Honestly, I've been a little nervous to write out another blog because my last two were such hits. I got so much positive feedback and felt like I really had a listening audience, that I wanted my next topic to be just as informative and captivating. There's so much I can talk about- accessibility struggles, emotional and physical obstacles, the stigma around disabilities and common misconceptions, and the list goes on and on. Those are the things I want to talk about, especially if people are listening to what I have to say, not just about me and my life (because it's really not that exciting, haha).
However, I do have a few things I wanted to mention since the last few weeks have been so eventful.
- I have been driving everywhere and have actually gotten pretty good at getting my chair in and out of the car. I no longer look like I'm struggling and have no idea what I'm doing. People still stop to help, but instead of denying a helping hand, I accept it with gratitude. I changed the way I thought about it and instead of looking at it like people are thinking I can't do something on my own, I take it as an opportunity to educate others on my wheelchair and how it works.
-I only have two courses left to take for school--and I'm taking one of the two over the next couple weeks. Speaking of school...I knew I'd be getting back to clinic soon, but everything happened pretty quickly and I now have a start date of August 21...as in just a couple weeks away!! I have pretty much only clinic time left to complete (and my three parts of boards), so that's all I'll be doing for the next year/year and a half.
-I finally found an accessible apartment within my budget and signed the lease for a year (in Philly!!) It's a small studio and I'll be living by myself. I've never been completely on my own, so even if the wheelchair weren't part of the equation, this will be a huge step. I always had a roommate or multiple roommates. This is going to be the biggest change for me and I'm a huge ball of emotions-- excited, anxious, nervous, you name it.
-I have an appointment on the 28 to trial a standing wheelchair to see if it will make things easier in clinic. I have tried a segway type electric standing chair and it was pretty awesome, but they weigh so much and I don't have a wheelchair van with a ramp. The one I'll be testing out is manual, like my regular wheelchair and only weighs about 35lb, so I'd be able to transport it myself. I'm really hoping I will like it and that it will benefit me in clinic. It will also help me cut back on therapy time outside of clinic, because I'll be able to multitask and be doing some of my required weight bearing and strengthening throughout the day.
I feel like I have a million things to get done before I move and just thinking about my to do list is exhausting. I'm also trying to think ahead about anything I might need since I'll be on my own. Little things, like do I have a laundry basket that'll sit on my lap without falling so I can make it to and from the laundry room on my own? Do I have enough reachers to put in several different places in case there's something out of my reach? Do I have a tray that I can keep on my lap so I can carry things from one place to another? I'm just trying to think ahead to all the possible obstacles I might encounter in order to try to avoid them. (So if you have any suggestions, send them my way!)
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