A Group for Disabled Ukers from around the world!

Aloha Joeybug,
How cool you're taking the initiative to do so...my hats off to you...
BTW- I hope you're feeling better and hope the new strings makes your ukulele sing and
bring much happiness in your life....Take Care and God Bless!! Have fun and enjoy!!!!
"Keep strumming them strings" MM Stan...

hi Joey

what a great idea, and all power to you. Mutual support and friendship...it reminds me of that great old saying: "A problem shared is a problem halved"

I'm sure there will be members here to join in this group with you...

I'm not sure I qualify: I have lived with insulin dependent diabetes nearly 25 years, and, while not "disabled", as each year goes on, life does seem to get tougher.

I hope some great things come from the group.

Many blessings to you, eugene.

eugene ukulele said:

hi Joey

what a great idea, and all power to you. Mutual support and friendship...it reminds me of that great old saying: "A problem shared is a problem halved"

I'm sure there will be members here to join in this group with you...

I'm not sure I qualify: I have lived with insulin dependent diabetes nearly 25 years, and, while not "disabled", as each year goes on, life does seem to get tougher.

I hope some great things come from the group.

Many blessings to you, eugene.

Click to expand...

I have a rare from of asthma that makes me need to use a wheelchair so looking at me when I stand up, I'm not disabled, but I do use a wheelchair 95% of the time...I'm 28 and know the feeling that as each year goes on, life gets tougher...trust me, I totally get that...maybe you should join, as you do have what I would call "an invisible illness" and even possibly (hopefully without causing offence) an "invisible disability"...

mm stan said:

Aloha Joeybug,
How cool you're taking the initiative to do so...my hats off to you...
BTW- I hope you're feeling better and hope the new strings makes your ukulele sing and
bring much happiness in your life....Take Care and God Bless!! Have fun and enjoy!!!!
"Keep strumming them strings" MM Stan...

Click to expand...

I'm not on the strong morphine today so that's a plus, tis always a plus to be able to play the Ukulele without being foggy headed!

joeybug said:

I'm not on the strong morphine today so that's a plus, tis always a plus to be able to play the Ukulele without being foggy headed!

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I know how it is suffering and with medications....it's hard to focus but it is a good diversion from our health issues....been in pain over 19 years.....MM Stan..
and definetly every year gets harder...when I was younger my asthma was really bad and was sleeping with a vaporizer in those days. In my early twenties I
moved to the East coast but with my asthma I couldn't hanndle the pollution and I was always shortness of breath...it still bothers me now, but slighty
with a tight chest and shallow breathing...my asthma seems a little better, but they say you can never get rid of it fully....living with health issues...Stan..

joeybug said:

I have a rare from of asthma that makes me need to use a wheelchair so looking at me when I stand up, I'm not disabled, but I do use a wheelchair 95% of the time...I'm 28 and know the feeling that as each year goes on, life gets tougher...trust me, I totally get that...maybe you should join, as you do have what I would call "an invisible illness" and even possibly (hopefully without causing offence) an "invisible disability"...

Click to expand...

I wanted to volunteer to join and nearly wrote that in my first post, but decided I shouldn't, for fear of being insensitive or causing you offence (how do we classify the "disabled" these days anyway?)...

but yeah, I'd love to join and if you're cool with that, I'll do so now. Thanks Joey.

mm stan said:

I know how it is suffering and with medications....it's hard to focus but it is a good diversion from our health issues....been in pain over 19 years.....MM Stan..
and definetly every year gets harder...when I was younger my asthma was really bad and was sleeping with a vaporizer in those days. In my early twenties I
moved to the East coast but with my asthma I couldn't hanndle the pollution and I was always shortness of breath...it still bothers me now, but slighty
with a tight chest and shallow breathing...my asthma seems a little better, but they say you can never get rid of it fully....living with health issues...Stan..

Click to expand...

It certainly is a good distraction, I love that even when I'm on oxygen, in pain and feeling dreadful physically, I can still pick up my Uke and have a good ole strum and play!

Today is a good day, may there be more of those round the corner!

eugene ukulele said:

I wanted to volunteer to join and nearly wrote that in my first post, but decided I shouldn't, for fear of being insensitive or causing you offence (how do we classify the "disabled" these days anyway?)...

but yeah, I'd love to join and if you're cool with that, I'll do so now. Thanks Joey.

Click to expand...

I call myself "disabled", not sure what others prefer, but that's fine by me

And don't worry, I'm very hard to offend

In someways the 'invisible' disability is harder, when one can't 'see' what is there assumptions are made.... I think this group is a great thing, Joey I am sure that as it grows many will benefit!

fitncrafty said:

In someways the 'invisible' disability is harder, when one can't 'see' what is there assumptions are made.... I think this group is a great thing, Joey I am sure that as it grows many will benefit!

