For those of you waiting with baited breath. the fairy cakes turned out to be absolutely delicious.
Today I was kicked in the chest by a cyclist whilst toddling along minding my own business on my motability scooter. It wasn't a mindless act of violence just another example of how invisible you become when sitting on one of these things. This is how it happened. I was riding along the pavement past an ATM machine when suddenly this cyclist swung right in front of me forcing me to stop, then without even appearing to notice me he swung his leg over the back of the bike to dismount and kicked me square in the boob and arm. He looked so surprised and then glared at me as if it were all my fault. Git! If I'd have been able bodied I'd have had him off that bike and in the hospital so bloody quick, but I'm not so I can't and I resort to a few choice words and leave.
Unfortunately this is par for the course when riding a motorised scooter or being in a wheelchair. Mostly the public reaction to you can be quite amusing, occasionally it can be painful. In the past I have been bashed around the head with a wire shopping basket by two women who were far to busy gossiping to notice me. The two main reactions are opposite ends of the spectrum. There are those that won't look at you, they go to great lengths to not look at you and I have had people are so intent at not looking at me that they have lost track of where I am and have fallen over me. Then there are the 'I'm not embarrassed by your disability and am going to prove it by helping you whether you want it or not' brigade. Contact usually starts with the following:-
'So how are we today?' This is done while either squatting in front of me or bending over at right angles to ensure full eye contact. Well 'we' are not deaf or stupid so please don't talk to me as thought I was a thick toddler with a hearing problem. You get the picture. Then there are the ones who take sneaky peeks when they think you are distracted and try to work out what it wrong with you. The eyes immediately go to your legs as they try to work out a) if they are your own legs and b) if they are your own legs what's wrong with them. I personally prefer the honesty of children, they come up and ask you what's wrong and I have no problems telling them.
I hate using a scooter or a chair but I can't get away from it, especially if visiting somewhere like Watford which we were today. We like to go around the charity shops looking for books, you can find some real gems and of course they are much cheaper than in somewhere like Waterstones. Unfortunately this means a lot of walking and so a chair is essential.
Today I've been reading up on one of the new therapies being developed for PH. This is being trailed in Canada and so far is looking pretty promising. A man there has been give stem cell treatment so essentially his body is healing itself. So far progress has been so good he has been able to come off some of his drug therapies and is doing lots of stuff he couldn't do before. It sounds wonderful and so much safer than transplantation but of course we don't know the longer term effects. Could it really be cure or just a temporary reprieve? Who knows but I'd be first in the queue to try it if every they decided to set up a trial in the UK If only.
Britain's Got Talent is back tonight! This is a very guilty pleasure but I just can't stop myself.
15. Learn to juggle
16. run a marathon.
Today I was kicked in the chest by a cyclist whilst toddling along minding my own business on my motability scooter. It wasn't a mindless act of violence just another example of how invisible you become when sitting on one of these things. This is how it happened. I was riding along the pavement past an ATM machine when suddenly this cyclist swung right in front of me forcing me to stop, then without even appearing to notice me he swung his leg over the back of the bike to dismount and kicked me square in the boob and arm. He looked so surprised and then glared at me as if it were all my fault. Git! If I'd have been able bodied I'd have had him off that bike and in the hospital so bloody quick, but I'm not so I can't and I resort to a few choice words and leave.
Unfortunately this is par for the course when riding a motorised scooter or being in a wheelchair. Mostly the public reaction to you can be quite amusing, occasionally it can be painful. In the past I have been bashed around the head with a wire shopping basket by two women who were far to busy gossiping to notice me. The two main reactions are opposite ends of the spectrum. There are those that won't look at you, they go to great lengths to not look at you and I have had people are so intent at not looking at me that they have lost track of where I am and have fallen over me. Then there are the 'I'm not embarrassed by your disability and am going to prove it by helping you whether you want it or not' brigade. Contact usually starts with the following:-
'So how are we today?' This is done while either squatting in front of me or bending over at right angles to ensure full eye contact. Well 'we' are not deaf or stupid so please don't talk to me as thought I was a thick toddler with a hearing problem. You get the picture. Then there are the ones who take sneaky peeks when they think you are distracted and try to work out what it wrong with you. The eyes immediately go to your legs as they try to work out a) if they are your own legs and b) if they are your own legs what's wrong with them. I personally prefer the honesty of children, they come up and ask you what's wrong and I have no problems telling them.
I hate using a scooter or a chair but I can't get away from it, especially if visiting somewhere like Watford which we were today. We like to go around the charity shops looking for books, you can find some real gems and of course they are much cheaper than in somewhere like Waterstones. Unfortunately this means a lot of walking and so a chair is essential.
Today I've been reading up on one of the new therapies being developed for PH. This is being trailed in Canada and so far is looking pretty promising. A man there has been give stem cell treatment so essentially his body is healing itself. So far progress has been so good he has been able to come off some of his drug therapies and is doing lots of stuff he couldn't do before. It sounds wonderful and so much safer than transplantation but of course we don't know the longer term effects. Could it really be cure or just a temporary reprieve? Who knows but I'd be first in the queue to try it if every they decided to set up a trial in the UK If only.
Britain's Got Talent is back tonight! This is a very guilty pleasure but I just can't stop myself.
15. Learn to juggle
16. run a marathon.
Isn't that called karma, sorry, carma?
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