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About Me There is more to me than casting. I am twenty-three and live in Louisiana. My name is Grant, but I go by ACEman on #castroom. Call me either if you come to chat there. I am currently a graduate student in psychology. I hope to be a therapist (perhaps helping casters come out and accept their desires). I love music, movies, and reading. I minored in English so I even read Shakespeare. I listen to about any kind of music except for most rap and hip-hop. I can tolerate country music, a little. I love classical music, mainly piano and orchestral works (especially Beethoven). Classic, alternative, and most types of Rock n Roll does it for me. Jazz is cool too. Playing my guitar takes up some of my time, but not nearly as much time as I'd like. I love TV and beer. I do drink (and watch television) responsibly. The Beginning of a Caster Above are four pictures of me in two different types of ankle braces. At the age of fourteen I sprained my ankle playing basketball. Of course the sprain was not nearly as serious as I hoped it would be, but I was hopeful for at least a wrapping in an ACE bandage and crutches. This didn’t happen. After the excitement of the x-rays and the attention from the nurse and doctor I was optimistic of the future. I knew there would be no cast, but I wanted crutches. Since the age of about eight or nine I had the desire to use crutches. However, the doctor told me I needed to wear a lace up ankle brace (the two bottom pics above). I was defeated. The brace was great, more than I expected, but the lack of crutches left me disappointed. I had to think fast. A stockinet was placed on my ankle and the brace applied over it. The doctor then laced up the brace and folded over the excess stockinet on both ends and taped up my ankle covering the ends of the excess stockinet for support. I put my shoe on loosely and hobbled out of the room to the front. My mom awaited my return. I put on my best "oh I hurt" face and we left the clinic. Sitting in the backseat, I waited for the right moment. Suddenly I blurted out that the doctor said I had a mild to serious sprain (making this up on the spot and having no idea of the medical accuracy). I told her that the doctor told me that I may not need crutches unless the pain is to severe when I walk on it. With my pain face still going, I told her that the pain was bad when I walked out of the clinic. "Should we go rent some crutches then?", she asked. Bingo! For a week I had the crutches and by that time my ankle was almost healed. The crutches were returned but I kept the brace and still have it. The second time I sprained my ankle (age 16/basketball) I was able to get my grandmother to take me to the clinic. I received the stirrup brace (top pics) but no crutches again. I started the same plan. I told my grandmother that I need to go to the medical supply store and rent crutches like the last time. Of course she complied but the store wouldn't rent them. She had to buy!! That's how I got my pair of aluminum crutches. I still have them. The acquisition of my ankle braces and my crutches was a moment I remember well. The interest in wearing ACE bandages and my desire to wear a cast and use crutches dates back to the age of six or seven. My first important experience with the subject was a girl that lived across the street named Gretchen. From then on I knew I liked wrapping others and myself in bandages. I also knew I wanted a real cast. This latter desire haunted me my whole childhood and adolescent life. I envied all who had casts. I wanted to be them no matter the pain of the injuries. I dreamed of being in an llc or slc and using crutches. I even dreamed of wearing an lac and having a sling. However, I feared the attention that would be involved in wearing a cast. I was terribly shy and didn't like any special attention. I was torn. Before I knew of recreational casting, I was clueless to how I could get a cast or how plaster worked. I knew nothing of fiberglass and just thought that colored cast were painted or were just colored plaster. The desperation I felt in wanting a cast caused me to think of injuring myself. However, I never seriously make an attempt at this. From ages seventeen to twenty, I put the thought of casting out of my mind. I even got rid of my ACE bandages. But the fall semester of my Junior year of college, I decided to research the subject of "how to apply a cast" on the internet. This new tool (to me at least) opened up an easy way to research the subject. I knew if all the other fetishes could be found that information on how to apply casts could be found. Now realize that I wasn't looking for others who felt as I. I was just looking for info on applying and the supplies involved. Using Yahoo I found CastCentral Plaster of Paradise and a few others. It was like a cover had been lifted from something that I had been searching for years to find. I was Indiana Jones and I found the Holy Grail. I learned of the supplies involved and the method of doing each type. Soon #casters on IRC was created and I met numerous people like me. I wasn't crazy. I was freed. I wanted to cast. My casting didn't come quickly. I was patient. It wasn't until the summer after my senior year (1997) that I was able to cast. I lived alone. It was time. I found Moore Medical on the web, ordered a catalogue, and planned my way of ordering supplies and casting. My adventures in casting that summer was the climax in my long journey to reaching my dream. I am now content with my hobby of casting. I reached my goal of wearing a cast but I am far from finished. It is now the beginning of 1998 and I have plans of a longer adventure. I hope for many more after that. |