Hello my lovely readers!
Firstly, hugest thanks for the overwhemingly wonderful response to my extra post on Sunday, regarding my renewed resolution to improve my physicality - the support is very much appreciated.
Secondly, in relation to that, tonight's (much shorter!) post is essentially to document a rather exciting - and speedy - development. One of the main impetuses for my efforts, as mentioned on Sunday, was the difficulties I've experienced in recruiting enough Personal Assistance. These have been compounded by a number of different factors, but one of the most significant is that fact that I have, for the last eight years, required two people to help with all personal care - because that stretches my limited hours allocation even further. It also makes it difficult to organise logistics and can often mean that I have to hold on if I need the loo unexpectedly.
Due to this latter difficulty (which can often cause great discomfort), and spurred on by my independent standing at Wicked over the weekend as well as the increased strength that has been steadily developing in my legs, my lovely Fiona and Lynda suggested that we should try out a one-person transfer - since this is what I do with Mama.
Cue a controlled experiment in the spaciousness of the bathroom at my Leamington flat, with extra hands on call should they be needed. I am extremely pleased (and relieved!) to say that it worked and, moreover, was safe and comfortable for everyone. Huzzah. There are still elements to fine-tune of course and, for now anyway, this will mostly be a contingency for when there aren't two people around. Nevertheless, this was a huge breakthrough, on many counts - not least that my confidence in my independent abilities has increased enough for it even to be a possibility.
I was able to trust that my legs could support me without the safety net of someone behind me - and they lived up to that trust!
I haven't got photos because of the delicate nature of what we were attempting (a little British coyness to balance out the frankness of my last post!) but hopefully you'll feel the glee that emanates from my words. This development will increase my independence exponentially, and it's a sign that I'm regaining the ability I had prior to the tumult of mid-adolescence. So, however preliminary these changes might be, they are a cause of great celebration for all of us - I'm on the way to standing up for myself once more, both literally and figuratively!
On that joyous note, having promised you a shorter post, I'm going to sign off.
Love and gratitude as always
Jx
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| Beginnings (copyright Jessi Parrott February 2017) |
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