INDEX: This section gives the descriptions of each section on CPC. You can also view the section's description by hovering the mouse over a section's graphical link.LIVING WITH CP: This section gives my personal experiences on how I love with my own CP. Many of you who are disabled will probably find much of this section's content familiar.TYPES OF CP: This section explains the common types of CP and their classifications based on how they can affect the body.EMAIL DATABASE: This database is the very heart and sole of CPC. It allows people with CP, both young and old, to communicate with each other and share experiences or advice.CPC DIRECTORY: This section is a list of links around the web where you might find other useful information on CP and other disability related content.DISABILITY BULLETIN: This section allows people to post disability related questions to other visitors on the site; announce medical studies; any other information not associated with any current section on the CPC site.ADA LAWS: This section is a copy of the Americans with Disabilities Act information site.  It contains the guidelines concerning the Americans with disabilities rights, fairness, and public access.AGING AND CP: This section is a report on how the aging process can affect a body with CP. This should be a must read for all visitors to the site. I will continue to add to this report as new information becomes available.DISABILITY WORKPLACE: This section can be used as a tool to help aid a disabled individual looking for a job.  You might be surprised at what some of the experts say about how to approach the job market when you are disabled.
HOW SSI WORKS: This section will aid you in finding out if you qualify for Supplemental Security Income.  These rules and regulations are plentiful. CPC strongly recommends you view this section before perusing the SSI route.MEDICAL NEEDS: This section lists online companies where you can purchase medical supplies and equipment. Ordering what you need online offers privacy, convince, and very often cheaper then purchasing from brick and mortar stores.DISABILITY NEWS: This section allows you to keep up with the latest news and events around the US and the world related to the disability community. The section is updated constantly so please visit often.THERAPIES FOR CP: This section discusses some of the different treatments used to treat CP. Some of these include Physical/Occupational Therapy, HBO, TES, Biofeedback and others.AWARDS & WEBRINGS: This Section contains information about the many web rings CPC has joined and awards we have won. It also includes information on how to sign up for our very own web ring or award.FUN STUFF: Occasionally I like to have a little fun on the web. Here you will find information about my hobbies and my many collections of items. This portion of the site is not directly related to CPC. Its just for fun :o)CONTACT CPC: This section allows you to communicate with CPC is several ways including email, ICQ, and out guest book.RECENT UPDATES: This section can be used to find out what changes have been made since you last visited CPC. This page is always updated when CPC is updated no matter how small the update.CAUSE SUPPORT: This section tries to help disabled individuals by supporting several causes that actively promote the awareness and fair treatment of those with disabilities.
SHARE A STORY: This section allows people to share their stories (both good and bad) about living with CP. This is a completely anonymous Section (at your discretion) so that you need not fear people finding out who you are if that is your choice. The Vent Success Stories HELP: If you are not sure how to use CPC's menu system, click here to get a graphical description on how to use our menu system.Pages
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Will I always be alone?

I'm 21 year old and I have Dialogic CP. I use both crunches and a wheelchair depending on the situation. Sometimes I just don't understand the way things are.  I ask myself all the time: Why did the Lord make me they way I am?  What did I ever do to deserve to have this disability.   Sometimes at night I cry because I can't take it anymore.  I feel so excluded and so alone. Now don't get me wrong, I do have a few friends.  But they only seem to be my friends around school. And since that is the case, then are they really my friends?   I never get invited to go to parties or to the movies by anybody.  I've never been voted as class favorite in any category, just a who mess of things that everybody around me get to do and I'm excluded in one way or another for one reason or another.

Every time I think I've found someone special, I end up taking it the wrong way and then that just makes it worse. For example: I asked a girl out to my high school prom out in the hallway one morning before class.  To my surprise, she said "YES".    However, during class, she passed a note up to me saying that her best friend just told her that she (her best friend) had set her (the girl I asked) with a really cute guy and that if she decided not to go to the dance with the guy that her best friend set her up with, that she would of course go with me.  This happened after she already had said "YES" to me.  Well, needless to say, I decided to go ahead and wait in hopes that she would go out with me because I really really liked her.

However, that never happened and I finally gave up on her.  For some reason I was determined to find someone to go to my prom with.  I refused to be the only one that showed up myself.  However, I wanted to have someone to share the experience with, not just to say I had a date.

I ended up asking this 9th grader out to the dance which was unusual for an 11th grader to do with the teenage social status and all those things about being in high school.    When she said YES, I was ecstatic.  But that was soon diminished when a few friends I had said that she was just going to use me to get into the dance.  Of course, with being so excited about having a real date to a dance, I told them NO, that she would never do that to me.

Well, during the dance (really before the actual dance part), we had talked and taken pictures and everything.  Just before the dance part started she said she wanted to go freshen up first.  I waited and waited and waited.  Finally after about 20 minutes I sent someone in there restroom to check on her to make sure everything was okay.  She was gone.

It turned out that she actually went to go call her sister to come pick her up. She had done what everybody else told me what she would do and how she would treat me. When I ran into the following Monday morning, I asked her why she decided to leave and why did she not tell me she wanted to.  Her excuse was that she didn't think the crippled people could dance so she saw no reason for her to even stay.  Needless to say, I was very very very hurt.  All she ever did was laugh to her friends about it.

Am I slated to have my relationships, if any, to turn out like this?  I'm tired to being left out. laughed at, and feeling so alone.  People ask me all the time why it always seems that disabled people only seem to hang out with disabled people.  Did it ever occur to some of you "normal" people that at least when we are in a group or around other disabled people that its because they don't disrespect, criticizes, or ditch us on dates. We respect each other, which is more then I can say for a lot of non-disabled people treat me.  I'm not saying that all non-disabled people are this way, but most of you are.  All we ask to be treated just as equally as you.

I'm sorry this is so long, but I feel I have to let the world know how I feel about this. I'm hoping that through this and anybody I may meet though the web will understand and see me as a person and not a person with a disability.