How did I get here...

I thought it would be a great idea to start at the beginning of my story so that everyone is totally up to speed. I know that most people are too shy to ask me questions about my disability, but after 23yrs I've had ample time to "deal" with it.
Okay so, sorry to those of you who know my story or who lived through it with me. click page down until we get to the more exciting stuff.

I was born healthy and strong, besides the fact that my sister was ready to enter the world and I was procrastinating as usual, which resulted in me being torn away and both my mother and I nearly dying. It was to be the first of many similar scuffles between Natasha and me. She was born ready to take over the world, I on the other hand I like to smell the roses. Being stubborn really just takes up way too much energy, which could be more wisely spent doing things like, pretending a pair a scissors was a barbie doll, as Tash had ripped my barbie doll in half by the waist. It's so fun to think back!

At the age of ten my life took, what I can only call, a very interesting turn.  It started with an ache on my back between my spine and right shoulder blade. I was a very rough and tough child a real tomboy always climbing the most difficult trees, and spending huge amounts of time spying on everyone (much to my mothers constant horror) on the roof of our house, bearing in mind I was well under ten when I started.  I had broken toes that never got to heal, we'd just strap 'em up and I'd be on my way.
So you can imagine when I first felt the pain in my back, it was not taken seriously. I figured I'd fallen out of some or other tree again and forgotten!

Well the next day the pain had developed in to pin 'n needles in both shoulders, I was about to go to a ballet lesson. I hated ballet I was convinced it was physically impossible point your toe keep your other foot turned out, back up straight and arms in perfect symmetry, without wobbling over, oh and "tuck in your derriere Tania". My mother thought I was just trying to get out of ballet, she rubbed on some deep heat lotion. By time I was supposed to leave, I couldn't move my shoulders or lift my arms at all. My mom by now was aware that something was very wrong, she got me in bath so we could get to a doctor. In the bath I remember not being able to reach for the soap and thought it was so weird that I had to slide my body forward in order to get it. I also fell backwards while putting my shoes on, and couldn't sit up and couldn't use my arms to push either, my bemused sister had to help me sit up. ( she thought I was putting on an extravagant act)

By the time we got to the doctor there was a long waiting list and I fell asleep. I woke up needing to get sick and tried to stand up, after falling flat on face, it became apparent that within that hour I was now no longer able to walk. I then remember doctors in a total flurry scratching their heads and saying "aah extraordinary"! I wondered what that meant. I was sent to Johannesburg to a hospital where specialists could review my case, but we first went home to have dinner with my poor dad whose birthday it was. Everyone gulped down the delicious roast, and headed off for what was to be the longest night of my mother's life!