of a good friend of mine was diagnosed with Parkinsons a few years ago. It runs in his family and he had seen his father go through it. His initial reaction after being diagnosed was maybe he should just kill himself now. And unfortunately, I've read about others who have felt this same way after suddenly finding themselves severely disabled. As someone who is disabled, it is almost shocking to me. So I have to wonder what can we do as a culture and as a society to make that transition easier.

[Crankin]

Frankly, I am pretty sure I would have that reaction, too. I don't want to be old and the thought of not being able to do what I do now is extremely disturbing to me. Since I am already old in years, this is a problem. I know it's not a positive attitude to have, but I know so many people who are 60-80 years old and still are running marathons and riding 5-10K miles a year, that I know what is possible. Some of these people have had their "things," with medical issues, but they all come back in one way or another. I suspect that if I became disabled in some way, I would try to find a way to do sports that my disability allowed. Until then, my goal is to keep doing what I do, maybe more slowly.

[rebeccaC]

One of the things that concerns me when it comes to disabilities is there is a bit of a stigma that goes with it in our culture, much like there is with getting "old"............. So I have to wonder what can we do as a culture and as a society to make that transition easier.

My wife is a strong supporter of disability rights...i I’ve seen some good work being done in the social support awareness and attitude areas (NDA etc.) that can help to give people in all age groups more positive feelings about their everyday life. We need much more of it but we have come a long way from the disempowering attitudes and stereotyping of the past. We also need more strong voices of inclusion in both public and private sectors and the promotion and support of that kind of leadership. I prefer to see solutions to all challenges in my life in a positive way. That just brings me more satisfaction. I also see the positive attitudes of others helping me more.

[Blueberry]

My wife...

Wait - I missed something! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!