Disabled and let's do it?

sunnyone

Parva wrote: »

Thanks to all for the excellent responses, it's certainly given me some ideas! Also, I like the idea Sunnyone but it took me long enough to adjust to using my left leg to control a car, I'm not really wanting to learn to adapt to hand controls (interesting though the idea is). Not having a pop, it's just not for me.

Wildwestfan, that idea really does intrigue me as Spain would be a much better starting option, I would only be going VIA France because I had to, I didn't realise that I could bypass it completely!

LadyMarmalade / Mojisol, I shall look into them in great detail, thank you both.

And for anyone else I haven't mentioned, thank you regardless, some very constructive posts here and much food for thought.

Thanks one and all for the constructive input, it's really fired me up to do this proper.

Hand controls are simple and easy to use, and to be blunt I orgionally wanted a left foot accelerator but the Regional Mobility Center told me I was better off with hand controls (which I hadnt even considered at the time) because when you cant use one leg at all you will get osteoarthritis in the other hip/knee within a short time and would find it painful to use the pedals longterm.

My friend manged just over six years witha pedal shifter beofre she began having problems wiht her useful leg.

It was the right thing for me because I have now been reclassified as having post traumatic paraplegia.

People are amazed at how easy hand controls are, dont discount them. They are also free with motability cars, you can get them on your next car alongside the pedal shifter so that you can try them when you feel like it just incase you need them one day.

What did the center say at your assessment?

Parva

sunnyone wrote: »

Hand controls are simple and easy to use, and to be blunt I orgionally wanted a left foot accelerator but the Regional Mobility Center told me I was better off with hand controls (which I hadnt even considered at the time) because when you cant use one leg at all you will get osteoarthritis in the other hip/knee within a short time and would find it painful to use the pedals longterm.

My friend manged just over six years witha pedal shifter beofre she began having problems wiht her useful leg.

It was the right thing for me because I have now been reclassified as having post traumatic paraplegia.

People are amazed at how easy hand controls are, dont discount them. They are also free with motability cars, you can get them on your next car alongside the pedal shifter so that you can try them when you feel like it just incase you need them one day.

What did the center say at your assessment?

They were happy that I would be fine with the left-foot accelerator and I'm seeing no problems as yet two and a half years on. I do try to keep the leg as active as I can mind, often getting up on crutches to do stuff. I'm certainly not discounting hand controls and as you say, it may become a necessity in the future but whilst I can I'll carry on with the foot method. It was a frightening 6 months drilling the new pedal arrangement into my head after the loss of the right leg, it's not something I want to repeat until I absolutely must.

sunnyone

Parva wrote: »

They were happy that I would be fine with the left-foot accelerator and I'm seeing no problems as yet two and a half years on. I do try to keep the leg as active as I can mind, often getting up on crutches to do stuff. I'm certainly not discounting hand controls and as you say, it may become a necessity in the future but whilst I can I'll carry on with the foot method. It was a frightening 6 months drilling the new pedal arrangement into my head after the loss of the right leg, it's not something I want to repeat until I absolutely must.

I still had some moverment in my left leg when I relearnt to drive and I went for the pedals for quite a while, I kept trying to sit on the very right hand side of the seat so I could hit the pedals if I really needed too.

It was the crutches that finished the wrecking of my pelvis/lower spine, I refused to use my wheelchair for over a decade, I hated it and wouldnt have it in the house. They use to sneak it into the car for days out but I would only use it when I couldnt go on any longer. The docs didnt believe that I had enough function to use crutches and they took them away from me but I just got some more, I had a very queer method of using them but I managed.

Once your pelvis has lost its integrety its vunerable, while its an unbroken ring its very, very strong, it takes some force to damage it but once its broke its fluffed, I assume yours will be similar since you have had some of it removed?

Parva

sunnyone wrote: »

I still had some moverment in my left leg when I relearnt to drive and I went for the pedals for quite a while, I kept trying to sit on the very right hand side of the seat so I could hit the pedals if I really needed too.

It was the crutches that finished the wrecking of my pelvis/lower spine, I refused to use my wheelchair for over a decade, I hated it and wouldnt have it in the house. They use to sneak it into the car for days out but I would only use it when I couldnt go on any longer. The docs didnt believe that I had enough function to use crutches and they took them away from me but I just got some more, I had a very queer method of using them but I managed.

Once your pelvis has lost its integrety its vunerable, while its an unbroken ring its very, very strong, it takes some force to damage it but once its broke its fluffed, I assume yours will be similar since you have had some of it removed?

I had a hemi-pelvectomy so yes, some of it was lost in the op. As I said, I will consider hand controls when the time comes but for now I'm happy as is.

HB58

I really hope you are able to take this trip Parva, especially after the couple of years that you have just had! Do come back and tell us what you decide

Parva

HB58 wrote: »

I really hope you are able to take this trip Parva, especially after the couple of years that you have just had! Do come back and tell us what you decide

Cheers HB58. I just need to sort another medical issue before I can do this but I am determined to do it one way or another. I've got a Motability car that's up for renewal in March next year and it's not even done 6,000 miles in total yet. Given that I was easily doing over 20,000 miles per year in my early days of driving and even 12,000 miles per year in later life prior to losing the leg I feel it's a travesty (and total waste) having a new car and not at least getting some use out of it.

The majority of the mileage that's on it currently has been done by my son running around on my errands and as it's due to be replaced in March 2015 I am questioning whether it's worth giving up my HRM considering that I tend to get shopping on click and collect (yes, requires son to pick it up but could have it delivered cheaply enough).

