Journeys In Words And On Wheels
Travels, Challenges and Writings from my Wheelchair
As many motorists will have noticed recently insurance premiums have risen astronomically and many are asking why.
I have a theory.
In 2010, while driving to the shop one wintery evening I came to a junction controlled by traffic lights, and my light was red so I obviously stopped. To my left a Morrisons truck also stopped. On getting a green light, I pulled forward a bit as I was turning right and traffic coming the other way had priority. The Morrisons truck to my left started turning left, and the trailer hit an icy patch and slid into the side of my car, destroying the nearside wing mirror and leaving scratches and scrapes on the front passenger door.
Next day I called the insurance company, gave them the details of what had happened, they advised that not only did they cover me but coincidentally they also covered the Morrisons fleet as well. That same day they had a replacement car out to me and collected my car to be repaired. The place that would be doing the repairs took it on a flatbed truck.
A couple of weeks later my car was returned to me with the repairs having been done. The replacement car was taken away and it was all done and dusted.
Cut to 13 years later and compare that experience with my latest one after a minor accident. Driving from my home in Scotland to my Mum and Stepdad’s in Wales, I stopped off at Todhills rest area on the M6 for a coffee. On leaving the area I began to accelerate down the slip road to rejoin the motorway when a truck driver in front decided to stop his truck, on the slip road, open his cab door in order to empty his coffee or tea mug outside. I’d moved over to pass him when the bottom corner of his door made contact with my car, hitting it just below roof level, denting the A pillar and the front passenger door, shattering the glass in that door, leaving paint on the B and C pillars and leaving gouges out of the rear quarter glass.
By this point I was almost back on the motorway so it wouldn’t have been safe to stop, I had to keep going. When I got to Wales I could get out and see the extent of the damage. Again I called the insurance company that same day and gave them the details. They had a hire car out to me the next day and said they’d arrange for a repairer to collect my car from my home and get it repaired.
So I waited. And then I waited some more. And more. After 4 weeks a company called Motor Repair Network, (MRN) contacted me to arrange to collect my car and said they had a repairer in Glasgow who would do the required work. This repairer was called Activate Accident Repair, (AAR) but my next call didn’t come from them. It came from yet another company called Glasgow Recovery who announced they’d actually been given the task of collecting the car and taking it to Glasgow, to the actual company who would be doing the repairs.
Once the car got to AAR they sent me a link to an online portal where they said I could keep updated on the progress of the repairs, so I watched as it went through assessment, estimated cost, approval from the insurance and then a status of repairs completed. I waited a few days after this status had appeared and then contacted what I thought was the repair company AAR, through their own portal, but it was MRN who responded stating that the repairs had been completed, but that the repairer was awaiting parts which were on back order. So, the repairs are complete, meaning finished, done, finito. But they’re waiting for parts. Parts needed to carry out the repairs. The repairs which are completed. Hmmm.
3 weeks after the status repairs completed had appeared on the portal I got a call from the actual repairers AAR asking if it would be OK to bring my car back that afternoon, which was fine by me as you can probably imagine.
From start to finish the repairs to what was really minor damage had taken almost exactly 3 monthsand involved input from the insurance, the broker or whatever they are, this Motor Repair Network, a recovery company and the actual repairers themselves Activate Accident Repair. 4 companies to do what 2 had been able to do some 13 years prior. And each one of those companies would have needed payment for their part of the job.
Coincidentally, both cars were Peugeot 3008s and both had been damaged by trucks.
This post, from the blog diary of a disabled person, explains what happens when people use spaces designed for disabled people.
The cost of living crisis is affecting everyone in the UK, but especially disabled people. Disabled people face extra costs of £975 a month on average to reach the same living standards as non-disabled people. These costs include things like specialised equipment, adaptations, transport, care and support.
But now, disabled people are also facing soaring energy bills, rising food prices and inflation. This is putting them under immense financial pressure and forcing them to make impossible choices between essentials.
The energy crisis and disabled people
One of the main challenges for disabled people is the energy crisis. Many disabled people need to use more energy because of their impairment or condition. For example, they may need to keep their home at a certain temperature, use electric appliances like wheelchairs or hoists, or charge medical devices like ventilators or nebulisers.
