Should I really get that excited?

Oscar_The_Grouch

Trialia wrote: »

I guess now you'll know better - not looking disabled doesn't mean you aren't!

Too true!! Other than the wheelchair, I look fine!!!

Oscar_The_Grouch

sunnyone wrote: »

I have damage to the full lengh of my spine and my lower spine has several fractures and crush injuries which results in crusiform spasms when I am suddenly wrenched in to a yanked backwards cross spasms but I drive, there are many meds that can help control it, that and copeing stratergies mean I can minimise the affects of the spasms.

Trying to explane spasms is always interesting, to me its like the kids wooden toys that you press the botton in and the animal or whatever go totally limp then you release the bottom and the figure is suddenly ridged, that what it feels like to me, someone yanking me ridgid in an abnormal position.

I get pulled backwards - my head, neck and shoulders all clench. On a pain scale of 1 to 10 it's about a 9.5 but only for a fraction of a second, then it's gone. When it's down one side and only gets the left or right shoulder, I find myself either heading towards parked cars or oncoming ones!!

It's been likened to tourettes but without the vocal element.

I also have problems with my legs, which doesn't help...

The last lot of tablets the GP gave me stopped the pain, but increased the spasms. The fog in my brain was awful - it's hard to string a sentence together when your head is full of syrup! I'm not due for my 1st visit to the pain clinic for 2 months, but never mind.

pipkin71

I didn't feel happy about all the 'free' stuff because I knew why I was getting them and would have been far happier if I hadn't been in the position of needing to apply

It's one of those things though - grateful we live in a society that does take care of us, sad that I need taking care of

Good luck with adapting, OP

Indie_Kid

pipkin71 wrote: »

It's one of those things though - grateful we live in a society that does take care of us, sad that I need taking care of

I agree. I was talking to a friend of mine who has a disabled child and he said the same. He said that whilst the blue badge does come in useful; it's something he would rather not have.

Oscar_The_Grouch

Thanks Pipkin and SH for your comments. I appreciate where you are both coming from here; adapting to a disability is difficult and my wife still shouts at me for trying to do too much and damaging myself, but too much is about 10% of what I used to do!

The thing is; I can still walk, even if it's only 20 yards. I am able to communicate clearly (other than when taking gabapentin - they didn't agree with me) and I can type for about 10 minutes. Most of all, I have a wife who will shout at me if I go too far, because she loves me.

What I can do now may be only 10% of what I used to do, but it's better than nothing. Nothing is what an awful lot of people are left with. So I think being happy about small things is good. I appreciate that there are people who suffer very badly from depression and I am very thankful that I'm not one of them.

welshmoneylover

sunnyone wrote: »

Your glasses will soon break when you realise that you still cant park because blue badges are only for on road parking and council car parks and not private land like supermarkets where disabled bays are full of healthy people who dont want there nice cars dinged in ordinary bays so you still cant park and get out of the car into your wheelchair!

You are correct in your observation of blue badge holding is not a legal enforcement in a car park.

It does allow parking on double yellow lines on the main road, I do wish people would have the sense though and not park on a bleeding bend in the road.

I was nearly involved in a head on collision earlier cos some knoob had parked his blue badge car on a bend, the screech of the other cars tyres are still ringing in my ears.

Consideration should be given to disabled people and to able bodies people.

Oscar_The_Grouch

welshmoneylover wrote: »

It does allow parking on double yellow lines on the main road, I do wish people would have the sense though and not park on a bleeding bend in the road.

I was nearly involved in a head on collision earlier cos some knoob had parked his blue badge car on a bend, the screech of the other cars tyres are still ringing in my ears.

Consideration should be given to disabled people and to able bodies people.

It's not just the blue badge holders that do this. I work in the insurance industry and I've seen some claims involving people doing increadibly stupid things. The last "blind bend" claim I saw involved a parked car and a cyclist. It wasn't pretty and there wasn't a blue badge in sight.

But this thread is not about the Highway Code; it's about enjoying the feeling when good things happen!!

jazabelle

welshmoneylover wrote: »

You are correct in your observation of blue badge holding is not a legal enforcement in a car park.

It does allow parking on double yellow lines on the main road, I do wish people would have the sense though and not park on a bleeding bend in the road.

I was nearly involved in a head on collision earlier cos some knoob had parked his blue badge car on a bend, the screech of the other cars tyres are still ringing in my ears.

Consideration should be given to disabled people and to able bodies people.

Sorry, how is this relevant to the thread? Someone comes to celebrate something positive to help them have a normal life, and you use it to have a moan about blue badge holders?

Today a random guy cut me up by driving across the road in front of me. Clearly all drivers are idiots. Or, you know, that one guy was. Just like that one blue badge holder, which does not equal every blue badge holder.

Please don't bring this thread down, let us share the good things without being attacked.

Adaline

The Blue Badge makes the biggest difference to my life, so I understand your excitement OP. I got my disabled bus pass for the first time last week, and did a little inner dance (as the outer version isn't possible any more!) at that as well!

welshmoneylover

I hope you both enjoy your new found freedom, get out there folks and enjoy the things you used to do