Community: Real Life

I've broken down


Anna

17-year-old Anna hasn't been able to walk for over two years. She tells us how life is as a teenager with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.).
Entry: 12
Date: 21/12/2004

A trip to London goes horribly wrong as Anna realises just how bad public transport is for wheelchair users.

As much as I would love to update y'all with gloriously happy and festive news, I'm afraid I don't celebrate Christmas (I'm Jewish) and life isn't all that good at the moment, either. I don't want to sound like a moaning Minnie, so I will give you all my good news first.

I have applied to universities and have already received two rejections (I know, I said this would be good news!) Being positive, I only got rejected after a great interview and I know I tried my hardest. I have another interview in January and will keep you updated. I have applied on the premise that I will be better by next September - there's no harm in hoping and I can continue to pray (I'm not feeling too religious at the moment though).

Anais, my Parisian carer, came back to visit two weeks ago which was lovely and I even managed to brave the underground. We set off on Tuesday lunchtime from Stanmore station, the only (supposedly) wheelchair-accessible station in north London. The train was about half a meter lower than the platform and after being helped onto the train by a nice man we arrived at Westminster (one of only three accessible stations which are anywhere near the centre of London), where the access was great and I managed to get out of the station fine.

"Our aim was to get to Covent Garden. The ramp on the bus didn't work so I had to be lifted on by three men - I'm just a man magnet!"

Our aim was to get to Covent Garden. After arriving at the station I was already shattered so we took the bus - not that easy. The ramp didn't work so I had to be lifted on by three men - I'm just a man magnet! Anais and I had a good time just being together walking around... until my wheelchair, after being slow all day, finally broke in the middle of Trafalgar Square!

And that is where I am now - still waiting for my wheelchair to be fixed, immobile as I am too tired to wheel myself around in my manual wheelchair, and totally fed up. I have even been reduced to crying and shouting at the wheelchair supplier and putting Kerry's lead on and getting her to pull me like a husky dog!

I did say life wasn't all good and coupled with all this wheelchair stuff it's verging on being completely manky. The trip to London as well as all the various new things I have been doing have made my health even worse than when I wrote my last entry. The overwhelming fatigue that I thought was leaving my body, together with all the old symptoms that I thought had disappeared all seem to have come back again. I'm off to hospital for a while on Monday - I think they have the internet there so I will keep you updated, but in the meantime, Merry Christmas one and all!

Click here to tell us what you thought of this article and for a chance to win one of 500 Amazon vouchers or a ?500 travel voucher


Bookmark with:What are these?

Also on TheSite.org