United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

My 9th grade gym teacher called me forward and told me how different I looked. She told me, "You run funny and carry yourself unevenly." i thought it was impolite to bring this up, especially because my parents had spoken to her about what was wrong.

That is awful!

Oh Goodness, I agree with Marieke. As a parent of a child with OPBI, I would have had to embarrass that teacher right out of a job, I really dislike teachers like that !!!!! And am not afraid to tell them !
GAYLE
Brandon ROPBI

That is terrible. That teacher would be in court today if they did that.

I was always embarassed during gym, when everyone could climb the monkey bars and the rope and I couldn't.

Buffets for sure!! We have a Sizzler here and when we go they pile on 4 plates and 4 cokes plus silverware....My elbow sticks way out and I am always so scared I'm going to drop it. I haven't yet..knock on wood..but I've been close.

The other thing I hate is when I am at a drive up window and they go to give you your change. I am injured on my left side so when I put my hand all crooked and twisted up to get my change people always look at me funny. I have even dropped the change a lot. The people at the window always think it's there fault so I just let them think that. *L*
Rachel

10 yrs ago, when I was in 10th grade, my schedule got mixed up, and I ended up in a typing class for a week, while the administration was trying to correct this and put me in jazz band, which is what I signed up for. The teacher was being a total jerk to me for not wanting to participate in his class for a week. Every time i tried to do his typing drills, sharp shooting pains went up my left arm, and when I stopped typing, he'd give me crap about it. At this point in my life, I was totally ignorant to what Erb's Palsey was, although I've had it since birth.

TOLL BOOTHS. I believe that toll booths are curses because i'm injured on my left side, and anything that i must reach out of the car to pay, take a ticket from, or swipe out the window is very difficult... therefore i now have an e-z pass. Before that though, a man actually had to GET OUT of his toll booth and come over to my car because i couldnt reach him! Also, a friend made me go to a drive up atm one day... i had to open the door and basically flip upside down so i could reach the buttons and whatnot...yeah that was embarrassing...
~Mel

I forgot about toll booths. I am also LOBPI. The last time I can remember having to use a toll both was when I went to Camp UBPN 2005. I pulled up as close as I could to the booth, and stuck out my right hand. When the person in the booth saw the effort I was making, they reached out as far as they could, and made it work.

I avoid drive through ATM's as much as possible. If I have to use one, I get out of my car and stand in front of the machine to do it. No one has honked at me yet, or said anything to me either, but it's still embarrassing. Also, drive through ATM's are made for people who are sitting, not standing. It can be difficult to read the screen. This makes it take longer for me to use the machine. This, in turn, makes me uncomfortable.

Joanie

Gym class was always the worst. The ropes were impossible. So I'd just stand there like an idiot, staring that the rope while the other kids climbed. I'd really have preferred to sit it out. Not sure why the teacher thought it was better for me to stand there. Still a li'l pissed about that, can ya tell?

I'm ROBPI, so handshakes are a pain. When I'm in a particularly salty mood, I'll just extend my left hand and let the other person feel uncomfortable and confused.