Unit1Livingwell
Reading：
MARTY’SSTORY
Hi,mynameisMartyFieldingandIguessyoucouldsayIam“oneisamillion”.Inotherwords,therearenotmanypeopleintheworldlikeme.Yousee,IhaveamusclediseasethatsometimesmakesmeveryweakandIcan’trunorclimbstairsasquicklyasotherpeople.Also,sometimesIamclumsyanddropthingsorbumpintofurniture.Thedoctorsdon’tknowexactlywhatiswrongwithme,sotheydon’tknowhowtomakemewell.Unfortunately,theycan’tmewhetherIwillgetworsgasIgetolder,orIwillstaythesameasIamnow.Ihavelearnedtoadapttomydisability.Mymottois:liveonedayatatime.
UpuntilIwasabout10yearsold,Iwasthesameaseveryoneelseinmyclass.Iusedtoclimbtreesandswimandplayfootball.Infact,IusedtodreamaboutonedaybeingafamousfootballplayerandrepresentingmycountryintheWorldCup.ThenIstartedtogetweakerandweaker.SomedaysIwastootiredtogetoutofbed.Iwentintohospitalfortests.Istayedtherefornearlythreemonthsandmissedalotofschool.IthinkIhadatleastobilliontestswhileIwasthere,includingoneinwhichtheycutoutapieceofmusclefrommylegandlookedatitunderamicroscope.Evenafterallthe
tests,noonecouldgivemydiseaseaname,soitisdifficulttoknowwhatthefuturewillbelike.
OneoftheworstthingsaboutmydiseaseisthatIdon’tlookanydifferentfromotherpeople.SosometimeskidslaughatmewhenIgetoutofbreathafterrunningjustashortwayorIhavetostophalfwayupthestairsandrestbeforeIcangetuptothetop.Sometimes,Iamtooweaktogotoschool,soIhavemissedalotoflessons.Everytimeafteralongabsencefromschool,IfeelreallystupidbecauseIamabitbehindtheothers.
Mylifeisaloteasierathighschoolthanitwasatprimaryschool.MyfellowstudentshavebeguntoacceptmeforwhoIam.Ofcourse,therewillalwaysbeafewwhocannotseetherealpersoninsidemybody,butIdonotgetannoyed,Ijustignorethem.
Allinall,Ihaveagoodlife.IamhappytohavefoundmanythingsIcandoreallywell,likewritingandcomputerprogramming.Myam-bitionistoworkinthecomputerindustrywhenIgrowup.LastyearIinventedacomputerfootballgameandabigcompanyhasdecidedtobuyitfromme.IhaveaverybusylifeandIdon’thavetimetositaroundfeelingsorryformyself.AswellasgoingtothemoviesandfootballmatcheswithmyfriendswhenIamwellenough,Ispendalotoftimewithmypets.Ihavetworabbits,fivemiceandatankfulloffish.Also,Iamtheonlystudentin
myclasstohaveapetsnake.Mypetstakealotoftimetolookafter,butIgetalotofenjoymentoutofthem.Ihavealotofstudytodoaswell,especiallyafterIhavebeensickforawhile.
Inmanywaysmydisabilityhasmademegrowstrongerandmoreindependent.Ihavehadtoworkhardtoliveanormallife,butithasbeenworthit.IfIhadthechancetosayone
