The last few weeks have been quite full on. We’ve been working hard on our new stage show, ‘Not I’, which we’re taking to the Edinburgh Fringe in just over a week’s time, and I’ve been experiencing lots of pain in my back and hips too, which is exhausting in itself.

Much to my body’s relief the pace of the last couple of days has been more relaxed. And today, somewhat unexpectedly, my body was in for another big relief – a new wheelchair.

Back in May I went for a wheelchair review because the chair I was using no longer fitted me properly. My physio thought this could be adding to my pain and the team at my local NHS wheelchair service agreed.

They were hoping to give me the same model of chair that I’d had before but with the additional back support I need. But sadly that make of chair couldn’t be configured in the way I needed so they’ve been working hard to find a suitable alterative.

Last week they called, asking me to come in to try a chair to see if it would work for me. I thought this would be the first part of a long process and I definitely didn’t expect I’d be able to take the chair home today. But it had been configured to meet my needs almost perfectly.

It’s lighter, easier to push and is much more supportive of my wiggly body. And as a brilliant additional bonus it’s narrow enough to get through my bathroom door, so no more crawling to the toilet.

I doubt most people will notice the difference. It’s still black and it’s still got my old wheels with blue spokes, and visually any changes are very subtle, but I feel a big difference every time I sit in it. Having a chair that fits and feels right is a huge relief both physically and emotionally.

Thank you, NHS.