Living With Mild Cerebral Palsy

Daryl Perry
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Living With Mild Cerebral Palsy is my personal perspective on navigating everyday life, fitness, movement, body image, mindset, and staying as active as I can with Cerebral Palsy. I’m Daryl Perry of Your Level Fitness, and I share honest solo conversations along with occasional guests. I’m not speaking for everyone with cerebral palsy. I’m simply sharing my experience, what I’ve learned, what frustrates me, and what I’m still figuring out along the way.

  1. 3d ago

    Kids With Cerebral Palsy Become Adults With Cerebral Palsy

    Get the Cerebral Palsy Journal Prompts: https://yourlevelfitness.com/cerebral-palsy-email Join the Live Streams: https://yourlevelfitness.com/stream Kids with cerebral palsy become adults with cerebral palsy. That sounds obvious, but I think it points to something that is still easy to overlook. There are often far more resources, services, and support systems available when we are children. Then at some point, often around adulthood, a lot of that changes, becomes harder to access, or disappears altogether. But cerebral palsy does not disappear when we turn eighteen. Our bodies continue to adapt, compensate, and work harder to navigate day-to-day life. Over time, that can take a toll. In this episode, I’m talking about what it means to grow into adulthood with cerebral palsy and why support still matters long after childhood. I also get into self advocacy. I believe we need to be honest and direct about what we need, both individually and as a community. That can be difficult. A lot of us are extremely independent. If we have some level of independence, we may also be very stubborn about holding onto it and trying to do too much on our own. Asking for help can feel uncomfortable. Loosening the reins can feel uncomfortable. Admitting that something has become harder can feel uncomfortable. But advocating for yourself does not take away from your independence. Sometimes it is part of protecting it. I also talk about the value of sharing our experiences. When we document what day-to-day life with cerebral palsy actually looks like, people have a better opportunity to understand what we need and why those needs do not simply disappear with age. There can absolutely be frustration, resentment, and bitterness around this. I have those moments too. But I think we can acknowledge those feelings while still finding ways to advocate for ourselves clearly, ask for support when we need it, and keep working with our bodies instead of constantly trying to overpower them. We grew up. Our cerebral palsy came with us. And the need for understanding, resources, and support did too.

  2. 4d ago

    Cerebral Palsy, Loneliness and Learning to See Yourself Differently

    Get the Cerebral Palsy Journal Prompts: https://yourlevelfitness.com/cerebral-palsy-email Join the Live Streams: https://yourlevelfitness.com/stream Living with mild cerebral palsy can sometimes feel like living between two worlds. You may be able to do a lot of the same things as everyone else, but still deal with pain, fatigue, mobility challenges, isolation, or the feeling that very few people fully understand your experience. In this episode, I’m talking about the mental and emotional side of that. I have talked to people with cerebral palsy who have strong support systems, relationships, and social circles. I have talked to people who have pieces of that. And I have talked to people who feel like they have none of it. At different points in my own life, I have felt like I belonged in all three groups. That is one reason I believe so strongly in having a productive relationship with a therapist or counselor when that is available to you. Not just someone who listens, but someone you trust enough to help you recognize blind spots, work through difficult thoughts, and develop strategies you can use outside of the session. At the same time, I know therapy is not always immediately accessible. There can be cost, availability, waitlists, and the challenge of finding someone who is actually a good fit. So I also talk about the importance of learning to connect with yourself and beginning to rewrite the way you see yourself. For many of us, the outside world has had a lot to say about who we are, what we are capable of, and how we should feel about ourselves. You do not have to keep accepting every one of those messages. Living with cerebral palsy can involve chronic pain, frustration, sacrifice, anger, loneliness, and days where simply getting through the day takes more effort than anybody around you realizes. I do not want to minimize any of that. But I also do not want those experiences to completely drown out the resilience, adaptability, and strength you have developed while navigating them. You can have difficult days. You can be frustrated. You can wish certain things were different. And you can still work toward appreciating yourself, trusting yourself, and building a life that feels like yours. You do not have to do any of that perfectly. You just have to keep finding your way back to yourself. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis in the United States, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If there is an immediate life threatening emergency, call 911. If you are outside the United States, contact your local emergency services or a crisis support service in your country.

