My name is Linda Farrow.  I am 67 years old now, but at the age of 48 in May of 1991, I was diagnosed with Spinocerebellar Atrophy while living in Rochester, New York.  I am not certain of which strain of “SCA” I have. 

     I’ve since moved from New York to Florida, where I ultimately found some support groups to attend that led me to meet and train with Dr. Tom Clouse.  Today, I consider him my personal friend and will refer to him fondly as “Doc.” 

     The first thing I noticed about “Doc” when I met him in Orlando is that he moves very gracefully for someone with SCA.  I went home and checked out his website.  I decided that this was the person I wanted to learn from to overcome my movement issues.  Later, during another NAF meeting I attended in Tampa,  “Doc” not only spoke to the group – I witnessed how he literally took a wheelchair-bound patient, worked with him for a bit, and enabled the man to walk - unaided – across the full length of the room! 

     Needless to say, “Doc” trained me, saying that I would have “Aha!” moments from the work that we did together.  I didn’t think about that too much, until one day I had one.  Before “Doc’s” training, I always had to use my hands to pick up my feet and put my legs into my pants.  One time, as I was dressing, I didn’t have to do that.  I paused, and said “wait…I didn’t have to use my hands to guide my foot into my clothes.  This was my “Aha!” moment.  Simple little things like that mean so much to me.  “Doc” has helped me in more ways than he could ever know, and I wish him all the luck in the world for his future endeavours. 

     On his recommendations, I’ve since started a daily walking program.  I also ride my three-wheel bike and swim in the pool in the RV park where I live.

     Anyone is welcome to contact me by e-mail.  But I’d like to leave you with a message that I live by: I may have Ataxia, but Ataxia does not have me!  And it never will!  

          Linda Farrow
            lndfrrw@wildblue.net
              Thonotosassa, FL