A girl with CP learning to be stretched!

 

It has been almost 2 years since I started my weight loss journey and becoming a better me.  When I first saw Dr. Paulson and he told me that I needed to lose weight, it felt overwhelming.  But with his guidance and support of friends, I started to exercise.
I have been really enjoying it.  I found that if I have a goal, I am more prone to do it!  I have decided to walk another 5k in March.  I have going  to the Sport Center, (the gym at camp) and walking on the treadmill.  I bought an app on my iPod that helps me work my way up to my 5k.  I love it! 

"He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.  Even the youth will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.  But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength."  Isaiah 40:30-31



Me and Ward Kayaking!  Very fun and
a lot of work!  Good arm exercise! 

Last Wednesday I went to go see Dr. Paulson for a check up and some neck pain.  Every time I go in to see him, he asks me if I been stretching.  My answer is always no.  Just like exercising, stretching is very important for my body.   I don't know why I don't do it as often as I should, but it is something that as I get older I either need to do it, or I will loose it.
 So my goal this next year is to be better at stretching.  I found a couple great yoga dvds that are for people with disabilities.
I know for me that God is always stretching my faith, especially these last 8 years in Oregon.  I remember when I was accepted for the job in Oregon I was stretched in believing and trusting that this was where the Lord was leading me.  I never been to OR before and never lived this far away from my family.  But I wanted to be stretch in my faith, so I trusted the Lord, hopped on a plane, and started this great adventure.  As I look back I see how the Lord been with me the whole way.  Just like stretching my muscles, it has been uncomfortable at times.  I accepted a job that way very physically demanding.  This resulted in being exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally.  There were many days I though "What did I do?  I can't do this anymore?'  I have never been a quitter so I kept working.  I worked 40 hours/week for 5 years.  There came a point were my body was done.  I knew I didn't want to leave this great place the Lord brought me too.  At that time, a part time position became available.
Again I had to be stretched, and trust the Lord.  I found out that to qualify for SSDI, I had to work 5 full years!  God of course already knew this, because I just completed my 5th year.  I also was being stretched because there was people telling me I wasn't disabled enough to qualify for SSDI.  Even though these people were close to me, I had to trust God that he knew more.  I been working part time for 3 years, and loving it.  I am so much healthier now!  The Lord has blessed me in being stretched!!

"So you see, faith by itself isn't enough.  Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless."  James 2:17

I have been working really hard on my exercises so I can
stand tall and straight.  not to bad for not holding anything!

James writes our faith is shown by our actions.  I am learning that stretching my muscles are like my faith.  If I don't stretch my muscles they will become useless.  With my CP, my muscles are already tighter the most people, so the more I stretch the better.  Just like exercising, I been told this all my life, but it is finally becoming important to me and not just something I "have" to do.  So I guess, just like my faith, if I don't stretch my muscles they will become useless!!  And the older I get, the more I will probably have to rely on strong muscle. 

"Just as the body is dead without breathe, so also faith is dead without good works."  James 2:26
Maybe we could say the exercising is dead without stretching!  I been told the stretching needs to be part of my exercise routine.  I have always thought that all I had to stretch were my hips and legs, but now with my neck injury, Dr. Paulson and my PTs said that I also need to focus on my neck. 
I feel like the Lord gave me two visuals in my life.  I have two great aunts, that I love dearly.  One of my aunt's is very active.  Ever since I was young, I remember her walking every day.  Walking was important to her.  Even though I didn't see her stretch, I sure she did.  You would never guess she is as old as she is.  My other aunt had a lot of physical problems.  I remember her having back problems.  I not sure how she hurt her back, but if I remember right she might of had surgery at one point.  I remember her always having trouble walking.  The older she got, the more hutch over she was.  Eventually she had to use a cane and walker.  The last time I saw her before she past, she was in a wheelchair. 

This was last year, working on my 5k.  Know I am working on picking up my foot so I don't dray my toes!  My pt wants me to use my walking sticks more!  I am trying to!

I want to be as mobile and as flexible as long as I can.  Even though CP doesn't get worse, all of our bodies will become weaker with age.  I don't know what my body will do as I get older, but I already feel the difference then I did 10 years ago.  And having a injured neck doesn't not help the situation.  So I have two choices.  1.  Stay as I am, and just hope my body will maintain itself (which is highly unlikely, I already learned!) or 2.  just like my faith, put my exercising and stretching to good use, to produce good works!

