Have you ever been out in town and seen somebody on a mobility scooter or wheelchair get up and walk in the shop? Or maybe you’ve seen somebody who looks perfectly healthy get out of a car they have just parked in the spot for disabled people? If you are anything like I was before I fell ill, you might think these people are faking and milking the system for benefits and attention, but you’d be wrong, just like I…
A year ago today I got my wheelchair! I was almost completely bedridden at the time. Walking just a few steps every hour or two just to keep circulation and muscles alive was a chore. As a family we were house-sitting in the Lake District at the time. It was a long term arrangement, so was kind of our home away from home, but I had been confined to an upstairs bedroom and was unable to get out to see…
As a thirty-something year old woman, who looks perfectly healthy, walking around a supermarket with a walking aid most commonly used by the elderly can bring up all kinds of feelings. When elderly people who are clearly struggling are walking around the same supermarket without any mobility aids, the looks you get can cause an odd mixture of gratitude, shame and even guilt. Today has been such a good day! After spending most of yesterday in bed, today I managed…
