Entry 9: Snow and battery failure

(photograph courtesy of DJ) 

It's been a bit of a strange week, and I've been really struggling with coming up with this week's blog. It's probably because I had loads of plans that then got cancelled, with me being stuck indoors for many a day due to loads of snow and ice, low temperatures and a rather healthy level of fear of catching pneumonia again. I've been watching on Facebook as people uploaded their photos of the fun and frolics they've been having, making snowmen and snow angels and throwing snowballs at one another. Whilst being joyful at not having to actually leave the house to do anything, I also felt like I'm literally watching life pass me by through my window, especially as I only had one visitor the entire time. It made me a lot more aware of people who really are stuck indoors all year round who don't have anyone around them to support, and no way of connecting with people. Particularly the elderly and frail. Unfortunately this only served to make me chomp at the bit even more to get out the house, so that I could go around and visit people that I was worried about when I myself should actually not be leaving the house.

Oh, I am just so sexy in those specs!

Fortunately, by the time I really did need to go out for yet another eye appointment, the snow had mostly melted. I still however, had to succumb to the rather degrading blanket across the knees as it was sleeting, and the temperature was around 0°. I felt like a right old bag! These days I'm quite accomplished at swallowing the lump of pride that rises in my throat when I have to deal with embarrassing/undignified situations that being quadriplegic leads to. I'm always aware of it, though. Some days I choke over it, and other days it goes down as easy as a Flake desert. But it's still there.

Getting out was really refreshing and I decided that now there was no snow I really should make more of an effort. After all, why should I let a bit of frozen water stop me from getting out and about? Other disabled people don't! I know paraplegics, whilst probably not exactly relishing the thought of wheeling through snow, still would be getting on with their life, and frankly, with the right sort of power chair, there's no need to quibble at a little bit of snow. I probably did my body and chest a disservice, and insisted on going out the following day to walk a friend's dog, and then pop in on someone else for a cup of tea. Alas, I had failed to take in to consideration the battery on my chair. Because I'd been indoors for five days on the slowest setting, I'd not needed to charge it up and therefore halfway through walking the dog it became very apparent that if we did not make a pit stop and charge me up, we would not be finishing the walk at all.

Unfortunately, even with the pitstop my chair battery did not survive the journey round and on the way back I slowly came to a grinding halt. I'm just glad I managed to cross the road first! So, another mini adventure, not dissimilar to the one mentioned in my previous blog, although this time I'm not stuck in mud – I'm simply out of power. I ended up having a very nice gentleman who could see I was in dire circumstances push me back the rest of the way… Luckily it was just round the corner and not too far. This power chair ain't exactly light! I can practically hear my mother groaning at my stupidity, 300 miles away… Sorry Mum!