Hi, everyone. Katie here. I decided to use our first real post to explain how CP affects Kyle and I and our life as a couple.
As mentioned earlier, I am the half of the relationship known as "Limpy" :). My gait is pretty typical of someone with mild CP. I don't walk with a walker or anything, but I do like to have help from a friend going down curbs and stuff just to be safe. I currently don't drive because it is kinda hard with CP, but I do have a permit. Mostly, I'm just worried about driving long distances and being safe. Plus, Kyle does not have much faith in me as a driver (I mean, worries about me...), so he would rather have me limping around everywhere or riding on the back of his chair. My left side is my stronger side, so if you see me standing around I'll most likely be supporting myself entirely with my left leg. I have only had one surgery, and that was about 12 years ago. My legs get tired pretty quickly so I use a wheelchair for long distances. My legs are the only part of my body that are majorly affected, although my right hand is a lot weaker than my left.
Kyle, or "Wheelz", has some wheels. He uses an electric wheelchair to get around. All four of his limbs are affected, and his right side is his stronger one. And by the way, he's a great driver, just not with your typical vehicle. Probably a result of him driving himself around since he was 3. He's had like eight surgeries or something like that, but he's too lazy to count them. If you see him doing this weird thing with his head and you're worried that he's having some sort of Palsy attack, don't fret-- he's just sitting up. Oh yeah, and he shakes a lot 'cause his muscles are super tight and sorta spastic. I have gotten punched in the face a number of times. He also has a manual chair that he uses when we can't fit his electric one in the car. Obviously, he doesn't like that as much because he likes to drive himself and, as previously mentioned, my driving abilities are questionable.
As a couple, we are awesome. People stare at us a lot because I ride on the back of Kyle's wheelchair a lot of the time, and I have a feeling that is something new for most people. But we get a lot of awkward smiles and head nods, which I do enjoy. We do pretty much everything you normal people do, we just find our own way to do it. Like dancing-- if anyone has any ideas about how we can dance together, let me know. I've been trying to put that one together for quite some time. If it looks completely ridiculous, we'll still do it.
Now for some fun facts!:
1. Katie can't walk backwards.
2. Yes, Kyle can shake hands with you.
3. When Katie runs, she looks kinda like a T-Rex, so she gained the nickname K-Rex.
4. Kyle's neck is probably stronger than Katie's left arm (yes, that is her stronger one).
5. When Kyle makes weird faces, he's itching his face.
6. Katie can point her left foot but not her right one.
If you are ever curious about anything, let us know. We would love to answer your questions.
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