My Time

Most people think that being disabled means I sit around, sleep and watch TV all day. They're confused about what I do. When I'm not scheduling, attending or following up on medical appointments and procedures (which really is a full time job in itself), here's where you'll find me. 

At my mom's pool. We work out together HARD three days a week for an hour. We swim and then have extensive routines that we do with our water weights. No way could I have done this last summer. It feels amazing to have so much energy to be able to push myself and build muscle strength in this way.

On days where I don't swim I try to walk as much as I can. I'm up to walking a quarter mile on my own with just my cane now. That's an enormous accomplishment and something I haven't been able to do since before I became ill.

When I'm not pushing myself to walk you'll see me out in my community in my wheelchair. I go to the Farmer's Market, alone to the store and for haircuts when I can, to museums, gardens and plays. My mother took this picture of me when we attended an outdoor play recently. We had a great time. 

I love to spend time in nature and take our dog out for "adventures." Here I am in my favorite oak grove with my favorite tree. The path is compact dirt, so my chair can maneuver quite well. We've been enjoying the weather before the super hot days come.

I also spend a lot of time and energy in my garden. We are currently growing tomatoes, peppers, basil and squash. However we also have trees, flowers and plants that need caring for. And don't forget the passion fruit vine! We were very excited about our first flower ever.

I have an incredibly full and satisfying life that has nothing to do with my disability. I feel very fortunate indeed to have so many outlets and such a big life.