Michael

I don't usually send out mass e-mails but occasionally I find it to be the most effective way to update everyone so here goes: my health has continued to stay stable my colostomy is working well and I'm very happy with the results, the Eagles are gearing up for another trip to the Michigan victory games in mid-May last year the Eagles won every possible award given out so we hope to have another successful year the team continues to grow and I am doing more and more coaching especially in Boccia ball I'm still going to compete though our fundraising efforts this year have been extremely effective we had our annual spaghetti dinner and we raiseed over $6,000 with that and some other fundraising we're well over are needed amount of funds so it looks like we are ahead of the game for next year, I have also been doing some speaking I gave two speeches for hope network over the winter and just a few weeks ago I spoke for the third time at the muscular dystrophy Association boot camp this year's meeting was in Traverse City and I addressed between 150 and 200 firefighters from around the state my speech was very well received and I was given another standing ovation (so hopefully I will be invited again next year), as for the upcoming summer I am looking forward to three weeks and Indian trails which is always a lot of fun.

I hope this finds all who reads this in good health and good spirits.

Sincerely,
Michael Chambers

I heard Michael J. Fox on Lettermen last week talking about his upcoming special on optimism and promoting his book “Always Looking Up” well he used a line I liked he said, “You can ask God for a lighter load or you can ask God for broader shoulders.” Isn’t that an interesting thought, I like it, more and more often though people try and skirt their responsibilities yet those facing SO much buckle down and do what needs to be done and then some. I challenge everyone who reads this to look at what you are facing and see if you need a lighter load or broader shoulders.

Sometimes you work hard to achieve a goal and when you finally do it it seems well much less fulfilling then you thought it was going to be. Well I had one of those moments this week, Tuesday I was the “Keynote Speaker” for career day at the High School I graduated from, I feel good about my speech and the message I conveyed but it just wasn’t all I thought it was going to be. I don’t know what I had envisioned but it just lacked something for me personally. I am thankful for the opportunity, but I doubt I’d do it again.

Well I know it's been a while since I updated last, my life has been extremely busy my grandfather was in the hospital for nearly a month and each day for three weeks my father and I would go up to the hospital and sit with my grandmother and other family members and unfortunately grandpa couldn't make it through this illness and he passed away it was and still is very sad but my grandpa had been very sick for a long time and we find comfort in the fact that he is no longer in pain, I even had the honor of delivering a eulogy for him at his funeral and was one of the hardest things I've ever written and definitely one of the hardest speeches I've ever given but I made it through and I know he is proud of it. Even though that was tragic I have been able to continue my speaking around the state and am scheduled three times in the next couple of months including the keynote address at my high school's career day which I'm very excited about going back and speaking at my high school has been my goal since I started speaking five years ago and it looks like I'm going to be able to do just that. My disabled sports team is gearing up for another year at the Michigan victory games where we will hopefully defend our championship but even if we don't I know it will be a great time.

I remember back before everyone had computers chain letters coming in the mail the letters talked about the good fortune you would have if you sent this letter to so many other people and also it would tell stories of the bad luck people had after not sending it to so many other people and I vividly remember these letters being thrown away when they would arrive at my house now however it seems like everyone is sending me chain e-mails threatening me with bad luck if I don't forward it to the right amount of people or if I don't e-mail it back to them I am not their friend or I don't have the same sentiments towards them as they do for me and frankly I find this kind of pointless. If I read an e-mail and feel that someone in my contact list would enjoy it I will send it but I don't believe in bad luck from not continuing a forward, I'm not saying I don't enjoy them because some of them had nice sentiment or funny jokes I'm just telling you that the likelihood of me sending something to 10 other people just because the e-mail said to is highly unlikely. I would much rather receive e-mails written by the sender themselves even if I am only one of the 20 people they sent it to, personal messages mean so much more. Just because you don't have to pay the cost of the stamp doesn't mean you should continue chain e-mails just for the sake of continuing them or because you think not sending them will be unlucky.