Click to expand...

Totally agree with that. All three of my conditions are "invisible" if I didn't use a wheelchair (or sometimes a crutch) you really wouldn't know I *was* disabled and that has led to assumptions..

Thanks for the positiveness

joeybug said:

I call myself "disabled", not sure what others prefer, but that's fine by me

And don't worry, I'm very hard to offend

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Is physically challenged the proper term...is it politically correct??? HMM what do you all think....

mm stan said:

Is physically challenged the proper term...is it politically correct??? HMM what do you all think....

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I've heard it used, but I myself prefer the term "disabled". Next thing they'll be referring to asthma as "breathing challenged"!!

joeybug said:

I've heard it used, but I myself prefer the term "disabled". Next thing they'll be referring to asthma as "breathing challenged"!!

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Yeah, I guess it gives it a negative connotation...
I think Carrie makes a good point on invisable disabilities...it is darn right cruel to make assumptions based on sight only...

mm stan said:

Yeah, I guess it gives it a negative connotation...
I think Carrie makes a good point on invisable disabilities...it is darn right cruel to make assumptions based on sight only...

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Yeah, some of the looks I get for parking in a disabled space! Still, I have a T-shirt that my friend made which says "This is what a person with an invisible disability looks like!" that usually stops the looks

joeybug said:

Yeah, some of the looks I get for parking in a disabled space! Still, I have a T-shirt that my friend made which says "This is what a person with an invisible disability looks like!" that usually stops the looks

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When in the past I was still driving, I was parked in a disability stall at a shopping center and this middle aged guy in this shiny new car kept honking his horn for me to move, I showed him
my disability placard out of my window...the disability stall was closest to the store doors.....after I noticed that guy parked all the way in the back stall where no one else was parking( I assume
he didn't want to get door nicks) because they were plenty of parking real closer(about 150 ft)...and I watched him get out of his car and looked and walked fine to me..but then again who knows...I
just wonder if people sometimes misabuse the system......I don't want to be hypocrite...just saying...

All power to you joeybug, the group is a great idea. I know from a hospital experience what you mean about the morphine fog.

Keep strummin and hummin.

Bruce in Adelaide.

mm stan said:

When in the past I was still driving, I was parked in a disability stall at a shopping center and this middle aged guy in this shiny new car kept honking his horn for me to move, I showed him
my disability placard out of my window...the disability stall was closest to the store doors.....after I noticed that guy parked all the way in the back stall where no one else was parking( I assume
he didn't want to get door nicks) because they were plenty of parking real closer(about 150 ft)...and I watched him get out of his car and looked and walked fine to me..but then again who knows...I
just wonder if people sometimes misabuse the system......I don't want to be hypocrite...just saying...

Click to expand...

Yeah, I see parents with small children parking in the disables places without a badge and I assume that they're not disabled, but I don't really know, people do abuse the system, but I guess it's not down to us to decide who gets to use them and who doesn't...

brucemoffatt said:

All power to you joeybug, the group is a great idea. I know from a hospital experience what you mean about the morphine fog.

Keep strummin and hummin.

Bruce in Adelaide.

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Thanks for the comment, I've just had to take some more morphine since the pain was creeping back up and so the fog will come, but as long as I can keep playing, I'm happy

mm stan said:

Yeah, I guess it gives it a negative connotation...
I think Carrie makes a good point on invisable disabilities...it is darn right cruel to make assumptions based on sight only...

Click to expand...

Hey Stan, good to see you joined in on this thread mate...I know people are always shocked when they find out I am a diabetic...I remember as a youngster I was terribly paranoid about the condition, would go and hide places to take the insulin...people'd always say..."Why you carrying a handbag around all the time", " you must really like jellybeans" etc etc...but in truth, looking back I just don't think I ever really accepted it as a teenager and tried to live in denial...of course, as one ages and complications begin to appear, it's harder to wear a mask. I have these past couple of years begun to live in acceptance of it...not before time I might add, but having many probs these days...

Just on the question you asked Stan about "what is the proper term to call 'it'"...man, I just say call it what it is - a disability. Political correctness is an abomination in my view...too often ends up sounding at best, disingenuous, and, at worst, utterly condescending

I agree that we must be careful in the way we jump to conclusions about people and their motivations. We're all in this thing called life together, no, and we need to reach out to each other more, rather take the easy option of criticising all the time...Hey, anyone can be a critic...it doesn't take too much intelligence...what is much more difficult and a true test of character is how we treat the lowest, poorest, most unlikeable people

Sorry about the philosophising...that's the ol' charlie brown streak coming out in me...Good Grief!!!