Reading With Kindle

Reading was always a big part of my life.  When I was in university, it was my means to learning valuable concepts needed to achieve my degree.  When I was pregnant, I read, as all first-time moms do, everything there was to know about being pregnant.  As a young mom, I read everything from children's nutrition to developmental milestones to disciplinary techniques.  This love for learning through books, though, was threatened by disability.  I have the progressive form of  multiple sclerosis.  My disease made reading in the traditional sense virtually impossible.  My lack of manual dexterity made turning pages difficult.  By the time I managed to turn the page I lost the meaning.  I also couldn't read the fine print in a regular book.  Buying books was too expensive(being disabled is quite costly), and borrowing books from the library meant that I often couldn't get the book when I wanted due to waiting lists.  What was once a pleasurable experience was now an exercise in frustration.  That is, until I discovered the Amazon Kindle reader.  Kindle 3G, Free 3G + Wi-Fi, 3G Works Globally, Graphite, 6" Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology.  The Kindle solved the problem of not being able to turn the pages of a book.  All I need to turn pages forward or backward is simply push a button.  If I need to stop reading I just put the reader down.  I never worry about losing my page because the Kindle automatically bookmarks the last page read and returns me there whenever I'm ready to resume reading.  I'm also able to adjust the font size.  I will say, though, if you need to increase the font size too much you only will get a few words per line.  I got past this by buying the Kindle with the larger display.  Kindle DX, Free 3G, 3G Works Globally, Graphite, 9.7" Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology.  

There are several other reasons why I love my Kindle.  Buying eBooks from Amazon.com
is cheap and easy.  I usually pay only $9.99 per eBook and thanks to Wi-Fi technology, get the book downloaded directly onto the device within seconds of purchase.

It is important for disabled people to exercise their brains by reading.  Amazon's Kindle enables the disabled to do this.

Wheelchair Mama


                                           

Tips on Becoming Pregnant

For some people becoming pregnant isn't a problem. For others, however, conception can be difficult. When my husband and I decided to have a child we were told to first of all have fun-lots of fun!! Aside from that we were referred to visit a wonderful website that would give us the tools we needed to successfully conceive a child. By visiting http://2219c8mq5bz5s33r2vnaoa2xb3.hop.clickbank.net/) we learned about using a fertility calculator to time sex to coincide with ovulation, hence increasing the chance of conception. We also learned about timing intercourse when the consistency of cervical mucus was conducive to sperm motility. In other words, a certain consistency of cervical mucus helps sperm reach the egg for fertilization. By following the instructions at  http://2219c8mq5bz5s33r2vnaoa2xb3.hop.clickbank.net/) we became pregnant after only 2 months!

Parenting With a Disability

I have chronic progressive MS. Because of this diagnosis, my husband and I decided not to have children. We thought a pregnancy would hurt my condition. We also wondered if I would I be able to care for a child? That is, could I actually carry a baby in a wheelchair? How about diapering a baby, getting baby in and out of the crib and bathing? These were all legitimate concerns, but certainly problems which could be overcome with a little creative thinking and open mindedness. I wasn't the first disabled woman facing the challenges of parenting, nor would I be the last. (whudda thunk!!)

When I researched parenting with a disability I found all kinds of resources. Originally, I was concerned about carrying a baby. In my research it was suggested I carry the baby in a SLING. The sling was an ordinary sling I bought at www..sears.ca.  I'm sure any department store would carry this type of item. At any rate the sling was ideal. It allowed me to carry my child while having both hands free to run my wheelchair.

The next hurdle I had to overcome was diapering a baby. I had lost my fine motor control so I was apprehensive about diapering a baby fearing I'd poke him/her with the pins. Disposable diapers were not an option for us because they were very expensive. Besides, disposable diapers are not environmentally friendly. Luckily there was another option. We opted for cloth, fitted diapers with velcro fasteners. We simply googled 'fitted diapers' and found many companies that made them. Our dream of becoming parents was starting to look like it might come true!

The final obstacle we had to overcome was finding an ACCESSIBLE CRIB.  Every prototype we looked at was problematic, so we created our own. We cut the legs off a metal crib and mounted it on the wall to allow for wheelchair access. We also converted the downward moving side to an upward moving side using a pulley system. We donated the crib design to the Tetra Society of North America. You can visit their site at tetrasociety.org.

With all the obstacles moved out of our way we now felt prepared to have a child (are you ever really prepared?) We are now blest with a wonderful son. It's the old saying, 'if I knew then what I know now.'

I hope I've at least got you to think about PARENTING WITH A DISABILITY. We learned that if you want something bad enough you'll find a way to make it work.

Wheelchair Mama


RELATED LINKS:
sears.ca
tetrasociety.org