Adult w/slight CP, suggested exercises, plus wondering about other things

This has a few facets, so bear with me.

First, I was diagnosed with very mild CP at birth, I would walk but just didn't have strength as quickly to do thigns like open jars. Now, I'm 40, and just wondering if anyone has this as an adult & how you exercise; I walk a couple miles a day at least or ride my exercise bike. My doctor says that's good for now, but I wonder if anyone has other recommendations.

Second, I only recently learned CP is a neurological condition, not a muscle one as I'd thuoght. An MRI after a fall last year also showed I have a wee bit of Dandy-Walker, but nothing huge to affect my mind; in fact, I've got above-average intelligence.

This makes me wonder about some other things I've got; does anyone experience neurological symptoms like these with CP? I actually wondered if it could be a touch of Asperger's, but one of the big factors for AS *isn't* there.

After reading some posts on here, I have a question regarding some symptoms that seem much like Asperger's, and yet some biggies that don't.

I can be very literal at times, but still get humor very well. I love Abbott and Costello; I think it's hilarious how they take *everything* literally. I don't get sarcasm, but most other jokes, I tend to get, though I'll take something that's said literally till I know the person tends to joke a lot. So, reading people is hard, but I can get by. However, if someone comes at me with something unusual (mistaking me for someone else, for instance) it takes me a few seconds to figure out hw to respond and what's going on. Same with other new situations, unless I can analogize.

I can really focus on one subject. And yet, I love to learn about everything. I always did. I've made it a point to be interested in others' interests, becuase I love to learn. (One problem can be that I don't understand why others wouldn't. So, maybe learning can be an Aspie interest?) I can't converse about every single topic, but I can share some stuff, or at least make jokes to show I'm trying. (Mentioning my first car was a Matchbox, for instance, or reminiscing about my Flintcycle, when other guys discuss cars.) I've got visual and hearing problems, but that doesn't totally eliminte all the senses coming at me in a crowd; I just can't make out faces unless they're really close, in a crowd it's like they all run together. (It's coloboma of the choroid (sp?))

I also enjoy making friends; I don't always discuss deep thigns with them, but I've gotten better at that. I just don't always go up to others right away and start friendships. I also have a very vivid imagination, including a variety of imaginary friends I used; I had names for all 100+ of my stuffed dogs when i was little, and still have many; I feel more comfortable with things I grew up with. In fact, I probbly wouldn't have had the intense stress of my job I did in 2000 and 2001 if I had started talking with them earlier, as it is hard to tell people exactly what I'm feeling.

So, I have a number of Aspergers traits - literalness, wordiness, a slight bit of social awkwardness, having trouble with change - but, the one everyone talks about, I don't have much of. Are there other things besides Asperger's that coudl account for the others? Can Cerebral palsy, or Dandy-Walker? It's like I don't have one big thing (well, except for the vision and hearing), it's like instead, I have a number of little congenital conditions.

[notsoplanejane]

Well, this is interesting to me, b/c my son was just diagnosed with DWV at age 18, by "accident", is basically asymptomatic, but is extremely literal... he is of average intelligence and also has a great sense of humor and can be quick witted...
He too focuses on one new thing at a time, until it runs its course.  

[Lifehasbegun]

I am 27 year old with spastic cerebral palsy. It affects my whole body (some areas more than others). I was born with it, but did not actually get a diagnosis until this past Novemeber. The delayed diagnosis was due to them thinking the type of cerebral palsy I would have be less likely diagnosis due to my intellegence level being at an average level. I have seen many neurologists, had many tests, ect... and it all came down to the diagnosis finally being made. Well, anyway...

I had a problem keeping weight on as a child and teenager due to digestive problems related to my cp and being active (in a different way that the avererage joe...I ajusted my movements in a way that allowed me to be active, but there was a lot of falling!!!!)

Due to medication at age 18, I shot up from 105 to 220 in a little over a year. I ranged from 195-220 since 2006. Having cp and weighing that much played havoc on my body. My body does not ajust, it starts to put all it's systems into a whirlwin and shut down. I became more and more immobile and came to a point where I could barely walk, bend, lift myself up etc...

This was devestating to me, so I decided to do something because my doctors were at a loss and there was little assistance. I started taking a water arthritis class to just be able to move. That was a great starting point. I could do things in water that I couldn't do on land. After I gained enough mobility, I stepped out of the water and made up my own routine, which has grown and developed since November. I have gone from 204 to 185 since November...which is great, but not the best part. I have gained a lot of strength and have begun to develop my muscles in some fashion in a way they can develop i guess. This adds to my balance and coordination.

The exercises I do are many different ones (I have a grad bag for each day). They include:

Walking: If I can walk...I walk. I have started to notice the less I move during the day... the worse my spasticity is.

Sprints: The sprints I do on the grass because the payment is to much force hitting my feet. I started doing these because I wanted to build up my lungs and work on having a stable breathing pattern. This is a slow...once or twice a week practice... because I need to do it safely.

Dance: I do my groove thing in my home to any music I like and just dance.

Aerobics, Strength: I do not use weights. I can't because they cause injury. I have done really well though doing body weight exercises and aerobic exercises that are adapted to make injury less likely and allow me to even do the exercise in most cases. These adaptations I did on my own and took some from pt.

Non-impact boxing: I box but do not hit anything while doing the punching moves.

Stretching

I don't overdo it by taking breaks when I need to during the week and stoping when my body tells me to..

This was long, but that's the gist. I hope I answered the initial question