Rolling Rolling Rolling

Everything hinges on my ability to remain mobile. I've no option but to put all my efforts in enabling its repair. I've called up a wheelchair company I've become acquainted with during my stint as a volunteer for ShopMobility. GBL Wheelchairs have looked after my (t)rusty wheelchair since I first got her. Replacing the control box is possibly the best way forward however GBL have told me that a replacement control box would come to between £300.00 to £500,00 provided they can find one that is.

There are a couple of things against it. Firstly, they no longer manufacture my wheelchair. Which makes kind of sense I suppose. My Nippy is small, for wheelchairs that is, which means that she can be used on public transport. She has very good maneuverability (I can turn her on a five pence piece). She has a goodly range which is essential in such a hilly area as Brighton and the brakes on her are instant. Another essential ... especially when you are trundling around in a pedestrian area with people always cutting across. Secondly, I haven't £300.00 never mind £500.00 ...

But, and here is the real value in having a decent wheelchair repair service, they may be able to fix my current control box; given that I got her dried out as soon as possible and therefore have hopefully limited the extent of the damage. It will still cost between £100.00 to £200.00 and I will just have to hope that it is closer to the £100.00 ... I've been saving up towards the time when the batteries needed to be renewed so can use that and just pray that my batteries will last just a little while longer.

Bad things come in threes

Sometimes I have to go out and yesterday was one of those days. I had to visit an office in Brighton and it wasn't accessible with my wheelchair. So I did the usual ... I parked my wheelchair as close to it as I could, I put it in neutral and put a plastic bag over the controls. The weather is rather unpredictable at the moment.

When I eventually got back to my (t)rusty wheelchair the seat was soaked through but I've had a wet bum before and survived it. What my chair did not survive this time was the fact that some idiot thought the carrier bag I had tied over the controls was there for the removing. My controls were soaked through and the chair wouldn't start.

I managed to get home by getting a wheelchair accessible taxi. I've put the chair in my wet-room with the heating on all night to hopefully dry the controls out. I've had to do that more then once. But that is it ... the controls are all dried out but the chair has had enough. So no more trundling for us. Well, not for the foreseeable future that is. What is really annoying is that these things always happen at the worst possible time.

I must attend court today as I am to be a witness. That is the first thing to worry about. I can get there but I am not sure how I am going to get to the court room as it is extremely inaccessible. Steep chairs just to get to the front door ... ah well, I'll manage somehow and pay the price when I get home. The case is scheduled for a day and a half so I will just have to hope that I will be called today and will not have to attend tomorrow as well.

Lets see what needs doing ...

1. find out whether the chair can be repaired.
2. find out how much it is going to be.

and take it from there. Once I have found out how much it is going to be I'll have to figure out how I am going to pay for it. My funds are rather stretched as I have had no income since the 28th of August thanks to ATOS but I have no choice really. Without my 'legs', I am utterly helpless. But maybe I can sell my cooker and I can find another few things I can do without. I haven't really anything of any value as such but hey hop ... Look at it this way girl. You've a chance to do a de-clutter ;-)

Things that please!

How sad am I ... No, wait. I am serious about this. I am a real sad case and no mistake. On Saturday morning I opened my front door and there ... right in front of my disbelieving eyes ... finally and at long last after 10 months of waiting ... my very own runway to FREEDOM!!! The long awaited ramped access was there waiting for me to take that first step into the great big wide world without first having to heave a 73kg wheelchair over a 19cm threshold.

I was still in my PJs but didn't let that stop me ... there, at 10:45am on the 20th of October 2012, I trundled my wheelchair from the kitchen, through the front room, squeezed round the corner into the hallway and then ... wait for it, wait for it ... I trundled right out of the front door, down my path and to the pavement! It was GLORIOUS! And then, just because I could ... that and the fact that I was still in my PJs and slippers ;) ... I turned right around and trundled right up the path again, through the waiting front door, down the hall, into the front room and ended up with the chair coming to its final halt just in front of its parking and charging station in the kitchen ...

Later that day, I went out to meet my eldest for lunch and a trundling bimble round the charity shops in George Street, Hove. And when I came home, I just sailed in, with my shopping. I didn't realise how much of a difference it made in the pain levels. The level of pain was manageable and though I was tired, it was a good sort of tired and not the sheer exhaustion and excruciating, shoot me now please type of pain, I used to get every time I had to exit the house before.