According to Scope, a disability charity, over a third of disabled adults feel that their impairment or condition has an impact on how much energy they use. And 91% of them are worried about energy bills this winter.
But the government’s support for disabled people to cope with the energy crisis is not enough. The Warm Home Discount, which gives eligible households a £150 rebate on their electricity bill, does not cover the extra costs that disabled people face. And the Disability Cost of Living Payment, which gave some disabled people a one-off payment of £150, comes nowhere near the costs. Just as an example, I’m currently paying over £200 per month for gas and electricity.
Scope’s research shows that 80% of disabled people receiving the £150 cost of living payment said it would not be enough to cover their increased costs for essentials. And 57% of disabled people eligible for the £650 cost of living payment said it would not be enough either.
As a result, many disabled people are falling into debt or cutting back on other essentials to pay their energy bills. Scope’s figures show that almost a third of disabled people have been pushed into debt in the last year, compared to 16% of non-disabled people. And last month, the average energy debt of disabled households supported by Scope increased to £1,794.
The impact on disabled people’s health and wellbeing
The cost of living crisis is not only affecting disabled people’s finances, but also their health and wellbeing. Many disabled people are having to sacrifice their basic needs and dignity to cope with the rising costs.
These choices can have serious consequences for disabled people’s physical and mental health. For example, not heating their home can increase the risk of infections, respiratory problems or hypothermia. Not eating enough or well can affect their immune system, energy levels or medication effectiveness. And not showering or bathing can lead to skin infections, pressure sores or loss of self-esteem.
What needs to change?
The cost of living crisis is making disabled people’s lives harder and more miserable. They deserve better support from the government and the energy sector to meet their needs and live with dignity.
Scope is calling on the government to:
Scope is also urging the energy regulators and suppliers to:
How you can help
If you are a disabled person or know someone who is, you can get help from Scope’s Disability Energy Support service. This is a free and confidential service that can help you with your energy bills, debt, switching, grants and more. You can contact them by phone, email or webchat.
You can also support Scope’s campaign for a fairer deal for disabled people by signing their petition, sharing your story, or donating to their work.
Together, we can make sure that disabled people are not left behind in the cost of living crisis. We deserve to live with dignity, equality and independence.
Urinary catheters are flexible tubes that are used to drain the bladder and collect urine in a drainage bag or a valve. They can be inserted through the urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body) or through a small opening in the lower abdomen (the tummy). Urinary catheters are usually inserted by doctors or nurses in hospital or in the community.
There are different types of urinary catheters, depending on how long they are needed and how they are inserted. The main types are:
I have a Supra-Pubic Catheter. This is a tube that is inserted into a hole in my lower abdomen, just beneath my belly button, and directly into my bladder. I had the surgery for this in May 2018 after approximately 10 years of self-catheterising, which is inserting a tube into the urethra and into the bladder several times per day in order to drain the bladder. My hands got too unsteady to do this without causing significant pain and trauma. I made the decision to have surgery for an SPC and I’ve never looked back. Every 8 weeks a district nurse calls by my home to change the catheter.
Urinary catheters can have various benefits for people who have difficulty peeing naturally. They can:
However, urinary catheters can also have some risks and challenges, such as:
To reduce the risks and challenges of using urinary catheters, you should follow some general advice:
Urinary catheters are flexible tubes that are used to drain the bladder and collect urine in a drainage bag or a valve. They can be inserted through the urethra or through a small opening in the lower abdomen. There are different types of urinary catheters, depending on how long they are needed and how they are inserted. Urinary catheters can have various benefits for people who have difficulty peeing naturally, but they can also have some risks and challenges. To reduce these, you should choose the right type of catheter for your needs and preferences, keep your catheter clean and well-maintained, drink plenty of fluids, and seek support if you need it.
Hearing aids are small devices that fit in or behind your ear and can help you to hear sound louder and more clearly. They are battery-operated and have a microphone that picks up the sounds around you. These sounds are processed and amplified electronically, passed on to a receiver and converted back into sounds that you can hear.