1-04-2009 (More)

Have you ever found that your preferences change as you get older, whether it be watching the news instead of a sitcom or just having water instead of pop at a restaurant is funny how things like that happen and most of the time you don't even realize it, I know this is kind of a random thought but I just got done eating dinner and I had cooked carrots and for many years well all my life actually I never like the taste or the texture but tonight I put some on my plate and I enjoyed them I'm not saying that I'm going to ever have cravings for them but next time I won't be reluctant to plop some on my plate.

Speaking of TV shows it's funny how when I was younger I loved watching The Simpsons and King Of The Hill but now I'd rather watch extreme home makeover or House I find these shows more interesting and somewhat more enlightening.

I know this is a very random babbling may be confusing probably pointless entry but I felt like writing it. Does anyone else feel this way? Take a minute and think about what you like now from TV shows to food and clothing just your preferences in general and then think back five years and what were your preferences then are they the same are they different, you may be surprised.

1-04-2009

Welcome to the new year 2009, every year at this time people look back at the year and remember the events that occurred and then many people make resolutions for the year to come I've done this myself and I will admit I rarely keep my New Year's resolutions but I guess the sort of a tradition.

I will remember 2008 from many things it was the year of the best vacation in my life so far (the houseboat trip in Tennessee), it was a year filled with more medical challenges but I am happy to say I am feeling healthier today than I have in at least five years and I hope to continue this into the new year and the year after that and so on, we saw our country's economy nearly collapse the stock market plunge corporate corruption on a whole new level the autos industry nearly fail and the United States saw democracy and the power of the political machine in full swing with the presidential election that lasted seemingly forever with some very unusual players and ultimately the decision was made and the American public chose Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States of America oh yeah did I mention he's the first African-American to hold this office.

In 2009 I am going to try and write a journal entry a minimum of three times a week, I'm going to continue and hopefully finish the book I've been working on, I'm going to aggressively pursue my other pending obligations. I've been told that I have a lot of "Irons in the fire" well I hope to make a couple of horse shoes this year, figuratively of course.

While I returned home yesterday from a weeks vacation in Tennessee, 10 of us including my dad and Barb went on a 70 foot houseboat on Center Hill Lake and it was awesome. The boat itself had six state rooms 1 1/2 bathrooms a full kitchen living and dining area TV VCR on the main floor with front and rear outside seating areas as well as a second story sundeck and flybridge. The lake is in a sense man-made because under President Roosevelt there were a system of dams built and subsequently a chain of large lakes was created literally in a chain of mountains, the lake is over 40 miles long with two waterfalls and 400 plus miles of shoreline it is anywhere from 1 foot to 200 foot deep and is surrounded by nature occasionally you would see a mansion built into the mountainside but other than that and the occasional passing boat it was very remote and beautiful. We were told that during the peak summer season there are three to four hundred houseboats and other pleasure craft on the lake, and I think that would be pretty busy even for a lake of such substantial size but seeming how we went just after what they considered peak season we only saw literally a handful of other boats. As I mentioned there are huge how peppered along the shoreline we saw country music singer Alan Jackson's home and houseboat as well as Al Gore's houseboat unfortunately neither of them were there. And I have to say I find it pretty funny that Al Gore Mr. global warming has a houseboat they are far from eco-friendly and not gas savers, but they are so much fun. If you can already tell I truly had a wonderful time and if anyone reading this has the opportunity to go on a vacation like this I highly recommend it!

Until later,
Michael

Well one week from today I will be back at ITC for another week of camp I am so excited about it I double checked the date this morning when I woke up to make sure I had it right I know this sounds kind of cheesy but for those of you who have been there before you will understand. Since my first week of camp I had been staying in touch with quite a few of the people I met there I hope that the second week will bring with it even more friends and hopefully some of them will live relatively close. That has been the biggest frustration I'm me all of these really cool people but they all live like two or more hours away which creates quite a problem sometimes, this isn't a new thing it seems that all my disabled friends outside Eagles live far away, good thing I have a cell phone with free nights and weekends and free long distance.

