Tag: Martha

Progress and success!

Today I have some exciting news for you all. Well, it makes me really happy, I’m not so sure about the rest of you, but I’m feeling really quite proud of my little self.

Those of you who’ve been following the blog for a while now will know that I used to have a lot of fears about taking my walking frame Martha on the bus by myself, because of access issues with getting on and off them, the amount of space she takes up while I’m on there, and my worries that there wouldn’t be enough room for her later on in the journey.

This had been a problem for me for a very long time and I was often too afraid to take the plunge to go in alone without an help because, let’s just say I’ve come across a few people being quite rude and being really quite unhelpful even I’ve had someone there with me. Thing is, I’m 22 now and I knew I had to shape up try face this sometime. So I did. It wasn’t easy. In fact, I found it really stressful. Sometimes I’d have to try really hard not to cry out of fear and relief at different times.

My mum would always ride the bus with me when I was going into town to meet my friends, then walk home again, only to walk back to town to pick me up again and take the bus home with me. As much as I appreciated her doing this, it wasn’t fair and I knew it had to stop.

Slowly, I began to feel more at ease if I timed my journeys so that they were evening ones, when the transport is quieter, but after doing I didn’t feel quite so uneasy, got excited and wrote a post about it telling you all I thought that I was maybe making some progress.

Well…

Fast-forward a couple of months and I honestly can’t remember the last time that anyone got the bus with me unless they just so happen to be heading in the same direction! I know now that if the bus gets too busy while I’m halfway through the journey I can just get off and wait for the next one if they’re regular enough and it doesn’t bother me now. Mum still walks me as far as the bus stop near my house, and meets me at it when I get back off, but I’m not going to turn having company to walk home with.

In fact, I was on a bus just yesterday and someone I’ve noticed a few times asked me if I was by myself. Not in a rude way, but in a pleasantly surprised one. I don’t know if it’s because this person recognised me too but had only ever seen me with someone else. A small, self-centred, part of me hoped that this was true and that they were, in a way, recognising my achievement without really realising.

I’d still rather take the train given the chance, but if you had told me at the start of the year that I’d feel so relaxed about buses I’d probably have laughed and said “not likely”.

This accomplishment may seem small, but I have surprised myself and managed something that I’d begun to doubt I ever could.

With that, I am happy.

Going Framelss

Yesterday, I did something that I hardly ever do.

I left the house without my walking frame OR my wheelchair. Get me, huh?

It’s not as impressive as it sounds really. I’d been out with my walking frame Martha at the weekend and accidently left her in the roof box of my mum’s partner’s car. That he’d just so happened to take to work with him.

Neither mum nor I realised this when we arranged to go out, but she said that it wouldn’t be too much of a problem because I could either walk around holding her hand or take my wheelchair. At this point I’m sure you’re all scratching your heads and wondering why I didn’t just take my chair right? Well, I’ll tell you.

To cut a long story short, my dear mummy hurt her shoulder quite badly a couple of months ago. Although it’s on the mend now (I think, in my non-medical, not being the one in pain, opinion) but she still has some bother with it and I was worried that her trying to get my wheelchair on and off the bus might make it worse again, which wouldn’t be good for either of us.

At first I protested that we wouldn’t go at all because I didn’t want to put too much weight on her either, then she pointed out that I could use the other one (seems so obvious now) so I gave in. On the condition that I try and do as much walking without her help as possible when were in the main shopping centre and I’d just hold her and when we were on the pavement and crossing any roads because I can’t get up and down the kurbs by myself.

It’s been so long since I walked anywhere like that without holding on to something at least it was so strange. As stupid as it sounds the shopping arcade seemed bigger than it had done in years because of all the extra space around me in Martha’s absence, and it felt a bit like I was walking around in a dream.

There were a few wobbles and Mum stayed a few steps behind me in case I decided to topple over backwards, offering advice on what to do if I felt like I was going to take a tumble. “Tuck your head in and roll” was one and “maybe I should take you to a soft-play area and push you over for practice was another. She was joking about the last one, obviously. I managed to stay on my feet. In a way, I’m glad I did it but it’s not something I fancy doing again in a hurry.

In case you’re wondering, I got Martha back in the end. I’m hoping it’ll be a while before she decides to have her next sleepover.

