Monthly Archives: December 2019

#CPChatNow Recap- 12/18/2019

Posted on by

This past week in #CPChatNow was festive as always. As you might imagine, talk centered largely around the upcoming holidays, but other topics were also discussed. Hop in the sleigh for this week’s #CPChatNow recap led by your Co-Host, Devin Axtman.

First, we have an announcement. #CPChatNow will be changing dates to Thursday for the next two weeks due to the holidays.

Zach announcing the next #CPChatNow is Thursday instead of Wednesday

Kate joined us after graduating nursing school and shared some of her challenges of being a nurse with CP. She shared she would feel very fatigued when coming home from work:

Zach congratulates kate on graduating nursing school. kate shared cp added trouble to starting her job.

Next, not surprisingly talk to turned to the upcoming holidays. Talk turned to cooking for family and what made a kitchen accessible and CP friendly:

zach asks heather what makes a kitchen accessible. she likes prep surfaces where she can sit down and cut-proof gloves. zach tweeted he likes sitting uses knives

Zach then asked if people put up a Christmas tree and if CP impacted their ability to do so:

zach asked if people put up a christmas tree and if CP made things difficult. chris said she does not and heather tweeted she only did if she was hosting. i tweeted we have a small tree, but i need a lot of help with decorating

Finally, Zach asked what people’s favorite Christmas traditions were. People talked of getting together with family and looking at Christmas lights.

zach asked about christmas traditions. he tweeted about christmas eve at grandma's and getting in the car to look at christmas lights. kate tweets about liking christmas eve more than christmas. zach tweeted christmas eve is when his extended family got together

This brings us to our Extend-The-Conversation Question: What is your favorite Christmas tradition? Make sure to share your answers in the comments and join us on Thursday at 8 Eastern at #CPChatNow.

-Devin

Advertisement

#CPChatNow Recap- 12-11-2019

Posted on by

The weekly cerebral palsy Twitter chat #CPChatNow proved a newsworthy one Wednesday, December 11th, 2019. For the complete story, consider me your personal reporter. I am chat co-host Zachary Fenell and I will provide my report the best way I know, your weekly recap.

News disseminating from #CPChatNow December 11th varied. I made an announcement relevant to our entire community.

Zachary announces the #CPChatNow schedule for the weeks of Christmas and New Year's Day.

With Christmas Day and New Year’s Day landing on Wednesdays, my co-host Devin Axtman and I decided to reschedule #CPChatNow those weeks. Rather than our typical Wednesday chat, #CPChatNow will happen Thursday, December 26th and Thursday, January 2nd. Start time remains the same, 8pm ET. Make sure to mark your calendars!

Currently though, let us return to recapping the December 11th chat. Participants kept the news stream flowing by sharing personal good news. Admittedly, I played a large role in that.

Zachary shares his personal good news.
Zachary continues sharing more personal good news.

Indeed, I possessed much good news relating to myself. I received a quasi-promotion at work. More directly related to cerebral palsy, Expertido named my blog among the best cerebral palsy blogs. Plus a parent with a 12-year old who has cerebral palsy wrote me some heartfelt feedback after reading my memoir Off Balanced. If not enough good news, Ideastream included me in a story about self-publishing which aired on the radio.

Besides me, long-time chat regular Linds shared good news. No, wait. Great news!

Linds shares her own exciting news.

Linds revealed her depression entered remission! Shall we keep the positive vibes flowing? Answer as the week’s extend-the-conversation question- “What has been something positive happening in your life?” Answer in the comments below!

This week's extend-the-conversation question asks, "What has been something positive happening in your life?"

Once you answer, double check your calendar. Do you have the upcoming #CPChatNow Twitter chats correctly marked? The upcoming schedule looks like this.

  • Wednesday, December 18th, 2019- 8pm ET
  • Thursday, December 26th, 2019- 8pm ET
  • Thursday, January 2nd, 2020- 8pm ET

I hope to tweet you soon. Until next time, remember. Don’t blend in. Blend out!