So this next year I am hoping to be stretch more in my faith to see what God has in store for me.  Also to be more discipline in stretching my body, to become a better me!!

"For you know that when your faith is tested your endurance has a chance to grow.  So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."  James 1:3-4

Being Thankful for Winter

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God will for you in Christ Jesus.."   1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

If you are my friend on facebook, I am sorry I am such a hater of snow or winter!  I thought I would post things that I am grateful for the snow or winter.  To give you a background picture, if you don't know me very well, I not too fond of snow.  I grew up in a town that on average gets about 200 inches/16 feet of snow yearly!  Lead, South Dakota is one of the snowiest places in America. 
I have skied a little bit with the help of Ski For Light.  But other then that I don't like being out in the cold.  I not very confident in driving in snow, which I totally should be.  Even though in Lead I did it, I didn't like it very much. 

Skiing at Deer Mountain for SFL

This is were my first grateful thing comes into play!
1.  I am grateful that I grew up in Lead, b/c even though I don't like it, I know that I can drive in the snow.  We don't get very much snow here in central Oregon (not like Lead anyways) so I am out of habit, but I can do it!

2.  I am also grateful that I grew up in South Dakota because I am a pro for walking on ice!  Ok, maybe not a pro, but for having CP I think I do pretty good.  This is the earliest we have seen winter here in OR, since I got here 8 years ago.  It also has been breaking record lows, so it is very cold and icy.  Last night I was walking outside for work, I thought I know exactly where and how to step.  So I don't fall.  I was thinking this is why I grew up in Lead.   I adapted and learned how to safely walk on the ice so I didn't fall.  Now I am trying to use my walking sticks when it is icy out.  I think maybe I should of use these when I was younger.  It probably would have saved a few falls!  Right Ward?    ;)



I got pretty good at stopping and turning for
a girl with CP

3.  I am grateful for snow tire and my new 4 wheel drive!   Today I went up to my friend house.  Her daughter said, did you walk up here?  I said no.  She asked me how I got up the hill, b/c  it was very icy.  She said they couldn't get up it last night!  I told her I had an awesome car!!!  My new ford escape!!  Before I got my escape, I  had a Buick, the Lord totally provided me with a set of snow tires, so I knew I be confident driving in the snow! 
This comes to a God story!  (I love God stories)!!!  A couple years ago my friend said "Bri, did you get new tires?"  I said no!  She said "Are you sure you didn't get new tires?  I said, I think I would know if I got new tires!!  Finally after the 3rd time of asking me, I got out of my car, and was confused.  1.  I didn't put new tires on my car, and 2. I had no idea where those tire came from.  Come to find out my friend took my car (without me knowing) and put snow tires on my car!!!!

4.  I am also grateful for all the snowfall in SD!  I guess!!!  The other day my roommate was amazed that I was outside sweeping off all the snow off my car.  It was about 3-4 inches.  I told her that that was everyday back home.  If you didn't get out and do it, 1.  you weren't going anywhere and 2.  more would just pile up till your car was buried!!  Even though I have CP, I need to get out and clean off my car.  If I let my CP stop me from doing this, I would not be going anywhere.  (In SD anyways!!)  So if you see me cleaning off my car, don't be shocked, I am just a girl from SD wanting to get out my house!!

Sorry it burry!  but this is me in a bi-ski!!!
So fun!!

5.  Ok, there might be one little secret that I like about the snow...shhhhhh.  (don't tell anyone).   I do enjoy skiing a little bit.  Growing up a mile high in SD, we had two pretty good ski hills.  When I was very little, my sisters learned to ski up at Deer Mountain.  During those days I stayed in the lodge or at home b/c my mom and dad didn't know if I could physically do it.  But in high school, I got to join  the Ski For Light program.  This is where I learned to downhill ski, and to bi-ski.  During SFL I got pretty good on the bunny hill by myself.  When we went up top on the chairlift I would use a tetherpole, where my guide (Deb Tinker) would guide me down the hill.  Going up on top was always fun, but exhausting!  The year I graduated college (2005), I got the chance to go ski up at Lake Tahoe with Ward and Noah

Me sking at Mt. Rose with my guide

.  I decided to pay for an hour of private lesson.  After the hour was over, the instructor said he really enjoyed skiing with  me but wondered why I paid for him, because everything he teaches people I already knew!!!  I might need to get out and enjoy the snow and go skiing again!!

