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Still, knowing that I was going out really had a funny effect on me. The day before felt like Christmas Eve. I could not sleep because I was so excited. It sounds ridiculous but so far I had been as far as the hospital and Asda. This was going to be a real adventure. However, over excitement got the better of me once again and I woke up on Sunday absolutely shattered. So much so that I did not actually manage to get out of bed properly until 2.30pm
Anyway, I reckon that this whole foot episode is doing funny things to my brain. Aside from doing stupid things (see previous blog), I appear to not be really thinking clearly. On getting washed and dressed I seemed to make an extra effort. I got the heated rollers out and curled my hair. This is one of those things that, when I had done it, I began to question the effort. First, I was going to the cinema; sitting in the dark, no one would see my hair. Secondly, I have known Judy and Nadia since art college, 15 years ago. Between them, they have seen me in some right states. They probably would not really care if I turned up with my kickers on my head.(Well, slight exaggeration. They may pretend not to care!) Besides, it's not like anyone else would pay attention. I can see it now, me wheeling majestically past some dashing young men and them gazing in wonder. "Wow, look at her hair," they would say. Ha, I don't think so.
Finally, Judy and Nadia were not coming to pick me up until 6.30. It was now only 3 O'clock! Can you see what I mean now? The foot is messing with my brain!
Anyway, Nick helped them put the wheel chair in the car whilst I sat and watched. We arrived at the cinema and they had a right job getting the chair out. Poor Nadia had to push me most of the way because although everything appears to be wheelchair friendly, when you are driving yourself, any slight incline on the floor and the chair suddenly seems to shoot forward like a twanged elastic band. I had only go to the car park and was in grave danger of getting run over!
Going for tickets, I could not have made it on my own for fear of banging my chin on the high counters. On deciding that Nadia pushing me was the best option, I carried the pop corn and drinks. The amount I was carrying made me look like the greediest person in the world because I had hers as well. We then crammed into the very small lift and went in. Trying to get through the double doors was a task in itself. The doors needed to be pulled open, I had my hands full, Judy was carrying her food and Nadia was pushing me. We had no spare hands. It felt really silly that between us, opening doors seemed like such a chore. I think it was done by Judy putting some stuff down, opening the doors then picking it up again once we were through. But not one person offered to help. Poor Nadia, then had the task of all tasks. Pushing the chair up the slope in the cinema. We were on carpet, so it made it extra difficult, she really had to put her back into it. As I am not the lightest person in the world, this made it hard but I also think that initially I had not realised that I had left one of the brakes on! Finally getting to our chairs (or spaces), we watched the film whilst I squirmed about, trying to get comfortable in my parking space.
It was all yet another interesting experience, not just for me but for my friends too, All that is without mentioning the difficulty I had using the disabled toilet. I could not reach the lock on the door because my leg was in the way and then had to hop round the leg raise on my chair whilst clinging on to the sink for dear life in order to just park by backside on the toilet! Then my poor friends had to struggle to push me up the car park and cram the wheel chair back in the car.
On seeing anybody who is slightly immobile, spare a thought for them but also their poor friends and family. Friends and family don't get paid for this. They do it for that weird thing we tend to call 'love'. My friends and family have had to put up with way too much already! (Sorry guys, only another 3 months to go!)
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