Just gotta keep on pushing

Many of you probably know by now that in addition to dear old Martha, I also have a wheelchair that I like to call Louise.  Although we’ve got some fond memories together, she doesn’t get to leave the house anywhere near as much as my walking frame.

My chair is a self propelling one, which means that I could sit in it and push myself around if I had to. On the occasions that Louise does get to come out and play with me though, there’s usually someone else in control of her. I’m not very good at it and I’m always scared that I’ll lose control and bump into those around me. Not good.

The other day when I went to the hospital about my callipers , I had no choice but to take care of myself. There were a couple of incidents of me bumping into a few door frames but it was mostly fine. In fact, I found it much easier than the last time I tried it, and got to where I needed to be much quicker than I ever had before so kudos to me, I guess. I still don’t have the guts to try and do it outside, or down any ramps or hills by myself but it’s a start. When I got my first chair at about 11, I attempted to take on the ramp in my local Woolworths. Not only did I hurt my hands trying to slow myself down, I also realised that I couldn’t slow down – or stop – till I reached the bottom. I never tried that one again.

I know, I know; I should, right? Practice makes perfect and all that jazz, but truth is I’m not really in it that much. There’s not really enough room for me to do it in the house  but maybe next time I’m in town I should take turns with whoever is my designated driver and say that I’ll get myself around the shops if they do the scary outdoors bit?

I’m still not sure what it was about last week that seemed easier than any other time I’ve had a go could actually be thanks to Martha. She the heaviest of any of the walking frames that I’ve had before because of her seat so  I’m starting to build some muscle for the first time in my life! This makes me very happy indeed.

Maybe I should have a couple of half an hour wheeling sessions a week as best I can in the garden , just to see what happens? Maybe it could be a good thing, for the future (you never know what might happen) and for my self confidence.

The sisters are doing it for themselves

Well, my little sister Sophie came to my aid again yesterday. I needed to wonder into town to collect one of my book reservations from the library (Joyland by Stephen King, if you’re wondering) and I’d already agreed to spend some time with Sophie while my mum ran some errands, so I suggested that we turn it into a girly shopping day. I knew she wanted to pick up some accessories for a new party dress she’s just got, plus it would give me the chance to spoil her a bit for all the stuff she does for me.

I was mostly expecting her  to say that she’d much rather have movie day because she loves the chance to choose a DVD from my collection rather than the family one, (just lately we’ve tried to watch the Addams Family Values about four times but we always keep getting interrupted), but she agreed straight away. She said she was in the mood to find something pretty for her new outfit. She even declined the offer to go and see Monsters University at the cinema afterwards, telling me that she wasn’t in a film mood. However, I wouldn’t have blamed her for backing out when I mentioned that we’d have to get the bus together.

Whenever we go out, it’s usually my folks who take care of the folding and unfolding of my walking frame Martha so today would be a first for her. She’s seen some of the challenges I’ve faced on public transport with mum around so I did wonder if she’d change her mind, but she didn’t. I showed her how to collapse Martha and put her back up again and she seemed to manage just fine. I gave her the option of staying home again, but she said she still wanted to go, so she helped me with my shoes and off we went.

I could tell that she was nervous, because she was really quiet as we waited at the stop. To tell you the truth I was equally nervous being the one responsible for the safe keeping of her mobile phone and spending money (courtesy of the Bank of Dad). Luckily when the it arrived there were no other prams/wheelchairs/walking frames so we were okay. She helped me guide Martha on safely, took her own seat and gave me a massive grin,

“Feel better now?” I asked. She nodded.

At the other end a nice gentleman helped me get off again and she took care of Martha. That was the hard part over with. I was so proud of her. If she was worried, it didn’t stop her from taking on the bus challenge with me. I tried my best to make sure she had some fun and even took her for milkshake, a very well deserved milkshake.  Oh, and some hairspray. And some hair clips.

Martha update

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog about my Nimbo Frame Martha being in need so some TLC after her seat became quite stiff and she developed a squeak.

I haven’t really used her since then because following that post we had a lot of rain and then I wasn’t very well so I gave her a couple of weeks much-needed rest and used my wheelchair for a while.

My Nimbo Frame Martha
My Nimbo Frame Martha

Now that we are have loads of glorious sunshine here in the UK, I asked my mum to get out the WD40 so that I could see if that made her any better and it did! Her seat now goes up and down without too much trouble and she’s stopped squealing whenever we go uphill.

I just thought you’d all like to know.