Mt Rose!!  It might be time to go back Van Guilder family!
 

The Hardest Thing about having a disability.

I think I wanted my independence at this age.  Knowing me I probably climb up into the rocking chair myself!!

A couple weeks ago I got interviewed for a church up in Portland.  They are doing a Woman Dessert for their church Christmas party.  So three people from the church came down to camp to hang out with me for the day to hear my story and video tape me to take back to Portland.
One of the question was, "What is the hardest thing about being disabled?'  For me, the hardest thing about being disabled is that some people think I am more disabled then I really am.   I think because of my speech, people who don't know me think I have a developmental disability.  When I tell them that I live on my own, have a job (one that I been at for almost 8 years), drive, and live across the country from my family, they are speechless!!

Cerebral Palsy can't stop me from
doing a 5k!

 The other day at the doctor's office, she asked me if my mom lived at camp with me.  I said no, my mom lives in Iowa and my family is all in the Midwest.  She was so amazed!!  I give a lot of credit to my parents.  Growing up with five siblings, my mom and dad treated me just as one of them.  One time I told my mom, "Thanks for not babying me."  She said, "Brianne I didn't have time to baby you!"  I am so grateful for that!!!
There are people that just don't know, and their are people who just don't want to know!  It is hard when people don't want to know.  You can tell them and show them until you are blue in the face, but the keep treating you as if you are less capable then you really are. 
I want people to know and to treat me as the same as you would yourself or your other friends.  For almost 10 years I have been working with people with development disabilities.  As a side note, they also want to be treated just as you too!!
When I first started working with people with developmental disabilities, I had a hard time believing that I was one of the staff members.  For years I believe what some people told me and treated me.  My first job after college was at the Northern Hills Training Center.  In my mind I thought people were judging me.  I thought they were thinking, "Why is she staff, she has a disability."  This is only  what I believe not what they actually said.


In John 8:31, Jesus tells his disciples,  "If you hold on to my teachings, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."  The disciples were confused because they were not slaves, so they wondered how they could be set free.   Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you everyone who sins, is a slave to sin.  John 8:34.
"Why is not my language not clear to you?  Because you are unable to hear what I say.  You belong to your father, the devil.  When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies."  Jesus goes on to tell us that there is no truth in him. 

When I first learned about having a relationship with Jesus, my counselor taught me that I was believing lies that were not from God.  It was in counseling, where I learned that Satan and Jesus were both real and both wanted my heart and my mind.  There was so many lies I was believing.  One of the biggest lies I was believing that I was not good enough and that people were viewing me as less then I was.  I also figured they were right.  This was so real at the Training Center.  My mind and heart were struggling.  One of the biggest things my counselor taught me is to tell myself the truth.  The truth was, 1.  I wasn't really sure if the staff at the Training Center thought this.  2.  I know that am just physically disabled and that all that matters.  I would love to tell you that my first job is were I learned these truths, but it wasn't.  God had to bring me out to Oregon, working more with developmental disabled adults, and years to learn this truth.   But nine years after graduating college and being in the "real world," I have learned this truth.  But ONLY with the love and patience of Jesus!!
I remember one time being in Deadwood with Brooke.  She was talking to someone, and I was standing right beside her.  The girl asked Brooke, "How is she?'  Brooke looked at me and said, "I don't know, Brianne, how are you.?"  I said, "I'm fine!"  Brooke was so annoyed when the girl left.  About a year ago, I was with my friend in a thrift store.   I was looking at something in a case, the lady behind the counter asked my friend, "What's wrong with her?"  My friend said she was so annoyed that someone would say that.  She answered, "Nothing!"  The funniest story though, is when I moved to Oregon, I had to go to the doctor's office to get a shot.  I got a random Dr.  He looked and me and in a loud voice, said "DO YOU READ LIPS?"  He was dead serious!  I said, "No!  I can hear very well!"  My friends here in OR and I still laugh at that one!!

Learning to tell myself the truth.  I am
capable as my peers!

In Matthew 7:7, Jesus said, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged."   So as I conclude my blog this week, I ask that you get to know someone with a disability before you assume anything about their life.  You might be surprised what they are truly capable of!!