addendum to Eva's message

[Guest guest]

Eva,

Your thoughts are excellent reminders of what we have to be thankful for,

but let's not forget another important one--these PLS and HSP lists that

COULD not exist without our easy access to computers and WOULD not exist

without the thoughtful vision of the people who organized and maintain them.

Through them we continue to gain information, support, compassion,

encouragement and friendship--all of which enrich our lives. Yes, we are

truly blessed.

I add my sincere wishes for a Happy New Year.

Dolores

----- Original Message -----

> We are so Blessed to live with our unique challenges NOW. Did you ever

> stop to think what our lives would be like if born just 30 years

> earlier? With the mindset of that era I'm guessing we would all be

> institutionalized. Granted our world is not currently perfect but we

> as a society are moving in the right direction of accepting challenged

> people.

> Think back over this year alone at the various new technologies and

> devices you have added to enhance your life. In my life 2005 brought a

> Zoom (hybrid cross between scooter and powerchair), a Bruno Outsider

> elevator lift on the car allowing me alone to transport the Zoom,

> Doorbell to phone intercom, wireless computer keypad I can move for

> comfortable typing regardless of whether I'm sitting in the Zoom or

> office chair, decorative/attractive grip bars for the bath, a robot

> that vacuums, and last but not least a drug pump implanted in my belly

> to inject the appropriate drug into my spine.

>

> Things available that I haven't taken advantage of: travel cruises now

> handicap available, hot tub/pool lifts allowing solo operation,

> computer communications generating speech or typing emails, fall

> detection devices to alert emergency response if a fall occurs, porch

> elevators for solo operation, and on and on.

>

> Think of ALL the Great Possibilities out there waiting for us in 2006.

> Will it be a scalp electrode that makes our cerebellum work more

> normal, a drug that turns on brain neural stem cells, or something so

> mind boggling and unique that it's concept is beyond our dreams?

>

> Granted life isn't normal or easy for us. Example would be my daughter

> finding a golf ball size lump at my spine incision resulting in an all

> night ER trip wasting a day of our visit (spinal fluid leak) or dealing

> with a son-in-law who is simply miserable in the presence of

> an " imperfect " but......focusing on Hope and Positivity and Future

> does have advantages.

>

> Love to All and Happy New Year

> Eva