On another note I am invited to speak on behalf of the muscular dystrophy Association at the state Capitol which I'm pretty excited about, they are going to have a bunch of media present as well as receiving a proclamation from the governor for their annual fill the boot campaign that is conducted by the firefighters from around the state. In addition to this speech I have two others scheduled in the upcoming month which will mean a lot of people will get to hear my message and my ability will be showcased and who knows what that may lead to.

Until later,
Michael

I feel that it is necessary to take a moment and make sure everyone who may read this has an understanding of what I'm doing now, as well as to inform those of you who only know me from cyberspace. So here goes...

I hail from the great state of Michigan, home of automobile, Hockeytown and probably one the worst professional football teams in the National Football League. Michigan's okay I don't like the winner but the summers are nice. I graduated high school in 2004 and took a few semesters at my local community college. Currently I'm writing a book on disability issues and my life with a disability, in addition to this I give inspirational and motivational speeches around the state. I am also very active in the disabled sports community I coach as well as compete in numerous sports and I also hold board positions that oversee disabled sports. I am trying to write my book and give speeches while focusing on my ultimate goal of opening and managing a group home or housing partnership.

I like country music, some classic rock. My favorite TV show is HOUSE I can't miss an episode. My favorite meal is steak and potatoes.

I am a Christian more specifically I am a Methodist: I do not wear my religion on my sleeve but I have strong firm beliefs and I am not afraid to discuss them.

When it comes to politics I love a good debate and like to think that I am well-informed, I was very outspoken from one party for a couple years currently however I like to look beyond party affiliation and focus more on the candidates stance on certain topics instead of voting purely on their party. In general I consider myself a conservative but I have very open eyes and I'm willing to look beyond party lines. My main focus is bettering the disabled community and I'm trying to find those candidates that are willing to do the most for the disabled community.

Until later,
Michael

Many of my friends might not realize that I have my space, face book and live Journal. I'm the first to admit that my updating of these is on and off but I like to think that some of my posts may be thought-provoking conversation starters, I write about things that happened to me thoughts I have and just general topics that interest me. I've said it before but I'm going to say it again I will try to update all three of these sites more regularly and hopefully with some pretty stimulating thoughts. Please feel free to comment complain complement or vent all is appreciated.

I've been kicking around quite a few ideas for updates and topics that interest me, religion, politics, disability rights, personal trials and tribulations and anything else that I might is interesting! Suggestions or questions are always welcomed and appreciated, many of my posts are researched and take quite a bit of time so knowing that people read them is a big motivating factor.

I realize that some of you are saying that I'm only updated once or twice but I am talking in generalities over three blogs that I have I will warn those who know about all three that I may crosspost from site to site.

Until later,
Michael

I just returned Saturday afternoon from one of the happiest weeks of my life, my second summer while second week that it is at Indian Trails Camp. I attended for the first time last summer and discovered that I had been a moron for 21 years because this opportunity had came along several times before but I always said camp wasn't for me boy was I wrong! The time I've spent at ITC is truly unbelievable the people I met our friends for life, many of activities offered are only possible for the disabled community at ITC, whether it be climbing the rock wall or performing in a talent show the memories made there are truly unforgettable.

My cabin was known as the Seneca studs, my counselors for the week were awesome and my cabin mates all in all were cool to we were a diverse group with various disabilities and ages but for the most part we got along very well. We enjoyed the traditional campfire, we rocked out with the music stylings of Rick Reuther, we danced the night away at our Paris themed big dance and all cried when they play a steady hand on outgoing day!

This week is filled with emotions and experiences of a lifetime from the minute you leave camp you're counting the days until you go back! For any of my disabled friends who have not experienced ITC I strongly recommend it.

