A couple of weeks ago, whilst at the golf dinner, I was kindly offered the use of a wheelchair friendly holiday house about an hour and a half up the coast by one of the guests. Over the last 12 months I’ve yet to have the opportunity to be away from either hospital or family house mostly because of the logistics that go with being a quadriplegic. In my case, I still have 2 carers who come in every morning to help me out of bed, use the toilet and assist with showering as well as dressing. In the evening another carer helps me to bed. In addition I currently sleep on a customised air mattress to minimise the changes of developing pressure sores which are common for people with paralysis given their lack of feeling and immobility. These can be very dangerous and eventuate in skin graphs and extended periods in bed. So it was with great excitement and some caution that we began plotting. (more…)

As it was Grand Final weekend in the National Rugby League (NRL) it was time to initiate my English girlfriend, Sarah, into the game. This meant we ended up at a very good friend’s house with a handful of others on Sunday afternoon for a couple of beers and what was a very entertaining match. The true Australian chivalry emerged as all good couch seats were offered up to the boys at an early stage by the respective girlfriends and wives. One of the pregnant girls even sat on the floor to guarantee her husband pole position. Now that’s commitment. (more…)

My week started with an unusual occupational therapy angle when the family celebrated my auntie’s 60th birthday at a local teppanyaki restaurant (Japanese restaurant where the food is cooked on a hot plate in front of you). During the preparation, the chef, in this case Habib (ironic given it was an oriental restaurant), continued to throw various food items which we were meant to catch either in our mouths or in a small rice bowl in front of you. Given the dexterity, in my arms and hands this obviously presented quite a challenge. However, Habib’s accuracy somewhat made up for my slightly mal-coordinated effort. In addition, it was the first opportunity for me to try my hand at chopsticks which will clearly require a lot more practice as I resorted to stabbing at food on my plate. Overall, quite an entertaining night. (more…)

You don’t get many better starts to the week than when you’re girlfriend who you haven’t seen for three and a half months arrives from the UK, covered in chocolate and strawberries and a whipped cream bikini…. apologies, my imagination got the better of me there.

Just hours after she walked through the door, it was time to glam up and head off to my old school chapel where a childhood friend was to be married. I was pleasantly surprised when, on arrival, I noticed the three large sandstone steps at the entrance of the church had been replaced by a long concrete ramp. Unfortunately, the aisles which, from memory, were relatively narrow, had not been suitably changed for wheelchair access. (more…)

This week has been a bit up and down in terms of therapy because I have managed to pick up a UTI (urinary tract infection) which are relatively common for most quadriplegics, especially those with full time catheters. The first signs of the infection are normally increased spasms and tiredness as my body tries to fight back. Discoloured urine is also normally a give away but a small upside is that the discomfort which I am told accompanies a UTI is limited for me given my lack of sensation. I now appreciate why so many girls favour vodka and cranberry as their chosen tipple, given the berry’s miraculous antibacterial qualities. As you can imagine, its very frustrating having to sit out of scheduled exercise sessions, however necessary to recover quickly. A short course of antibiotics I am assured clears things up within a week. Fingers crossed these will be few and far between. (more…)

On Saturday night a good friend’s 30th with a Bollywood theme presented my first opportunity, since being in a chair, to dress up. Given it was quite a small venue with loud music, I found it quite challenging to converse to any great effect until the crowds died down a little. This seems to be a common theme from the few experiences I’ve had recently at inner-city bars. That said, it was a good chance to catch up with a number of old friends, one of whom was reprimanded by the manager for dancing on the tables. In her defense, she replied “Can’t you see I’m with a quadriplegic” – not the most politically correct defense but still very amusing. (more…)

On Friday night it was time for the hotly anticipated second lift opening party. This one for the young guns. Given my current predicament, it was a change for me to sit back and watch the afternoon preparations unfold with Penny and Martin (my sister and brother) in full control. As it is the first time that Penny, Martin and I have lived together at home for almost 15 years it was a rare opportunity for all our friends to share a few frosties together and meant upstairs at 5 Ferry Street was bursting at the seams. Luckily we had prepped the neighbours who didn’t mind as most of them were at the first opening. Rumour has it that Martin was still entertaining on the balcony as the sun came up . The ‘graffiti wall’ which we set up in the lift made for some interesting reading the following day. We clearly have to make these events more regular in the future. (more…)

The weekend started with a trip to the State Theatre in the Sydney CBD for a good friend’s birthday celebrations and farewell party as she sets sail for the Big Apple. Given her background in song and music and the amazing venue, much of the night was spent enjoying the various acts which her friends and musical connections were performing. It was also a rare opportunity for me to slip on a jacket and make a bit of effort with the hair! As you can imagine, not something I do for my daily therapies. (more…)

This week it was finally time to pick up my toxic green (built for speed) manual wheelchair from Moorong which was fitted out to accommodate my slightly larger than average frame. As my ability to manoeuvre myself around independently is still minimal it is very important to have the specifications perfect. Although it has taken a couple of days to get used to it, I think we are pretty close and thankfully I can still make it around the obstacles and through all the doorways at home. A phone call to the lift manufacturer at this point could have been quite embarrassing. (more…)