There's one great thing about internet clubs, the impression we make doesn't
depend on our physical appearance. After communicating with the members of
the TM Internet Club for several months, I know that many members have
physical problems that are all too apparent. But, we have come to know one
another on a much better level. The personalities and the hearts of the
people on the list shine through and warms us all. Isn't that the way we all
want to be known?
I'm always reminded that "Man looks on the outward part, but God looks at
the heart." That tells us where the value is.
Welcome to the list! Thanks in advance for all that you bring.
Don from Maryland
-----Original Message-----
From: Rizahdough(AT)aol.com <Rizahdough(AT)aol.com>
To: tmic-list(AT)eskimo.com <tmic-list(AT)eskimo.com>
Date: Wednesday, May 12, 1999 6:31 PM
Subject: [TMIC] A New Members Story
>Hello Everyone,
> I thought all of you would be interested in this story I received
>from Nancy. It is awe inspiring to think of all the odds this lady has
>endured and what she has accomplished despite them all. She is teaching
full
>time in middle school for special ed. kids., I think that is special enough
>in itself. In a previous e-mail from her, she admitted she was considering
>"unsubscribing" to the list, because she felt she wasn't accepted due to
her
>prior posts. Shame on us. I asked her to stick around for awhile longer
and
>give us another chance. I also asked her to share her story of TM with the
>list. Here it is:
>
>Thanks for the note of encouragement. You don't know how scared I was
about
>getting that flu shot last fall. You were wondering my history. Well,
here
>goes. In 1961, I was born with congenitally dislocated hips, feet bent
>backwards towards my shin, clubfeet, and a heart murmur. Well, Mom took me
>and loved me warts and all. As an infant I suffered seizures and
>encephalitis. When I was around 11 months old I received smallpox and flu
>shots within around 3 weeks apart. Next thing Mom knew I was paralyzed
from
>the chest down, grunting (not crying). I was dxed with Guilianne-Barre
>syndrome -- only to find out recently I was misdiagnosed and really had
Acute
>Transverse Myelitis. I was on digoxin for heart problems (racing heart)
and
>Trancopal for the spasticity. I regained manual dexterity and arm strength
>first. (Doctor is supposed to have laughed watching me pick up pennies
during
>one demonstration.) As a child I dragged myself around on my belly until
my
>toes were carpet burned and bloody. I was three before I walked at all.
My
>feelings have returned throughout the years, but spasticity has remained.
>Have gone from knee-braces to Canadian crutches to finally a wheelchair by
>age 15. I have a power wheelchair for work and outside the home,and my
>trusty teal-blue Ride-Lite 9000 for home use. The doctors were going to
>replace my hips at 18, but they didn't think I'd live till then. Am very
>overweight (over 300 lbs.), have help caring for me once I'm at home for
the
>evenings and manage to teach school full time (middle school special ed.).
>After all this, I thank God for his blessings and realize I'm in good shape
>for the shape I'm in (pear that it is ;-) ) There are people in a lot
worse
>shape, even within keystroke. I plan to learn to drive my new '98 Windstar
>IMS-converted Rampvan this summer. Yay!! Keep me in your prayers, Kris.
(I
>hope I didn't bore you too much with the details, but you wanted a
background
>story, and this is pretty much my story. If you think anyone's interested
>you can post this.)
>
>P.S. I recently asked for help/encouragement in my pursuit to shed this
>excess poundage on the list, but I think that post turned everybody off.
No
>replies, not a "you go girl!", or even a "shut up and go away". It's
awfully
>hard to exercise when the more you exercise the more your muscles spaz up,
>and I don't think I'm quite ready for the baclofen pump. I'll continue
mine
>orally for a while, thanks. :-)
>
>