Wheely Brilliant
Last night I wrote with nervous excitement about my appointment with NHS Wheelchair Services this morning. We got off to a wobbly start because the taxi I’d booked was 45 minutes late and the longer we...
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Changing Places Means Changing Attitudes
For over a decade Mencap have run Changing Places, an amazing campaign to improve toilet provision for disabled people across the UK. Changing Places toilets are loos that meet a specific set of...
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Let’s Talk About Faff
I delivered a training session today for a media company who are making a documentary about Tourettes. Often when I’m training people on issues relating to inclusion and equality I talk about the need...
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Picture The Pain
For the last year-and-a-half I’ve been experiencing chronic pain in my back and hips which often keeps me awake at night. Despite having written about it a lot, I still haven’t worked out how to...
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Medication’s What I Need
Because of the chronic pain I’m experiencing, which I’ve written about a lot recently, I’m under the care of my local pain clinic and my GP, and I’ve got a range of medications to help me manage the...
View ArticleIn Celebration Of Social Workers
A couple of days ago I got an unexpected call from my Local Authority’s Adult Social Care Community Review Team (what a mouthful!) The woman I spoke to was very friendly and explained that she needed...
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The Elephant Penis In The Room
Just after Christmas my friend Lottie told me about a product she’d seen at a trade fair – a wearable hot water bottle. She thought it might be useful in helping me to manage the pain I’ve been having...
View ArticleBed Day Breakthrough
I’m not very well today, but acknowledging that, and saying I’m ill, is something I find hard to do. I’m used to identifying as ‘disabled’ within the context of the Social Model. To me, saying I’m a...
View ArticleDevoted, Disgruntled, Invigorated
In January 2014 I was having a tough time. I’d recently developed dystonia in my hands, which made it hard for me to use them. I had to learn to do things in new ways, like pulling my trousers up or...
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My Monastic Chamber
I had a visit last week from my occupational therapist (OT) whose job is to make sure I have everything I need to be as safe and independent at home as I can be. Over the last year or so I’ve been...
View ArticleA Wee Issue
While it may sound a lot like a ‘crap boast’, one of the things that used to wow my friends was how quickly I could go to the toilet. I used to pride myself on my powerful pissing – I could be in and...
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Commending Commodes
I’ve never had a strong bladder. One of the most agonising experiences of my childhood was trying to hold back an urgent wee on a trip to Ikea with my dad. And the time I pissed in his construction...
View ArticleBed Rails and Bryson
A few months ago I wrote about how much I’d been enjoying listening to writer Bill Bryson’s adventures as I went to sleep. My chronic pain over the last couple of years has been having an increasing...
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The Straw Fan
Over the last few months I’ve seen a number of groups calling for a ban on disposable plastic straws. Campaigns such as ‘Straws Suck’, ‘The Final Straw’ and ‘The Last Plastic Straw’ are but a few of...
View ArticleMelancholy Magic
In thirty minutes Lily will arrive to do my night support and as soon as she gets here we’re going to head straight out for a swim. But by the time she gets here I want to be out of the melancholy mood...
View ArticleIn Praise of Gummies
Yesterday we flew for the few hours it takes to get from New York City to Portland. This is our first time in the state of Oregon and we passed over snow capped mountains and dense forests on the way....
View ArticleA Close Shave
While we’re here in Portland, Leftwing Idiot, Lily and I are sharing an apartment-sized hotel suite. I wrote the other day about the difficulties I’ve been having weeing and the bladder stimulating...
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Yellow Wins
A few weeks ago I went to speak at a National Trust event in Derby, which turned out to be a really interesting experience. Unexpectedly I also got to indulge one of my biggest passions – talking about...
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Body Cocktails
I’m currently on holiday with Fran. We’re staying at an all-inclusive resort in Spain with a large pool, clean accessible rooms, delicious food and drink available throughout the day, and it’s idyllic!...
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Dreamy Beds
When we arrived in our hotel room a few days ago the two beds looked quite different from one another. Both were single beds and covered in the same sheets – this was clearly a twin room – but one was...
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