  3. 5d ago

    You Do Not Have to Minimize Your Cerebral Palsy Struggles

    Get the Cerebral Palsy Journal Prompts: https://yourlevelfitness.com/cerebral-palsy-email Join the Live Streams: https://yourlevelfitness.com/stream A lot of living with mild cerebral palsy comes down to simply trying to navigate the world and do the things you want to do. Go to the store. Get your groceries. Move through your day. Stay active. Do the normal things that can sometimes require a lot more effort than other people realize. In this episode, I’m talking about why I do not think we need to minimize those challenges by telling ourselves that somebody else has it worse. Yes, there are people who have more significant limitations. There are also people who appear to have fewer. But constantly comparing experiences does not really help because none of us fully knows what somebody else is dealing with. You can be grateful for what your body allows you to do and still acknowledge that some of this is hard. Those two things can exist together. I also talk about why I have become much more comfortable sharing my cerebral palsy publicly. For a long time, I did not want to talk about that part of myself very much. Now I share the stiffness, the mobility challenges, the wins, the step counts, and the moments where something simply goes better than expected. Talking about it has become an outlet for me, but it has also connected me with other people who understand experiences I spent a long time thinking I had to navigate mostly on my own. And when it comes to movement, I want to encourage you to keep exploring what being active looks like for you. That could mean yoga in bed. It could mean chair yoga. It could mean walking. It could mean going to the gym. The important part is working with your body instead of constantly trying to force your body to do what you think it should be able to do. That is something I am still learning myself. I spent a lot of years trying to overpower my body. More recently, I have been trying to work in alignment with it instead, and I feel less beat up because of it. We are all just navigating this. Your version is going to look different from mine, but I hope hearing these conversations reminds you that you are not navigating it by yourself.

  4. 6d ago

    My Body Tightens Up After Sitting With Cerebral Palsy

    Get the Cerebral Palsy Journal Prompts: https://yourlevelfitness.com/cerebral-palsy-email Join the Live Streams: https://yourlevelfitness.com/stream What happens to your body after you have been sitting for a while? For me, fifteen or twenty minutes can be enough for everything to start tightening up. My hips, legs, ankles, lower back, and sometimes even my shoulders can all feel stiff depending on how I have been sitting. The same thing can happen first thing in the morning. I like to call the process of getting moving again knocking the rust off. It usually takes me a few steps before everything starts working together the way I want it to. And that can create some interesting moments in public, especially getting out of the car. People may see those first few stiff steps, move out of the way, or give me a sideways look while I am simply trying to get my body going again. Sometimes I can laugh about it. Sometimes it is a little more frustrating. Like so many things with cerebral palsy, the experience itself can also depend on the day, how my body feels, and even what kind of mood I am in when it happens. So I want to hear about your experience. Do you tighten up after sitting? Does it take you a few steps to get moving comfortably again? Do mornings feel similar? And what do you do to knock the rust off when your body has been still for a while?

  5. Oct 19

    What It’s Like Using a Handicap Parking Placard With Cerebral Palsy

    Get the Cerebral Palsy Journal Prompts: https://yourlevelfitness.com/cerebral-palsy-email Join the Live Streams: https://yourlevelfitness.com/stream What has your experience been using accessible parking with cerebral palsy? In this episode of Living with Mild Cerebral Palsy, I’m talking about something I have experienced plenty of times, the looks people give you when you pull into an accessible parking space before they have any idea why you need it. There can almost be two separate reactions. First, someone sees you sitting in the car and seems to question why you have a handicap placard at all. Then you get out, start walking, and suddenly you can see the reaction change. Sometimes it almost feels like you have successfully proven that you are disabled enough to meet a stranger’s requirements for using the space. It is a strange experience, but I have learned through conversations with other people who have cerebral palsy that I am definitely not the only one who has dealt with it. That is one of the things I appreciate about being able to connect with other people with CP online. Experiences that once felt like oddly specific things happening only to you become conversations where somebody else immediately says, yes, that happens to me too. For those of us who grew up before these online communities became so accessible, that connection can make these experiences feel a lot less isolating. So I want to hear about yours. What reactions have you received when using accessible parking? Do people stare before you get out? Does their reaction change once they see you move? And have you ever had someone go beyond the looks and actually say something to you? Sometimes simply realizing that other people understand the experience can make a difference.

