I love my wheelchair!...

[Darthvadar]

I am probably going to surprise you all by saying that I LOVE using a wheelchair!...

You know how people often refer to people being 'Wheelchair Bound', or being 'Confined to a Wheelchair'?... Well, I have to say that I don't find my chair at all confining... In fact, I think using it is very liberating... I can do things using a wheelchair that I could NEVER do when using crutches... I can work (part-time, caring for Mum comes first), volunteering, socalising, etc...

I suppose my experiences of walking haven't been great... Always in pain, falling, worsening my heart, BP, and respiritory difficulties...

And then there are the definite advantages to using a wheelchair... My favorite shoes last forever... I can wear high heeled shoes without (a) ruining my feet, and (b) falling over and shattering my neck, not to mention my pride!... I never have to worry about getting a seat on the train, the bus, or the tram... And when there's a Cat-Burgalar in the neighbourhood, I'm never a suspect!...

Love to all...

Darth...

[David13]

You are a living example of how a positive attitude can make all of the difference in the world!   

[Sluff]

 

[Darthvadar]

Aaaaaw... Thanks David....

Can I take you home with me???... I do like having my ego massaged occasionally.... Oh and another advantage of using a powered wheelchair... I get to terrorise the other pedestrians!!!... When they see me in my Invacare Storm wheelchair hurtling towards them at six and a half miles an hour.... Ooooh yes... Like a rabbit caught in headlights, some of them... The look of sheer terror on their faces is SO satisfying!... And when I'm going over O'Connell Bridge in the centre of Dublin, they're almost diving into the river Liffey to get away from me... Can't think why!... After all, I'm prepared to compromise... I'll let them chose which of their legs I break... Now can I be any more acomodating than that, can I???...

Love to all...

Darth....

[Rerun]

Plus you can go 50mph down the mall.  You sound like you have a great attitude.

                         

[Darthvadar]

Yes.... But perhaps the local mall is not the place to be at top speed.... It's amazing how twitchy the centre management get... Can't think why  ... Chickens!!!... They don't have those feathers for nothing!... 

[aharris2]

...and, you have to beware of "Paul Blart, Mall Cop", he'll write you a ticket for speeding in his mall

[Darthvadar]

Oh A, I forgot all about Mall Cop... Haven't seen the movie yet... Should be good!!!...

Our local Community Garda (Irish Police Officer) is always jokingly threatening to haul me into court for speeding, bald tyres, etc... The teasing is merciless... Thank God, I can give as good as I get, and the poor guy usually comes off worse in the exchange... I'm a woman... I've had plenty of practice!!!...


Love...

Darth...

[RichardMEL]

lol Darth! you have an awesome attitude!! It's very uplifting!! As they say when you're handed lemons, make lemonade!

It's funny I was listening to the radio last night and they phoned a guy who was in the middle of Dublin (for St. P's day, of course) and he was talking all about O'Connell st, and the Liffey and all that. oh joy.. to be sure, to be sure!

Did you tie green ribbons to your chair/hair to celebrate???

I have a friend here who suffers from CP and she's in a wheelchair too but she's kind of like you it's not so much of an issue for her.. she just gets on with it and has this "never say die" attitude that's amazing.

So now I know two of you Actually I know 3.. I have yet another friend in the US and she's also a chair girl. She has this cool van she travels around in with an elevator and stuff for her chair.. she works from home as an editor and she has a bloke who travels the world with her. Such an amazing couple.

it is no barrier

[Darthvadar]

The thing is with the chair, Richard... People stop noticing after a while (until I run over their foot 'accidently'... ... To me the chair is simply a tool... A way of mobilising, nothing more... A hunk of metal... It's up to me to make sure that people see me rather than it... They hear me too... Surprise, surprise!!!...  Thing is people forget I use a wheelchair... For example... Read of some gifts I got for my fortieth birthday...

You know the feeling... You open 'that' gift... Then you have to paint a sweet smile onto your face and say "Why, thank you very much, Great Aunt Hildaguard... A bright pink, brushed cotton, winciette, nightie, and matching passion killer knickers with double gusset... Just what I've ALWAYS wanted!"...  . Although to be fair to you Richard, I'd say they'd suit you!!!...  ...

Anyway, you can imagine how much I 'enjoyed' the following...


1. An absoulute mountain of boxes of choccies, including a large box of Walnut Whips... I've a severe nut-allergy!...   

2. Several cases of champagne... Never drank alcohol in my life!... 

3. This is the best... Five friends decided to club together to buy me a really special gift... They did... They bought me a five day sking and snowboarding holiday in Austria... There's just the small matter of me being a wheelchair user!... And when I pointed this out to them between bouts of hysterical laughter, one of them said in all seriousness "Oh sh*t... We totally forgot that you're a wheelchair user!"...     

What can I say to that!!!!!....

Love...

Darth...
.

[G-Ma]

 

[RichardMEL]

ahem.. I prefer my women in the slinky nightie and the killer knickers... but I digress

I think the whole thing about your friends not "seeing" you as a wheelchair user is actually the ultimate compliment to YOU - as in seeing YOU as just being YOU without the other stuff (although I consider extremely STUPID giving you champers and the skiing thing.. what were they thinking???).

