Before I write anything else, I'd just like to say a huge thank you to all of you who read my last blog, "Myositis Awareness day." I had an incredible response, with lots of very nice, positive comments, and with people sharing it with their friends and families.
I've watched Myositis Awareness Day grow over the last few years, and this year the response from all round the world was tremendous. There's still more that can be done, as currently much of what is done is driven by individuals, rather than by organisations there to promote myositis.
All who participated in the day, should be very proud of their efforts, and encouraged by the response.
And so to today's blog.
I am 1 mtr 85 cm tall, or 6 ft 2 inches in old money. I'm used to being one of the tallest people in the room, and being able to look over peoples heads in a crowded room. People would look up to me, literally, when we were having a conversation.
Being in a wheelchair changes all that. I now hate being in a crowded room, because all I get to look at are peoples back sides, or belly's, neither of which are particularly good at conversation. If people do talk to me, they do so from standing up, which means I have to look up at them and very quickly develop a sore neck. It's very rare that anyone will think of sitting down to talk to me at my level.
Conversations go on, literally, over my head, which I'm not part of, even if the participants think I am.
As many of you will know from my previous blog's, I have recently taken delivery of a Levo C3, stand up powered wheelchair. For the first time in 5 years I can now stand up, using the chair, at home.
Every morning, after breakfast, the first thing I do is to spend sometime standing up. I'm currently building up a tolerance to standing as its not something I have done for so long, but currently I'm standing for about 10 minutes.
But what I've really noticed is how different to world is, when you're stood up.
Suddenly, I'm getting a different view around the house, and out of the window. I'm able to look down on things, and view them from a different angle.
View out of the front window - stood up
View out of the front window - sat down
View into the kitchen - stood up
View into the kitchen - sat down
View out the patio doors -stood up
View our the patio doors - sat down
So not only am I getting a potential health benefit from standing, and I feel better physiologically because I can stand, but I'm also getting a different view of the world.
Its only a small thing but it all goes to help. I can now, again, stand up to my full height, and see the difference it makes.
Dave, Thank you for all you did for Myositis Awareness Day, Fantastic responses, as you say from all over the World! I did a little post too and was also amazed at the number of people in my friends and colleagues on Facebook shared it for me with such very kind remarks from all. It just made it all feel so worthwhile, as I am sure your efforts did for you too. Great news with regard to your new wheelchair, and your different view of the world around you when you get into the 'standing up' position! I will have to bear that in mind when I too progress to that stage, which is inevitable and made so much easier to cope with through reading this particular blog post! Thank you so much, you have no idea how much this helps! Kind regards Ron
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