Rochelle

Hi, I’m Rochelle I am 60 years old mother of three adult children and grandmother to 3. All of my life even as a teenager I loved working with children. I began teaching early childhood education at 18. I gradually moved to advocating for children with special health care needs and then to working as a behavioral therapist for children and adolescents with Autism until 2019 when my health and my life changed drastically.

In 2019 the day after my father’s funeral I woke up walked to the bathroom when I was done using it I could no longer stand or sit up on my own. Up untiI this day I was losing weight and having trouble eating I went from 300lbs to 93lbs in two months and I was having occasional falls which at the time I just figured I had tripped over something or just clumsiness. I spent 7 months in the hospital during which time my family went from being told to make my final arrangements which they refused to do they never gave up on me to me coming to a little and began eating first thing I ate was a Big Mac there was a McDonalds I could see from my hospital window hubby went to get me when I said I was hungry.

After 7 months they finally had a reason for everything. The reason I was losing weight and had difficulty eating and falling was due to Gullain barre syndrome I was also diagnosed with Peripheral Neuropathy. Shortly after my discharge from the hospital, I began having uncontrollable body movements in arms legs neck and hands and I could no longer write, or type I used to type 70 words per min. The diagnosis for this was ataxia. All three of this effect ability to stand and walk which is why 7 years later I’m still in wheelchair and unable to drive write or type except for pecking I have to admit in the beginning I didn’t exhibit much strength at all. I couldn’t understand what happened.

One day I’m walking I’m driving life seemed normal the next day I’m in bed unable to do anything I did the day before. I didn’t know where my life was going at this point once independently going about my life taking care of my family to being completely dependent on my family. I didn’t know how to live like this. Family and friends continuously told me I could do this. Life may not be the same as it was, but I was strong enough to make it work. It took some time, but I eventually began to agree with them. Life changes maybe not as drastically as this all the time but we adjust to change. So I began looking for ways I could adjust. I won’t lie to you I still really hate being dependent but extremely grateful I have the support system I have because without them adjusting would be near impossible.

I started looking at each ability I’ve lost what that ability allowed me to do and how can I still do it. Walking allowed me to move about well that was easy I have a wheelchair it also was partly why I was able to drive well ok there’s public mobility transportation and my daughter drives so slightly still dependent to go places but that’s ok as for writing and typing well I got a signature stamp so husband doesn’t have to sign my name and typing well I now peck at the keys. I still make my own.