I've also missed my holidays abroad into sunnier climes and as I explained earlier, it's not the plane trip that bothers me per-se, it's the hassle of finding a disabled friendly place in a disabled friendly setting. I could probably get a 1 week or two week trip to Europe at a disabled friendly hotel but that doesn't make the location accessible, I may end up stuck at the hotel for the duration. The idea of doing it in the car is two-fold, firstly it's an adventure in the car alone and secondly, if the town / city you stay at is not wheelchair friendly it's no problem, just chuck the wheelchair in the boot and move on.

The best holiday(s) I've ever had have been to Fuerteventura in the Canaries (whilst on two legs) purely because I hired a car and got away from the regular tourist areas and went deep into the heart of the country where tourists rarely see. This is the point I'm getting at with the road trip, you get to see and experience so much more than you ever would on a plane overflying the real towns and villages that tourists rarely see.

Anyway, apologies for waffling. I am certainly extremely determined to go and have two more than capable 'carers' who are dying for the chance to go too so I'm pretty sure that this is going to happen - once they both get their passports renewed.

Edit: Both can drive too if it proves too much for me (son and an ex-girlfriend who is now an extremely good friend, yes I know I'll need to sort the insurance if she drives it mind).

Parva

sunnyone wrote: »

Once your pelvis has lost its integrety its vunerable, while its an unbroken ring its very, very strong, it takes some force to damage it but once its broke its fluffed, I assume yours will be similar since you have had some of it removed?

Forgot to add, thanks for the positive outlook. I'm not for one moment suggesting that your experience won't happen to me in time but I'd like to think that we're all of different ages and different degrees of mobility and I'd like to think that the one remaining leg I have might see me beyond the 50+ age bracket (which is a few years off yet).

I've lost a leg yes, and part of the hip / pelvis, yes but I refuse to think that I cannot manage on one leg and that I am going to lose control of that leg anytime soon and require hand controls in a car. I'm sorry Sunnyone for the way things have turned out for you and also glad that the adaptations have worked for you but please don't try to assume that I will become even more disabled than I currently am because of your own experience. I'm not into the "mine is worse than yours" argument but I will say that although mine is a struggle, I refuse to let it stop me doing anything and if you ask me in 5 years, I hope to still be driving with that left leg!

margaretclare

I sympathise with anyone wanting to get away. Going on holiday is what *normal* people do, isn't it, and why shouldn't we all do it.

DH had a 4th replacement of the same knee after the 3rd one blew up an infection which turned to septicaemia and nearly killed him. We'd only started having automatic cars and, as I was told by the man at the garage, you can forget you have a left leg. Now, DH can only get into the driver's side of the car because his left leg won't bend far enough to get round the A-frame, so I don't get to drive much any more, only when I go out on my own. There is, and has been for the past 6 years or so, a strong possibility that he'll need that L leg amputating. We've been on an Easyjet flight to Alicante - I wanted to fly from our little airport, seen it grow over the past few years (been featured on the Stobart TV programmes) but really, it involves an awful lot of walking and being cramped in little space, which is difficult for DH to get comfortable because of the leg.

Early Sunday morning we leave for Switzerland, driving. One night stop in France near Verdun, then staying near Interlaken. Last year we drove up to the west Highlands and all over the highlands and islands. It's what we like doing. We don't like being told where/when to stop, what time to eat, so we don't go for cruises or coach tours. We also, if we go abroad, prefer avoiding our own nationality, eat the local food, try the local language, which isn't possible if you go on a coach tour or cruise!

I've had pelvic damage. I fell over and hit a granite kerbstone, fractured the anterior part of my pelvis, but fortunately, 8 weeks non-weightbearing on crutches and it healed up good as new.

DH prefers using one crutch. He's been told he should use 2 sticks but he doesn't like to. He does his own thing, does what is comfortable for him. Can't argue with that.

Cyclamen

I could probably get a 1 week or two week trip to Europe at a disabled friendly hotel but that doesn't make the location accessible, I may end up stuck at the hotel for the duration.

this is what bothers me.. neither of us can drive due to health and I use 'electric wheels'.

Even in the UK with loads of research i ended up unable to visit places i had thought and been told were accesible. So overseas is a bigger issue.

I really wish you well and would love to hear how it goes..

I'm building my health up slowly and would love to go somewhere with my husband on holiday in the future although I am no where near as ambitious as you.

Good luck and happy holiday s

malebolge

I'm wheelchair bound and have gone on trips to France & Belgium, admittedly not driving myself. The euro train on-line booking system asks if any passengers have a wheelchair, and they make sure you are at the front of the train. This is great as you're on and off first. The ferry has lifts but isn't as wheelchair friendly with lots of stairs dotted around. If you go by ferry, I'd advise turning up very early because the cars are parked close together and you can't get a wheelchair through them, so you need to be parked near a lift. I also felt a bit of a nuisance as I had to be 'parked' where people had to walk round me on deck. Staff were pleasant but I did get the feeling that I was a hindrance they'd prefer not to have. I had to ring beforehand and was told I could only travel if I had an able bodied companion. The Chunnel was by far the better option. As I said, I didn't drive, but I can make some observations on the roads. If you've never driven before abroad, the same thing applies to disabled drivers as does to any driver - it's a bit of a strange feeling being on the wrong side of the road at roundabouts and junctions. Other than that, roads are fine. My biggest gripe is toilets. Very hard to find public ones (some are those weird metal time capsule things in the middle of streets) and harder to find disabled ones. Smaller cafes sometimes have unisex toilets or ones totally unsuitable for wheelchair users. Shops - same as in this country really. Some are great, some not so. Same with hotels/gites. I do speak reasonable French so I think that has helped on occasion. I do think it might be an idea to take a little break in somewhere such as France or Belgium to get a feel for the roads and to suss out any problems first, but I'm sure none are insurmountable. Enjoy yourself - you only live once