The past few months has shaken me to my core. Not being able to walk and get around and have to ask other people to do things for me (just really basic things) doesn’t come naturally to me. People are usually fairly obliging but it does get frustrating when you can’t do simple things yourself.
I accept I’m a big lad and have been ever since I stopped ridding my bike when I was a teenager.
Yet not being able to climb stairs and unable to walk for more than a few minutes is quite a challenge in this modern world.
Using crutches and not having a stable foot means you constantly have to be hyper aware of your surroundings. At the moment I’m one big slip and trip hazard.
I continually have to risk access my surroundings to ensure I’m safe. Today I was in Kmart and missed seeing a small piece of loose cardboard on the floor, my crutch compressed it hard on the floor and the crutchslipped. As I was NWB at the time I had a minor slip. You can get away with doing that now it’s called a warning sign, you really have to watch of for those. I’ve come close to stacking it a few too many times. But as long as I only come close I’m happy.
It’s the risk you take, stay at home = cabin fever, get out a bit = chance falling on your arse and feel stupid.
These past few months has brought me closer to my father who has lived with disability since his mid teens. Rather than just walking you are continually conscious of your environment.
Because my father and I have traveled a lot in the past couple of years, I’ve done my best to work out what his needs are. I’ve done a fairly good job I think as the feedback I have has been positive, however now through my own personal experience it gives me a great understanding of what he deals with on a daily bases. While it frustrates me I take strength in for me it’s only short term.
Things like the slopes from footpaths to doorways, Cafe de Vill’s main entrance is a too high gradient for me to manage easily, the proximity to the door is also a problem, as in your not standing even when you try and open the door. On crutches even PWB it’s very hard to not “crash” through the door as your trying to balance yourself and hold open a door at the same time. I know I’m a bloke and multitasking isn’t natural, but if your not balanced and you try and do something extra it’s when you fall.
The weight of doors and the strength behind door closure devices. There is nothing wrong with a heavy door, I can get it open, I normally have to hip and shoulder it to get it open and your generally can’t keep a heavy door open with a single crutch, especially if some fool hast put a strong door closure on it which is need, you do and I’m gone! Light weight doors even with closures on them are great, I can use one of the crutches to hold the door open, so I can pass through without needing help to keep the door open it amazes people how I’ve figured that one out!
One big one I had at work was access controlled doors, if the card reader was too far away from card which was on a retractable lanyard, the door strike would re arm before I could hold the door open.
Door handles! Those little buggers, trying to support (steady) yourself and get the door open partially if it’s a knob is a real bugger!
Flow of people in and around buildings / footpaths, nothing like getting caught in the way!
Yesterday I was using a scooter in a shopping centre and getting the speed right so you didn’t scare the living hell out of people was important, plus physically getting in and around aisles and displays was hard. I’ve not seen too many scooters reverse in a supermarket, as regular users know how to get around and not get stuck and have to go backwards! I’m still a beginner so I suck at it!
So yeah, put up with that for a few months and you’ll soon work out why I’m so rattled! Not to mention doing all of the above in chronic and unstable pain!
I wanted to blog on this as it’s going to prove useful in the future.