Becky

<p style=”text-align: left;”>Do you feel frustrated reading or hearing about people without disabilities complaining about isolation due to Covid? I’m not saying their feelings aren’t valid, what I’m saying is disabled people have been living that way for years who’s voices aren’t uplifted during this pandemic. As someone who has been isolated…[Read more]

Over the weekend I fell in my garage which is concrete floors. I landed hard on my hands so I wouldn’t fall and hit my head. In doing so my hands took most of the impact. Now it hurts to do anything with them. I talked to my physical therapist and she said rest and some light stretching might help. How do you deal with hand pain? Do you use your…[Read more]

I have some friends that go above and beyond when it comes to my disability. Every day people can do things to help me, such as not being ableist or creating barriers for me in public. But there are people I am close with that are always there when I need them and for whatever reason. I have been trying to think of ways to thank you or show them…[Read more]

Has anyone, such as a waiter, bus driver, regular person on the street assumed that you can’t read because you use a mobility device? Have you ever been ignored in a setting and realized later it was because the person thought you couldn’t read or speak? What assumptions have been made about you by other people? How have you handled those situations?

When you are called a patient by someone who is not a medical professional or not in a professional setting, how does that make you feel? Do you think the term “patient” has its place when in a medical setting? I prefer to be called a person with a disability or a disabled person over any other terminology. I don’t allow special, cripple, lame,…[Read more]

If you are getting married or plan to get married, what do you look for in a wedding venue? Did you visit a handful of venues ahead of time? Did you walk the entrances and exits that both you and your spouse will be using, and that guests will be using if you have anyone with disability needs? What were the dressing rooms, bathrooms, and parking…[Read more]

I looked up some answers about clinical trials and thought this website was essential to read if you had questions about clinical trials. FAQs about clinical trials.

Have you participated in clinical trials? Did you feel fully informed before starting the trial? What questions do you wish you asked before?

Today I am experiencing my lower back cramping or spasming whenever I get up to walk (with my walker), it lasts for about 5 minutes and goes away once I get moving, but it is severe pain. My physical therapist, who I saw yesterday, worked my lower back, and I wonder if it got aggravated.

When do you have muscle cramps or spasms? How do you deal…[Read more]

Here in North Carolina, my family and I took precautions for an impending storm this evening. The weatherman called for hail, possible tornados, and severe storm warnings. Normally, I am not nervous, but just miles down the road, a tornado hit this month and destroyed a neighborhood.

Suppose you live somewhere with intense weather conditions such…[Read more]

Yesterday I had to help my good friend out her dog down. He was suffering and took a turn for the worse. Since he was 120 pounds and we couldn’t lift him, I offered my accessible van with a ramp that he could use to get in. Even though I couldn’t physically help, it felt good to be there for my friend and lend my assistance any way I could. We…[Read more]

I got my second Moderna vaccine over the weekend. My arm was very sore, and I needed to use ice to feel any relief. I think I had a fever when I slept, and I had chills along with body aches. I felt better after 24 hours, but then I had a nasty headache. My arm has been sore for three days.

Have you received your vaccine? What side effects did…[Read more]

Right around this time last year, the state of North Carolina went into lockdown. It was difficult because of the beautiful weather. Although we weren’t able to gather with one another, we could enjoy being outside more.

How does spring weather affect your allergies? Do you do anything to combat spring allergies? Do you like the change in…[Read more]

Do you shop at grocery stores that require you to bring bags or buy them in the store? Do you find this difficult because you use a mobility device and can’t carry too many things?

A few grocery stores around me require the customer to bring their bags to put their groceries in. I like the food and the prices at these grocery stores, but I don’t…[Read more]

I work a lot with my physical therapist on balance and not falling. She suggests a corset or lumbar support, but the ones we have found are too bulky and uncomfortable.

Has a medical professional suggest that you use lumbar support for a walk, standing, or sitting? How about a corset? Does your type of MD affect your core muscles (abdominals)?…[Read more]

If you identify as a woman, how do you celebrate international women’s day?

I like to read or watch movies about the women before me who paved the way for me to have certain rights that they fought for in the past. At one point in time, women didn’t have the right to vote or buy or own property. Women still do not get paid equally, and there are…[Read more]

I have gone through so many medical devices it is hard even to remember what my first mobility device looked like. I am so thankful that my house has an attic where I can store my old walkers, wheelchairs, canes, and whatever else I use related to my disability. I worry that if I ever need to move into a smaller place, I won’t have the space to…[Read more]