My name is Richard F. Hill II (the 2nd.) (AKA) Rick. I was born Jan, 27 1968. So now you know when my Birthday is so you can send me lots of gifts or cash. (Just Joking.)

Here is my shameless plug. I would much rather work, I am a web designer, if you are interested in having a web site please click here.

Ok with shameless plug out of the way.....

Hello and thank you for your time, and browsing my little web site.

Here I will try to explain the reason behind my site, about my life, and living with this diseases.

Living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy type 3 (SMA-III) has more downs then it has up's. When I would sleep I would get a feeling in my legs as if I was being stabbed with a burning hot knife. I only assume that this burning stabbing feeling was muscle tissue dying off. I can't honestly remember the last time I have been able to run or even jump.

When I fall down (at home) I have to crawl to my bed and wiggle and contort myself to get laying flat on my back, then I can pull one leg and tuck it under my other leg so I can push myself back up to a standing position using with my arms. I haven't been able to stand up using my own leg strength, well it has been at least 15 years now.

I had a fall in the shower in Nov 2004 and tore a leg muscle. I thought I broke my hip. I have to back into the shower and I bring my walker in the shower with me now. At the time of my fall I was only using a walker part time. But after that fall I now use a walker full time. I have become dependent on my trusty walker.

I have two wheel chairs, one manual and one electric. I have never used my electric, and it has sat so long the batteries are dead. The manual wheel chair I have my very near and dear friend Brad gave to me. Because he doesn't have the arm strength to move himself around any longer, and has to depend on his electric wheel chair. I use my manual wheel chair when a walk would be to much strain on me. I use my manual chair when I was going to school....we come full circle again here. I can't stand up from a sitting position using my leg strength.

And with my current medical issue. I have a torn shoulder ligament. This may have been caused from a fall that happened in the middle of 2007. It could be do to the fact that I can't stand up without using my arms to push myself up. I really need my arms to function and if I need surgery to repair this torn shoulder ligament. Let's just say this will put me out of commission for a while.

Up until this point I have not had any pain that is directly or indirectly related to having SMA-III.

I honestly can not think of any good points to this diseases.

But it has made me who I am. I know my limits, and I try to cope the best I can.....In the end that is all anyone can really do when fighting the good fight!