How do I manage as a mobility-impaired, disabled rockhound / fossil hunter / beachcomber / hiker?☺️
I know some people must see my adventures & my list of diagnoses & wonder ‘how do those things go together’?🤷♀️
So here’s how it works - because stories are interesting, representation matters, & showing real, rounded-out lives matters ☺️
As with most issues around disability / chronic illness, things are usually far more complex & nuanced than they first appear…☺️
Firstly, the untold story is what you don’t see. Most days it’s just not possible for me to adventure 🤷♀️. I’m regularly bed-bound due to my brain condition, or I might be dealing with high pain, fatigue, racing heart rate, not be able to take in enough nutrition or be experiencing other symptoms of my neurological illnesses, meaning that I don’t have the stamina or ability.
Active days are complex - I might get out, but it needs lots of careful planning & I need lots of help. It always causes a kick back, where it exhausts me & I can’t do other things after (perhaps for days) - I have to factor that in. I still have family responsibilities & self care that I’ll need to attend to.
I go nowhere without a carer (usually Ian), as I pass out a lot, have fast escalations of symptoms, I’m prone to accidents, get confused, sometimes get stuck / stranded, need help carrying stuff, etc). I also can no longer drive myself places.
I have to accept that some places I just can’t visit - that’s a tough one💔
I wear thin-soled barefoot hiking boots, to maximise feedback from the ground, as I have reduced feeling in my feet & legs, which means balancing & moving is more difficult.
As I can’t control body temp very well, I wear technical thermal / wicking hiking clothing - it helps me maintain a normal temp, (using layers, venting, not staying damp with rain / sweat, etc).
I use specialised, adaptive hiking poles a lot. Unlike my rollator / wheelchair, these can cope with really rough ground, rocks, etc. They give me two more ‘legs’ to balance with & send feedback through my hands about ground surfaces. They have big articulated grippy rubber feet.
Con’t in comments…
#LiveLifeInTechnicolour
#StayCurious
3 months ago