Health & Fitness

Diplegia: What It Is and How It Has Affected Me.

SpiderManFan2002

Diplegia by definition:

paralysis of corresponding parts on both sides of the body, typically affecting the legs more severely than the arms.

In this MyTake I will be talking about how it has affected me in my life. I know most of you reading this haven't even heard of it, because it is fairly uncommon as far as I am aware. It, however, has been genetically passed down in my family, and I happened to get the gene for it. I don't really mention it much because I don't want it to define me, but I thought it would be nice to write about in case somebody on here has it too, so we can relate :)

Now I've mainly got it in my left leg, and possibly my entire left side. Because of this my left side is much weaker than an average girl's my age and size would be but my right side is okay.

When I was younger I used to wear a splint, that looked like this:

Diplegia: What It Is and How It Has Affected Me.

I only had one though, on my left foot because that's all I needed.

When I was 13, I didn't need it anymore because my foot got as good as it was going to get. I'm glad I don't have to wear it anymore because it was always awkward to get into my shoe.

One of the symptoms of diplegia is toe-walking. When I was younger I used to walk on my toes (only on my left foot) because it was a strain to put my foot flat on the ground. Thankfully, I was offered an operation to help fix this, I had this operation when I was 10, and that stopped me being a toe walker. I can put my foot flat on the ground now and there is no strain at all. I still walk with a limp, but it's much better than it was before.

Diplegia has also made my limbs uneven. My legs are both uneven length, and my arms are too ever so slightly though, you'd never be able to tell unless you looked up really close. My legs are also the uneven width again unless my legs are bare you wouldn't be able to tell.

As for sports and physical activity, I can't perform as good as the other kids, but I accept that and I do try my best. It's really nice that the other kids are understanding that I have physical limitations. I do exercise because I want to stay healthy but I do it at a rate suitable for me.

If you have any questions feel free to ask :)

Thank you for reading <3

Diplegia: What It Is and How It Has Affected Me.
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