Part 1
A couple of weeks ago my appointment letter from wheelchair services arrived. My instinctive reaction was one of sadness and fear. Initially I wanted to cancel the appointment and throw the letter away, not because my mobility had improved but because seeing it in black and white on the letter was upsetting. It felt like a step backwards. Within a few hours this feeling wore off and I feel positive about my appointment with them later today.

Moving about at the moment is very difficult because I drop to the ground a lot due to my leg tics. I generally move in a unpredictable, rapid and forceful way. At the moment I need the help of another person to move anywhere safely.

Part 2
The woman who carried out my assessment couldn’t have been more lovely or thoughtful. She was amazingly in tune with and understanding of the challenges my tics posed both to walking around or using a chair. She asked lots of questions about my life, measured me and then brought out a sample chair to try out. There are many different types of wheelchair and even then she recommended lots of customisation to ensure it is stable and can withstand my wriggling. I’m confident she thought of everything.

I left feeling up beat and hopeful. My chair will take about four weeks to prepare and adapt and then I will go back and try it out. If she is happy with how it works for me then this is the point I will take it home and begin to road test it in some parts of my life.