My name is Ailsa and I live with Cerebral Palsy, I wouldn't say that my disability is that severe because I can do a lot of things and there are a lot of people who are worse off than me. I don't have a huge amount of control over my hands, so I use my feet to operate my computer, I can do this quite easily.

 

My type of Cerebral Palsy is Quadriplegic (affects all four limbs) Athetoid (uncontrollable movements) Cerebral Palsy and it affects every muscle in my body, apart from my heart, luckily. My Cerebral Palsy affects my right arm more than my left. I can't use my right arm much at all due to it having increased movements and it being weaker.

 

A while ago, I started having a lot of pain in my right hand because the muscles that control my fingers and thumb were very tight, I now have Botulinum toxin (Botox).  When I haven't had my Botox, I find it extremely difficult to open my right hand due to the spasticity (tightness) and it gets very painful. So, the Botox relaxes the muscles, and it works a treat! It helps with most of the pain.

 

I would just like to put this out, just because I have Cerebral Palsy, does not mean I am ill because my Cerebral Palsy will not get worse.

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I don't see my disability as a be all and end all because if I come across a problem, I find a different way to do that task. For example; if come across a big wall, I know I can't just carry on and go through it, I can find a way around it.

 

I have a heightened startle reflex as well, meaning that anything can make me jump. If I see a movement, hear a sudden noise (even if it's really quiet), or a slight change in light, I may jump, even if I am expecting it.

 

I like to be as independent as I possibly can, but there are some things I need help with.

 

In my spare time, I like to do a variety of activities such as talking to friends, swimming, shopping, bowling, blogging, listening to music (this helps me to relax) and playing games, I particularly like to play Minecraft.

 

I am happy to answer questions as long as they are not too personal. If you have any, please don't hesitate to contact me.

 

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Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy my blog.