My wheelchair arrived yesterday and was quickly assembled and admired (although it may need a trip to the lovely Naomi at Pink Sky to make it a little less black...) so all that remained (in the midst of a stomach bug) was an outing!
Well the first thing I noticed was that the pavements around here are no supermarket! I can quite happily zip around Asda for an hour (occasionally being forced to stop suddenly-not fun when you hands are the breaks-to let through the ruder people in life) but a half hour excursion in the wheelchair was another matter altogether!
After a rocky (litterally, parts of the pavement are so bad my wheels were leaving the floor forcing me to rock my way over) 15 minute roll I retreated without reaching my target of the bus stop. I estimate that from my starting point the bus stop and back it is roughly 200yards or 183metres and I was roughly 60 yards short leaving me with a somewhat underwhelming 128metres travelled. Anyway I arrived back home breathless and completely knackered and collapsed on the sofa secretly pledging never to do such a stupid thing again!
Trip two-yep I tried again!-went a little better, having got the feel of things yesterday I knew a little more how to handle the (literal) bumps in the road and I actually got going a little bit and needed a few less rests. i arrived back after 30 minutes (again) having managed the extra 60 yards to the bus stop and back completing my 183m target! In addition I got home and climbed the stairs to get the post before sitting down rather than collapsing!
So what have I learnt from this experience?
Well the first thing I noticed was that the pavements around here are no supermarket! I can quite happily zip around Asda for an hour (occasionally being forced to stop suddenly-not fun when you hands are the breaks-to let through the ruder people in life) but a half hour excursion in the wheelchair was another matter altogether!
After a rocky (litterally, parts of the pavement are so bad my wheels were leaving the floor forcing me to rock my way over) 15 minute roll I retreated without reaching my target of the bus stop. I estimate that from my starting point the bus stop and back it is roughly 200yards or 183metres and I was roughly 60 yards short leaving me with a somewhat underwhelming 128metres travelled. Anyway I arrived back home breathless and completely knackered and collapsed on the sofa secretly pledging never to do such a stupid thing again!
Trip two-yep I tried again!-went a little better, having got the feel of things yesterday I knew a little more how to handle the (literal) bumps in the road and I actually got going a little bit and needed a few less rests. i arrived back after 30 minutes (again) having managed the extra 60 yards to the bus stop and back completing my 183m target! In addition I got home and climbed the stairs to get the post before sitting down rather than collapsing!
So what have I learnt from this experience?
- The Paralympians really are superhuman! the 30minute 200m race would not be popular!
- When you put plasters on your blisters they find a way to reappear a little higher up
- When you see a wheelchair user with the handles folded down on their wheelchair it isn't because they don't want help (well not totally) it's because in order to go uphill you have to lean back further than the seat will allow when folded up.
- Make sure Mooku-my housemates cat-is in the house otherwise he will help you home by zig-zagging in front of you as you make the uphill trek to the driveway.
- Sometimes, if the hill is really steep (or mildly steep like my driveway) you just have to go backwards or you will waste all your energy trying not to slide backwards-thing how easy it is to pull someting to you rather than push it away, that's how a wheel chair works.
- Hands do not make goo breaks! Bring on the calluses, these blisters hurt!
- Don't go home and tell the Tahora-my cat-how it was because she will register that you are talking to her and forget that her tongue is sticking out making your efforts seem somehow amusing (as I'm sure they are to a cat!)
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