Hi, my name is Suzanne or Suzie for short. I just thought that I would introduce myself and tell you a little about myself because some of the friends of B-Mental's blog have been asking about me. So here goes. I am from Louisiana and have lived here for practically all of my life. I am currently 37 and not employed at the moment. It's been a rough few years because of personal family problems and I had to help take care of my sister's three kids but I think this year things are finally looking up for me. I started going out and getting out of the house to meet people. For the first time in a long time I am doing things for me, having fun and enjoying life. For fun I also dabble in poetry and play around on the computer. I don't know if I am the best poetry writer but I try. At the bottom of this page is a poem that I wrote about myself a while back. I also cannot forget to mention the best part about this year. I met a wonderful man named Pete about two months ago that I am now seeing. He is a sweetheart and I could not ask for a better person. He has treated me better than any guy has ever treated me. He sees me and not my disability and that is what I love the most about him.
I was born with a disability called Cerebral Palsy. Cerebral Palsy is a condition that is the result of lack of oxygen to a certain part of the brain usually during birth. When I was born, something happened that caused me not to breathe for 5 minutes or more. I am still not certain of the details of what happen on that day because my mom’s doctor knocked her out completely during the delivery because he knew that I was going to be born breach. After I was born, the doctor told my dad that the umbilical cord was wrapped around my neck when I came out but he thought that I would be fine. Because the doctor said that I was fine, my parents did not think to ask any questions. For the next two years of my life, doctors told my parents month after month that I was just a late developer. When I was three years old, my parents finally found out that I was slow at developing because I had Cerebral Palsy.
There are different severities of Cerebral Palsy but fortunately the only part of my brain that was damaged was my motor skills, balance and a little of my speech. The damage to my motor skills causes me to move slowly with jerky movement instead of quick and smoothly. The damage also causes my muscles to have tightness and my balance to be unsteady which makes it difficult to stand up without assistance. My speech was affected but I am blessed because I can speak clear enough that most people do not have a problem understanding me after they get familiar the way I pronounce my words. I pronounce words different and slower than other people do. It is like someone that has a strong accent and it takes a little while to get use to. Despite the obstacles in my life, I feel fortunate because I have had a good life and my condition could have been much worse.
Who Am I
Am I the reflection in the mirror that I see looking back at me
Or am I the limitless spirit that is within screaming to break free
Am I just another poor girl in a wheelchair with a disability they see
Or am the unique soul that God put me on this earth to be
Am I paralyzed by the fear of discrimination, judgment and uncertainty
Or am I the worrier who will fight until the end to create her own destiny
Will my life be defined by the reflection I see looking back at me
Or will I allow my spirit to break free and unveil the real me for all to see