  6. Oct 16

    You Do Not Need to Feel Guilty About Your Cerebral Palsy Experience

    What labels have other people put on you? And maybe more importantly, which labels do you actually want to carry moving forward? In this episode of Living with Mild Cerebral Palsy, I talk about some of the labels that were put on me growing up and how those experiences can continue showing up years later. I was bullied. I was called names. I was made to feel like I was behind everybody else. And for a long time, I internalized some of that. Even now, when my mind gets away from me, some of those old insecurities can still come back. The feeling that I am behind. The feeling that I am not enough. The idea that I should settle in work, relationships, or other areas of life. But those labels do not have to become permanent. We get to decide how we see ourselves. I also talk about another complicated part of living with cerebral palsy, guilt. Sometimes that comes from looking at somebody else's situation and thinking you should be more grateful because they appear to have things harder than you. Sometimes it comes from surviving things other people did not. Sometimes it comes from feeling pressure to do something meaningful with the opportunities you have been given. And sometimes other people will even try to minimize your experience because, from the outside, they think your situation looks easier than theirs. You do not have to apologize for your life. Your experience is your own. If something is difficult for you, then it is difficult for you. You do not have to justify that by comparing yourself to somebody else. At the same time, I think it is important not to let cerebral palsy become the explanation for every struggle we experience. There are absolutely things CP makes harder. There are situations where it can cost us opportunities, energy, time, and experiences. But I also want us to recognize the areas where we still have agency. We can choose the labels we wear. We can choose how we talk to ourselves. We can give ourselves permission to pursue opportunities without guilt. And we can build belief in ourselves even when doing that initially feels almost delusional. Your path is going to look different. That does not mean it is wrong. Get the Journal Prompts: https://yourlevelfitness.com/cerebral-palsy-email Check Out The Cerebral Palsy Perspective: https://yourlevelfitness.com/cerebral-palsy-perspective

  7. Oct 15

    Who Do You Want to Be, Really?

    Who are you? Not just your diagnosis. Not just the labels people have put on you. Not just the version of yourself you have gotten used to seeing. Who are you, and who do you want to become? In this short episode of Living with Mild Cerebral Palsy, I want you to sit with those questions. Think about your interests. The work you want to do. The friendships you want. Whether you want romantic relationships. Whether you want to be more social or spend more time by yourself. Think about the things you want to explore and the type of person you want to be. There really is no single way your life has to look. And that is especially important when you live with cerebral palsy because so much of the world is willing to put labels on you before getting to know the rest of who you are. You do not have to accept those labels. At the same time, becoming who you want to be probably will not look exactly the way you imagined it. That is true for everybody. Life rarely unfolds exactly the way we picture it before we start. With cerebral palsy, there may be additional challenges and you may have to find your own way of doing things. But it can still be your way. So take a few minutes and write it down. Who are you right now? What parts of that do you love? What would you like to change or add? And who do you want to become from here? There is a lot more to you than cerebral palsy, and you get to decide what you want the next part of your story to look like. Get the Journal Prompts: https://yourlevelfitness.com/cerebral-palsy-email Check Out The Cerebral Palsy Perspective: https://yourlevelfitness.com/cerebral-palsy-perspective

  8. Oct 14

    Cerebral Palsy Can Make Work and Opportunity Feel Harder

    Do you ever feel like you have to work significantly harder just to get the same opportunity as everybody else? In this episode of Living with Mild Cerebral Palsy, I talk about that feeling and the mental tug of war that can come with it. Maybe getting a job has felt harder. Maybe advancing in your career has felt harder. Maybe you have felt undervalued, underpaid, or like a company was somehow doing you a favor by employing you. Those feelings are real. At the same time, I think there is a difficult balance here. Not every setback, disappointment, or missed opportunity is automatically because of cerebral palsy. If we start attributing everything that goes wrong to CP, we can lose sight of the things we actually have the ability to take ownership of and change. That does not mean ignoring discrimination, frustration, or the extra work that can come with living with a disability. It means being honest about all of it. I also talk about something I tell parents of kids with cerebral palsy. When someone with CP finds something they are deeply interested in, I think there is tremendous value in encouraging them to lean into it, stay curious, and believe that there is a way forward even if that path does not look like everyone else’s. You may have to find your own way. One opportunity we have today that previous generations did not have to the same degree is the ability to share those interests and experiences directly. If you want to create content, tell stories, write, podcast, or build something around what you care about, cerebral palsy can be one layer of that story without becoming the entire story. Because there is much more to you than a diagnosis. You have interests, skills, opinions, experiences, and parts of your personality that make you a complete person. Living with cerebral palsy can be hard. It can be frustrating. And yes, sometimes it can feel like you have to put in ten times the effort just to make something happen. I do not want to ignore that reality. But I also want you to recognize the areas where you still have agency, curiosity, and opportunities to create your own path. Get the Journal Prompts: https://yourlevelfitness.com/cerebral-palsy-email Check Out The Cerebral Palsy Perspective: https://yourlevelfitness.com/cerebral-palsy-perspective

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About

Living With Mild Cerebral Palsy is my personal perspective on navigating everyday life, fitness, movement, body image, mindset, and staying as active as I can with Cerebral Palsy. I’m Daryl Perry of Your Level Fitness, and I share honest solo conversations along with occasional guests. I’m not speaking for everyone with cerebral palsy. I’m simply sharing my experience, what I’ve learned, what frustrates me, and what I’m still figuring out along the way.

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