Yes, I’ve finally gone and one it and purchased some new wheels.  I think that any decent midlife crisis has new wheels as a prerequisite doesn’t it?  My new wheels are sleek black, with a red chassis, great suspension, smooth handling, top speed of…….getting a bit carried away here, I think.  No sports car for me or even a moped….but I have bitten the bullet and am the proud owner of a nearly new wheelchair.  I cannot believe that I am in my 40s and so excited by my new toy!!

My walking has really deteriorated over recent months, as on top of the nerve pain, my hips and knees have popped in and out like the hokey cokey. The problem with this is that my poor old ligaments are now so stretched that the muscles go into spasm to hold everything together – and the ligaments & muscles both hurt….like crazy!  On Sunday a short walk resulted in a well timed faint and resulting hip displacement which saw me being lugged like a sack of spuds from front door to the lounge.  Son number one announced that “Mum, you are too heavy” – charming! Nothing like a weight comment to make a girl feel good about herself.  Anyway this led to some serious ebay surfing and watching – not shoes this time sadly – and Duncan collected my wheels from a very kind couple last night.  The chair was only purchased 8 weeks ago for an elderly father, who has since passed away, but apparently they were very happy to hear how they have helped us out as finances are tight.

I attended my first governing body meeting of the school year last night, and by the end I could scarcely stand let alone walk to my friend’s car.  I don’t expect people who hardly know me to understand or even to appreciate how slow I am – most of them left together and of course were quicker than me – but how do you explain when one of them, who helped me to the car, commented that I seemed in a lot of pain? How do you explain that by the end of that 2 hours it was not only my back and leg hurting me, but my shoulders were screaming at me to such an extent that I couldn’t lean on my arms let alone pick my bag up? So instead a smile and innocuous comment along the lines of “there is always pain, but life goes on” and then I said that I was about to become the owner of a wheelchair….it really will make a difference on that walk between the front of the school and the year 6 building!

When I arrived home my chariot was awaiting me in the hall – apparently my lovely girl had already taken it for a spin up around the house.  Olly acted completely nonplussed by it – of course he had been embarrassed by pushing me in the hired one as a typical 17 year old lad – but then I caught him sitting in it in the dark last night trying to take the brakes off, ha, ha, ha!

So off for a spin in the park if my joint pain allows and the rain holds off……

Sam really is not sure!

My Karma!