Hearing aids can improve your quality of life by helping you to communicate, enjoy social activities, and stay safe and independent. However, they may also require some adjustment and maintenance to get the best results. Here are some tips and advice on using hearing aids:
Using hearing aids can help you hear better and improve your quality of life. However, they may also require some adjustment and maintenance to get the best results. By following these tips and advice on using hearing aids, you can make the most of your hearing experience.
Because of my MS, in 2017 I found I was struggling with hearing. Specifically, in hearing people speaking to me in noisy environments and not being able to hear people speaking to me if I wasn’t facing them. I also found I’ve been lipreading for a number of years without even being aware of it.
Sensorineural deafness, also known as sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), is a type of hearing loss that affects the inner ear or the nerve pathways that carry sound signals to the brain. It is the most common cause of permanent hearing loss in adults, accounting for more than 90% of cases.
Sensorineural deafness can have various causes, such as:
In my case the reason for my deafness was nerve damage caused by my MS.
Sensorineural deafness can affect one or both ears and can range from mild to profound. It can also affect different frequencies of sound differently. People with sensorineural deafness may experience:
Sensorineural deafness can have a significant impact on your quality of life and well-being. It can affect your communication, social interaction, education, employment, safety, and mental health. However, there are ways to cope with sensorineural deafness and improve your hearing experience. These include:
The audiologist who I saw initially prescribed a pair of Oticon hearing aids, and then upgraded them to Phonak aids, allowing me to keep the Oticons as a spare set. All my aids are red, my favourite colour, as I am bald and they are always visible. The NHS doesn’t usually allow adults to choose colours but they made an exception for me when I explained my reasons. My moulds (the bit that sits inside the ear) are also red. The champagne-coloured items attached to the bottom of my aids in the picture below are Roger X receivers. They are paired with a set of portable microphones that I can take to meetings and use to hear speakers more clearly.
My aids are programmed to my personal audiogram to allow me to hear as normally as possible. They are also programmed with some optional settings. There is a bass boost feature that is turned on, as well as a speech-in-noise setting that allows me to filter out some background noise and hear speech in front of me. This is most effective when I am actually looking at the person speaking to me. There is also the good old T-coil setting programmed in, which allows the aids to connect to a loop system where available.
Sensorineural deafness is a type of hearing loss that affects the inner ear or the nerve pathways that carry sound signals to the brain. It can have various causes, such as ageing, noise exposure, genetic factors, infections, ototoxic drugs, or other conditions. Sensorineural deafness can affect your quality of life and well-being, but there are ways to cope with it and improve your hearing experience. These include hearing aids, cochlear implants, assistive listening devices, communication strategies, support services, and support groups.
Coeliac disease is a serious condition that affects the digestive system. It is caused by an abnormal immune response to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and some oats. When people with coeliac disease eat gluten, their immune system attacks the lining of their small intestine, causing inflammation and damage. This prevents them from absorbing nutrients properly and can lead to various health problems.
Coeliac disease is not a food allergy or intolerance. It is a lifelong autoimmune disorder that requires strict adherence to a gluten-free diet. There is no cure for coeliac disease, but following a gluten-free diet can help manage the symptoms and prevent complications.
Symptoms of coeliac disease
Coeliac disease can affect people of any age, gender, or ethnicity. However, it is more common in people who have a family history of the condition or other autoimmune diseases. The symptoms of coeliac disease vary from person to person and can range from mild to severe. Some people may not have any symptoms at all, while others may experience:
Diagnosis of coeliac disease
If you suspect that you or your child may have coeliac disease, you should consult your GP as soon as possible. Do not start a gluten-free diet before getting tested, as this can affect the accuracy of the diagnosis. Your GP will ask you about your symptoms, medical history, and family history. They will also perform a blood test to check for antibodies that are produced by your immune system when you eat gluten. If the blood test is positive or inconclusive, you will be referred to a gastroenterologist (a specialist in digestive disorders) for further tests. The gastroenterologist will perform an endoscopy (a procedure that involves inserting a thin tube with a camera into your mouth and down your throat) to take a biopsy (a small sample of tissue) from your small intestine. The biopsy will be examined under a microscope to look for signs of damage caused by coeliac disease.