Until later,
Michael

Hello to all my live Journal readers, I know I haven't been posting much but what can I say I have been busy since my last post I have spoke to 200 firefighters at a muscular dystrophy fund-raising kickoff I was uncertain of how well my speech was received until I concluded and was overwhelmed with a standing ovation &many watery eyes in the crowd so I guess if I can make a 250 pound firefighter cry I did something right, after returning home from my speech I received numerous thank you cards and e-mails as well as another invitation to speak. I also celebrated my 22nd birthday and now I'm preparing for another fun filled week at Indian trails camp so life has been good for me I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the warm weather I know I am.

Until later,
Michael

I am very exciting and frustrating all at the same time, I just got done installing Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 this is the second time I've played around with this program the idea of having a program that would correctly convert my speech to text is very exciting! Unfortunately my experiences have been very unsuccessful but maybe this time it will be different I shell out the big money for the newest and latest version and hopefully a little work will have it working but I hope it can. So please take this into consideration when reading my next couple of updates because I will be trying to dictate them so forget playing the grammar police and give me some lenience :)

until later

Michael

Have a disability makes life tough, having an undiagnosed disability is even tougher. I have been diagnosed with CMT (MD), but the other forms of MD which I have are undiagnosable at this point. I try not to dwell on my physical problems but the past couple of months my physical condition has been leaving me tired, sore and just feeling off. Doctors have offered little help other then med adjustments which haven’t been very affective. So I pray and hope for a break.

I haven't updated in awhile I know. My life has been going along, as of late it has been super crazy: My Aunt Died, My Grandma has breast cancer and one of my teammates Died. What a couple of weeks and to add to it all I've been feeling crappy for weeks. But i am still above the dirt, so complaing seems kind of petty.

Thank you for the comments on my last post, comments make updating more fulfilling. I am supposed to meet up with Carolyn this weekend but I don’t if it’s going to work, which won’t be good but time will tell. I have sports practice tonight and Dad and I are going out to dinner.

I haven’t updated in forever I know. Let me see: my x-mas was good, I am ready for summer breeze’s instead of winter storms, I’ve been “healthy” meaning no er visits, I am just going day by day. In the near future no BIG plans.

As society has evolved so has Medicine, this is easily visible for example for hundreds of years diseases such as Polio, Chicken Pox, & Pneumonia would almost always be fatal. Today Polio is all but gone, Chicken Pox has a vaccine and Pneumonia is usually treated outpatient with antibiotics. However many medical treatments didn’t pan out i.e. leaches were used to “bleed out the illness” not a real effective procedure. Then there is some areas of medicine that are seemingly unchanged i.e. the prostate exam. I find these examples great reinforcement of the commonly used statement: “Medicine isn’t an exact science.”

Being disabled medical advancements are very exciting to me, not only those that deal with MD but medical advancements in general. So when Stem Cell Research first came into play the excepted benefits were very interesting to me, but then the words “embryonic stem cells” were uttered Pro-Life Advocates protested this and said that embryonic stem cell research would mean destroying potential life.
The argument of Pro-Life Advocates isn’t without merit. However have they ever looked at it from the disabled person’s point of view? The benefits of Stem Cell Research are far reaching; Spinal Cord Injury isn’t the only potential disability that Stem Cells could help. Then there are the quality of life issues that SCI as well as other potentially curable disabilities can cause. So from where I sit sacrificing POTENTIAL life in the form of embryonic stem cells would possibly open the door to a whole new life for Millions of people currently living life with a disability.
Then there is the biggest issue of all, funding! Last year it is estimated that the Federal Government spent 18.5 BILLION dollars on Aids & HIV while by the same estimates Stem Cell Research received a mere 643 Million dollars more than 17.8 BILLION dollars less then Aids & HIV. Not to mention that Stem Cell Researchers are limited to 21 lines of existing embryonic stem cells. Do researchers for Aids & HIV have a limited number of vials of blood to test with, NO!
I see this as political mumbo-jumbo. Where in the constitution does it say the government can cherry pick what disability or disease is entitled to more funding?