-Zachary

#CPChatNow Recap- 12/4/2019

Posted on by

This past week in #CPChatNow was busy as always as members got ready for the holidays, discussed unique friendships, cool parts about #CPChatNow, and their doubts about CP.

The upcoming holidays were of course a topic of conversation. Zach asked whether people took disability into account when giving gifts:

Zach asks whether disability was taking into account when giving gifts. Hannah tweeted her grandma bought her shoes that often wouldn't fit and she had to tell her to stop because they wouldn't fit
Blemi tweeted disability had no impact on her gift giving. Zach said he got a baseball glove, but never did play baseball. I tweeted I was there was paralympics for baseball.

#CPChatNow recently turned 6 years old. Members talked about the coolest part of being a member:

I tweeted that the coolest part of #CPChatNow has been watching people grow up and lives change. Zach tweeted about people graduating high school, Blake and myself graduating college, and Blemi entering a long term relationship
Zach tweeted about the genuine bonds that have formed from #CPChatNow and the support system that has formed

Next, talk turned to the unique relationships that can come from online interactions and Yasmin shared that she has formed relationships from online Paramore clubs:

Yasmin tweets about making friendships through Paramore clubs that have stayed even though the forms have shut down. Zach shares that CP brought #CPChatNow together, but we have other common interests

Finally, I asked members what doubts they had as a result of their CP. It sparked some good conversation:

I ask about people's doubts about their CP. My doubt was about getting married. blemi tweeted she was unsure about holding down a full time job. zach worried about pinning his bib number for his 5k races

This leads us to our Extend-The-Conversation question: What is your biggest doubt about CP and what have you done to overcome it?

Please share your answers in the comments and join us each Wednesday at 8 Eastern on Twitter on #CPChatNow

-Devin

#CPChatNow Recap- 11-27-2019

Posted on by

Before gathering with loved ones to celebrate Thanksgiving, participants in the cerebral palsy Twitter chat #CPChatNow gathered on Twitter Wednesday, November 27th, 2019 for our weekly chat. To tell you more, I am chat co-host Zachary Fenell. Long-time readers could easily guess how I plan to tell you more. Yes, your weekly recap!

First though, I wish to recognize a recent community milestone.

Tuesday, December 3rd, 2019 marked #CPChatNow's six-year anniversary!
Participants wish each other a happy anniversary.

Tuesday, December 3rd, 2019 marked our community’s six-year anniversary. Six years! A feat only made possible thanks to all our participants over the years. Without you, #CPChatNow does not work. So thank you!

Fittingly on Wednesday, November 27th co-host Devin Axtman made a reference dating back to the chat’s early years.

References from #CPChatNow's early years continue to live on!

Devin mentioned the “CP Olympics.” In the community’s early years we designated ordinary tasks cerebral palsy makes difficult as events in the “CP Olympics.” In my response to Devin’s tweet, I alluded to another long-running #CPChatNow joke. Hannah‘s train story! That story continues to chug along. Choo-choo!

Anyways Wednesday, November 27th featured subject matters beyond community flashbacks. In-particular I asked a question.

Zachary asks #CPChatNow about their favorite CP or disability related quote.
Devin gives backstory to his favorite disability related quote.

I wanted to know what people’s favorite CP or disability related quotes are. Long-time regular Blemi shared her favorite quote “Never give up on your dreams.” The message carries personal meaning to Blemi because Rick Hansen wrote the quote down for her on a Post-it note.

Meanwhile Devin said his favorite disability related quote goes like this. “My other disability is a bad attitude.” He could not pinpoint the quote’s origin but explained the quote remains a play off the oversimplified statement “The only disability in life is a bad attitude.”

What about you? Answer as the week’s extend-the-conversation question, “What is your favorite CP/disability related quote?” Leave your response in the “Comments.”

This week's extend-the-conversation question asks, "What is your favorite CP/disability related quote?"

If you enjoy answering the extend-the-conversation question, come join the conversation live! #CPChatNow happens every Wednesday starting at 8pm ET. Come help us make new memories as we enter the chat’s seventh year.

Until next time, remember. Don’t blend in. Blend out!

-Zachary