The Hottest Coolest Time in Texas!

Schlitterbahn was awesome!  It's the #1 water park in the country according to Travel Channel.  I got the VIP treatment all day long.  Yes, that's what I call special treatment due to my ataxia.  Me and my friends got to go to the front of the line on any rides we wanted because I am unable to stand in lines that are a mile long.  Just the waiting takes a toll on my body.  My friends and I pretty much rode every ride.  We rode the Master Blaster 2x.  Its sorta like a water roller coaster in a tube for two people.  Best ride ever!  I even got wheeled around in a wheelchair for a bit, eventhough I insisted I didn't need it.  But boy, it sure made us go a lot faster.  I really commend the supervisors at Schlitterbahn for such a great system in dealing with disabled individuals.  They were all super nice and very helpful too.  I even had a code name for their radios.  Whenever I heard '1078' over the radio, it meant me.  All was good till the end of the day when we were walking back to our locker and I fell in the bushes.  Only fall of the day, and it wasn't a bad fall at that.  No scrapes or bruises from it.  The only bruises I do have are from the tube rides (which was basically all the rides).  I had so much fun, and I'm so grateful to have the friends that I do!

The Facts

I know that Ataxia is a progressive condition.  I am not gonna sit here and pretend that my ataxic symptoms are not going to get worse with time.  But do I think about it?  Never.  Just because I know generally what the future holds for me does not mean I know any specifics.  No one with ataxia does.  The answer is beyond human comprehension.  And if you research the condition, not much is known about it anyway.  I mean, I could end up in a wheelchair or I could just end up having to use a walker; I may have speech problems in the future or I may not.  And at what age all this could or could not happen is questionable.  I may be 40, I may be 70.  How my symptoms progress is not definable either.  What I do know for certain is that I will not live the rest of my life without having to use any kinds of aides.  I could probably benefit from using aides now, but it is not a necessary action for me at this time.  The point is, myself or anyone with ataxia cannot sit here today and say 'I know exactly what is going to happen to me.'  No human can set my future in stone.  Only God knows what's in store for me.