[mike-volkman]

20 years ago I set up profiles in the dating websites. I did it both ways, not mentioning my disability and writing openly about my advocacy work. It didn’t seem to make a difference. It’s easier for women because guys always make the first move. My close friend posted her profile. Guys responded to her picture and didn’t even read what she wrote about her disability. When they contacted her, the correspondence continued until they got to that one thing. Then they disappeared.

This is the important part: don’t be scared. If just mentioning your disability chases people away, consider that to be a filter protecting you. The perfect is the enemy of the good. If they are prejudiced enough not to even give you the time of day, then that is a lot better than wasting months or weeks with these jerks and having them break your heart later after you have already invested much of yourself into them for nothing.

And like Dr. Ruth said on the radio back in the 80s, your chances are much greater if you get out there and get involved in activities which attract people who have things in common with you.

[mike-volkman]

nine years ago I got a G-tube. By the way, if you see any spelling errors is yours it is because Apple voice control is horrible and I don’t have the time to be particular about this writing. Anyway, the idea of the tube it’s a good one, but for me it turned out to be a little bit more trouble than it’s worth. Apparently, because there is hardly any body fat around my internal organs, over Time my stoma war out. If it doesn’t seal and round the G-tube, eventually everything I ate or drank end up in my lap. Hi was malnourished. My heart rate was down to 36. When I went to the hospital, they wanted to give me drugs. All I said was that I needed protein and it was imperative to close that hole so I could eat. What do I know? I’m just A hopeless cripple who didn’t go to medical School. They changed their mind in the middle of the night and instead of admitting me they sent me home. With a low heart rate add in spite of the explanation I gave them which anybody’s mother would agree with wholeheartedly. Distance from the inner wall of my stomach to the epidermis is 1.5 cm. If yours is similar, then I would caution you about getting hey a G tube. Another thing – everything you have heard all your life about a balanced diet for proper nutrition you can forget about. With a G-tube all you get is formula. It is a milk based formula with no Broccoli, spinach, hamburgers, salmon, walnuts, apples, Olive oil, multigrain bread, bananas, or any anything else.

MacSpeech had its flaws, but it was way better than this Apple Voice control. My apologies for the failures above.