It reminds me of the time, many moons ago, when I was trying some contact lenses. As you can see from my pic I have to wear fairly thick glasses - so it's not something you don't notice. Well I went to uni one day wearing my contact lenses I was trying out expecting everyone to go "oooh! aaah!" or something.

I waltzed up to my friends.

I waited.

I waited.

and they said NOTHING!! It was just "Hi ya" and the usual.... now unlike me they're not blind!! I was thinking "what the...?"

so after awhile I felt like I was in a movie or something and just had to ask "So do you notice anything different about me?" and I swear seriously someone asked "What did you cut your hair or something?" NOBODY FREAKIN NOTICED!!!!! 

So the point *I* took from that was that to them I was just me and after awhile they just didn't notice my "coke bottles" (a pity the girls out there do notice on first inspection and so I just don't pass muster ) but that was a very interesting lesson for me... and a valuable one.

I think it's something similar there with you and your chair. I'd say the skiing thing (and the champ) was them reflecting on your personality and how outgoing and confident you are.. your party spirit sort of thing.

As for the bubbly reminds me of my father not one but TWO years in a row. I'm on dialysis. Like most dialysis folks I'm on pretty tight fluid restrictions. It's my birthday.. what does my father give me? A BOTTLE OF FRENCH BUBBLY!! I mean what the heck was he thinking??? So I pointed it out to him the first year and he was like "uh oh.. umm you can share it with your friends" (I took it to the unit and shared it with the nurses ) but why he gave me another one the next year??? that was just crazy.. I just rolled all 4 of my eyes and thought "whatever" and didn't bother mentioning it to him. Old dogs I guess....

So what happened with that skiiing trip - did they manage to change it somehow? Or did you just go to Vienna and eat apple strudel? 

 

[Darthvadar]

Ha Ha, Richard... The champers... Oh I know that feeling well... Booze is not my favourite idea of a prezzie.... Could be worse... Could be cigarettes... Grrrrrrrrr!!!!.... Guess what several drinking friends got for Christmas that year??....

I volunteer at a nursing home every Sunday, so I got to offload the choccies there...


The trip to Austria... I auctioned it off, and the charity I'm involved with got the procedes!...

Oh I took it as a compliment, but I had to laugh.... Have you ever heard the expression "I nearly wet myself laughing"... Well, I can take the word 'nearly' out of that!!!...

Oh and about the Winciette nighty, and Passion Killing knickers... I hadn't thought of them being for your women... I think they'd look well on YOU!!!!!.... ...

The glasses thing... I'd need a flipping guide dog if I didn't were glasses... Had to get THREE way variafocals... Top for distance, middle for computer, and bottom for reading... Hmmmmmm!....


By the way, G-Ma... Has anybody noticed the irony of having a dancing banana smiley on a dialysis website???... Is it potassium-free?... 

Love to all...

Darth....

[RichardMEL]

I don't need "passion killing" knickers or sleepwear to do that job. I've got my face for that. It seems to do the job just fine 

[Darthvadar]

I don't need "passion killing" knickers or sleepwear to do that job. I've got my face for that. It seems to do the job just fine 

Know the feeling..... Think the dog's having a better 'social life' than me... and HE'S neutered!!!!!....  ...

Love...

Darth...

[RichardMEL]

Guess I'll put a bag on my head then......

[Darthvadar]

Aaaaawwwwww no, Richard.....

Don't put the bag over your head.... I need to have that pic on my mantlepiece to keep the dog away from the fire!!!... Miiiaaaooow!!!!....

Sorry Richard... The devil made me do it!!!

Love...

Darth...

[RichardMEL]

lol you'll keep. Dogs as a general rule don't like me - so you got that right!!

[Darthvadar]

lol you'll keep. Dogs as a general rule don't like me - so you got that right!!

Ah... Oooh don't worry too much about Dougal's teeth in your calf... He's just 'tasting' you!!!...

Love...

Darth....

[monrein]

Er, ah,  Carolyn have you met Richard?  RichardMelterofHearts have you met Darth?  You two make a fine tag team.   

[Darthvadar]

Hi Monrein...

Er, ah,  Carolyn have you met Richard?  RichardMelterofHearts have you met Darth?  You two make a fine tag team.  

Never!!!... I'm too quiet, shy and retiring... What are you laughing at Richard, I'm a true shrinking violet!!!... ...

Trouble is Monrein, Richard's just a bad influence on me... I've gotten into bad company!!!...  ...

Love...

Darth....

[paris]

They sure do!  I am enjoying having someone keep up with Richard and match him word for word!!

[Darthvadar]

Surely you don't mean me, Paris?.... Not a quiet, shy, retiring Catholic girl like me???... Darn... Can't find the appropriate smiley.... The one that's wearing a halo!... ... You misjudge me!!!...

Love...

Darth...

[kitkatz]

Hahahahaha! Quite shy and retiring! Much like myself!


I feeling tired and low BP one day and used one of Target's electric carts.  Oh my God! You can get whiplash if you turn a corner and hit an aisle post.  OUCH!  Plus people do not look for you at that level! I got run into several times, and I ran into things too in aisles.  Dangerous driver!

[RichardMEL]

I met Darth in the other thread!!! We've already turned that into a PG-17 rated thread !!   

Shy and retiring innocent catholic girl. Yeah, and I'm the Pope!!