Kathy Walker

Greenfield Central High School

Class of 1973

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Kathy Walker - Class of 1973 - Greenfield Central High School

First Name	Kathy
Last Name	Walker
Graduation Year	Class of 1973
Gender	Female
Hometown	Greenfield, Indiana
About Me	Portland, Oregon has been my home for over 24 years. I love the Pacific Northwest. This is my story... and I'm sticking to it. I grew up in Greenfield, IN. I now live in Portland, OR. When a sophomore in HS, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's, a cancer of the lymph system. I underwent radiation therapy. I ended up leaving school. Then, the Hodgkin's reoccurred when I was 17. That pissed me off! I returned to HS with renewed determination while also withstanding the pleasure of chemotherapy. So I started with the class of '73, but graduate with the GCHS class of '75. After graduating from DePauw University, I accepted a graduate assistantship in the PE at Oregon State Univ. With Maji, my Manx cat, as my co-pilot, I headed west to Corvallis. The week before Thanksgiving, I was feeling a bit homesick... missing my family & my Mom's cooking. As I drove through an intersection, a woman ran the light and t-boned me. I remember thinking, "I don't want to die in Oregon." Another seven months in Oregon made me rethink my position. Still, I accepted a graduate assistantship to return to DePauw & get my teaching credentials. Maji & I headed back to the Hoosier State. As I was crossing the State line & saying "Goodbye" to Oregon, I vowed, "I do want to die in Oregon!" It took five years, but I made it back here. One more significant piece of information to toss in at this time, is that, while at OSU, I came out. Yes, folks, the rumors are true! I am gay. What an epiphany it was to be able to recognize, name and embrace my sexual orientation. Though I've had a couple long term relationships, I am now single & quite content to remain so. I've concluded that my need for independence & space outweighs any desire for a life partner. It will take one hell'ova woman to change my mind. Now, back to our regular scheduled saga. I couldn't find a teaching position. I began working with adults w/developmental disabilities and found my niche. Here in Oregon, I worked with adults w/DD, physical & sensory impairments. For seven years, I was the legal guardian for a very special woman with Down Syndrome. In 2000 I switched to working w/adults with chronic mental illness. Now, I only work part-time. After years of misdiagnoses, in '06 a benign tumor was found compressing my spinal cord by 90%. (Caused by the radiation treatments of long ago.) Surgery was not too successful. My resulting condition is termed "incomplete paraplegia". It took five weeks of rehab to be able to walk again. When my brain sends a signal to do something, my legs often reply, "We'll think about it & get back to you". I walk like a sailor returning from a good shore leave! Cane or walker are always close. To drive I use hand controls. Mom & Dad moved to Port Angeles, WA in 1995. They celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary in 2009. Sadly, Dad passed away in Feb. 2010. Mom followed in May 2010. If 1000 years on earth are but a day in heaven, they were apa...(read more)