Tag: disability

Justin Furstenfeld gig at Band On The Wall 18/10/14

So this weekend I went to see Blue October’s lead singer Justin Furstenfeld doing a solo tour (The Open Book Tour) at Band On The Wall in Manchester. I’m not going to review the gig or anything, although it was amazing, but I going to talk about my weekend.

I was a little nervous about going because I’d never been to the venue before but as it happened I needn’t have worried.

There was a ramp into the building and the staff were really helpful. They’d reserved seats for my friend and I, just like they said they would, and a member of staff led us to and from our seats at all points of the gig. I’ve kept the piece of paper that said the he seats were reserved for me as a memento too, along with my ticket.

The other members of the crowd were lovely too and no one complained at having to dodge round my walking frame Martha to get by me.I know it sounds silly but I sometimes feel self-conscious at things like this that I might get in other people’s way or whatever, but I didn’t feel like that at all that night.

Justin was amazing and he played quite a few of my favorite songs. It was really good to listen to his story and it was nice to hear everyone singing along.

I would definitely go back to this venue if they had a band or artist I wanted to see. This is more than can be said for some of the places I’ve been to, which shall remain nameless.

Going somewhere new with Cerebral Palsy

I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t sometimes get a little bit nervous when I go somewhere that I’ve never been before,  especially if I’m alone.

This weekend a friend and I are going to a music gig in Manchester. I’ve been there a few times and I really like the city so that’s not what I’m nervous about. What does make me a bit wary is that I’ve never been to the venue or the hotel that we’re staying in before.

Of course, I’ve phone ahead and arranged seating for my friend and I as it is a standing event. The venue have been really helpful and said that they’ll arrange a space with some seats for us and I’m pretty sure they have a disabled toilet but that isn’t essential to me.

We haven’t reserved a disabled room in the hotel as we’re only going to there one night so I should be able to cope without a shower, but had we been staying there any longer, or had I been going for a job interview then I’d have had to do it that way. We’ve tried to pick places that are close to where we need to so that it will be easier for me walk there because I’ll be taking my walking frame Martha.

I’m not too worried because my friend is coming with me so i haven’t had to plan as much as I might have needed to if I was going alone. Although things like this can take a lot of planning, and sometimes do not always go to plan when I get there, I never let that put me off. I won’t like my Cerebral Palsy get in the way of me doing all the things I want to do. I haven’t been to many gigs but i love music so I hope to go to lots more in the future.

How do you plan for these kind of trips?

My happy Monday

I’m starting this week on a high. If you’ve been reading this blog over the last few weeks then you’ll probably know that I’ve been having a lot of extra aches and pains die to my Cerebral Palsy that has been keeping me awake at night and things have been hurting constantly. BUT I’m really pleased to say that over the past week or so things have got back to my state of normal and I’m sleeping soundly at night again and feeling a lot more comfortable during the day.

This is a huge relief because it was starting to get me down if I’m  honest. I think it was just a blip after all. Thanks to sticking with me, I know my blog hasn’t been the most fun reading the last couple of weeks.

In other news, my family are starting to notice some improvement in the tightness of my muscles since I had my Botox injections done about a week-and-a-half ago.

I’m really happy today.

An ‘almost-fall’

This morning I had what I like to call an ‘almost-fall’. I felt myself wobbling and knew that I was about to fall over backwards. If I did, I knew I’d crash into my radiator and washing basket. Yes, another washing basket. I seem to have the knack for falling into those, don’t I?

In the couple of seconds I was rocking back on my feet, at least one image of what might happen if I didn’t stop myself flashed through my mind. I heard myself gasp and flung my arms out to grab the chair next to me. I worked, I was fine. No harm done. Well, not this time anyway.

The thing is, I think ‘almost-falls’ can be pretty scary. Not quite as scary as actual falls, but sometimes they come pretty close. Sometimes they can be funny afterwards, like if I was about to fall over nothing, of if it was the sound of the toaster popping up the toast that made me lose my balance, (don’t you just hate it when that happens), but most of the time they leave feeling a bit unsteady for a bit afterwards.

I do talk about falls sometimes – like my infamous gravy fall – which I think will be mentioned in our house every time someone makes gravy until I move out – but I don’t tell you about every single one. Most of the time I just trip, but sometimes it’s scary, but most of the time, I can thankfully laugh about it afterwards.

Do you dream of appointments?

I do. Quite often actually. Mostly about physio and orthotics, where I have my most common appointments. Last night was one of those nights. I was wandering round and round the hospital looking for the orthotics department but I couldn’t find it, and pictures of various members of staff, (some I knew and some I didn’t), dressed like Tudor royalty lined the walls. It was a strange dream.

Other times I’ve dreamed that I’ve been given new pieces of equipment to try out, and woken up in a panic when I can’t remember where I put it, only to realise moments later that I was never given it in the first place.