The process of just getting ready in the course of the day is very frustrating. I have bloating and deformity of my torso, so the routine to get ready in the morning, which used to be shorter, now takes four hours. Every action is dependent, from being taken off oxygen through the process of sitting up. I now have a full-time attendant, which is comforting because it means there is another person who can help me besides my wife. At night, after the 11 o’clock news, I receive more therapy and medication and am attached to breathing machines, which I am hooked up to throughout the night, in case my respiratory system should fail. I pray every morning for those I see and at night for people who are gone.
My family, which once numbered twenty people, all of whom I was close to, is now only two because my older relatives have died. My life seems to go in repeated circles that just get bigger and wider, as the successes and failures seem to be relived at higher levels. God has taken me to the edge and yet it is miraculous that each time I turn around, I feel I bounce higher. After being low, I always get the strength to fight on. Find something positive in yourself and do it the best you can, and as often as you can.
Bio: Bill Rinaldi was born in Dunmore, Pennsylvania on July 8, 1945 and he was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy two years later. He was confined to a wheelchair. In high school, he was named as the Boy Most Likely To Succeed, Most Popular Boy, Brightest, and Mr. Personality. He also earned scholarships, medals, and other awards before graduating and going on to university. He was the Clerk of Judicial Records for Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania and held the latter position for over twenty-one years. He passed away in 2002. The following advice came from an interview in 2001. Provided by: www.survivingadversity.com