In my case, I had a gastroscopy and a colonoscopy on the same day, which took about an hour altogether. The reason for the colonoscopy was that, given the symptoms I had presented with to my GP she was concerned that I might have some form of bowel cancer. Thankfully that turned out not to be the case.
Treatment of coeliac disease
The only treatment for coeliac disease is a strict gluten-free diet for life. This means avoiding all foods that contain wheat, barley, rye, and sometimes oats. You will also need to check the labels of processed foods for hidden sources of gluten, such as malt extract, modified starch, soy sauce, and some flavourings and thickeners. You may also need to avoid cross-contamination from utensils, cookware, or surfaces that have been in contact with gluten.
Eating gluten-free can help heal the damage to your small intestine and improve your symptoms. However, it can also be challenging and require careful planning and guidance. You may benefit from seeing a dietitian (a specialist in nutrition) who can help you plan a balanced and varied gluten-free diet that meets your nutritional needs. You may also need to take supplements of vitamins and minerals that you may be lacking due to malabsorption.
Living with coeliac disease
Coeliac disease is a lifelong condition that requires constant vigilance and adaptation. It can affect your physical health as well as your emotional and social well-being. You may face challenges such as coping with symptoms, adjusting to dietary changes, managing complications, finding support from others who understand your condition.
However, with proper diagnosis and treatment, you can live a healthy and fulfilling life with coeliac disease. You can find information and support from various sources such as:
Coeliac disease is a serious condition that affects the digestive system. It is caused by an abnormal immune response to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and some oats. The only treatment for coeliac disease is a strict gluten-free diet for life. Eating gluten-free can help heal the damage to your small intestine and improve your symptoms. However, it can also be challenging and require careful planning and guidance. You can find information and support from various sources such as Coeliac UK, NHS, your GP, your gastroenterologist, and your dietitian. By following their advice, you can live a healthy and fulfilling life with coeliac disease.
Sleep apnoea is a common sleep disorder that affects millions of people worldwide, and there’s evidence to suggest many more undiagnosed people. It occurs when the muscles in the throat relax and narrow during sleep, causing interruptions in breathing. These interruptions can last from a few seconds to minutes, and can happen hundreds of times a night. People with sleep apnoea may not be aware of their breathing problems, but they often snore loudly and gasp for air. They also tend to wake up feeling tired, groggy, and irritable.
Sleep apnoea can have serious consequences for your health and well-being. It can increase your risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and depression. It can also impair your concentration, memory, and decision-making skills, making you more prone to accidents and errors at work or school. Moreover, it can affect your relationships, mood, and quality of life.
The good news is that sleep apnoea can be diagnosed and treated effectively. The first step is to consult your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:
Your doctor may refer you to a sleep specialist who can perform a sleep study to confirm the diagnosis of sleep apnoea. A sleep study involves monitoring your breathing, heart rate, oxygen level, and brain activity while you sleep. You may be asked to wear a device at home or stay overnight at a sleep clinic.
Children can have sleep apnoea too. In fact, sleep apnoea is quite common in children, especially those who have enlarged tonsils or adenoids, which can block the airway during sleep. Other factors that can increase the risk of sleep apnoea in children are obesity, allergies, hay fever, and certain genetic conditions. Sleep apnoea can affect the quality of sleep and the development of children, so it is important to seek medical help if you notice any signs or symptoms of sleep apnoea in your child.
The most common treatment for sleep apnoea is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. This involves wearing a mask over your nose, mouth or both, that delivers pressurized air into your airway, keeping it open and preventing it from collapsing. CPAP therapy can improve your breathing, reduce your snoring, and enhance your sleep quality and daytime alertness.
Other treatments for sleep apnoea may include:
In my case I use an APAP machine (similar to a CPAP but it automatically adjusts the air pressure depending on need) as I also have central apnoeas. Central apnoeas are pauses in breathing that occur during sleep because the brain does not send the proper signals to the muscles that control breathing. They are different from obstructive apnoeas, which are caused by a blockage in the airway. Central apnoeas can have various causes, such as heart failure, stroke, brain injury, or high altitude. They can also cause symptoms such as snoring, daytime sleepiness, headaches, and mood changes. Central apnoeas can be diagnosed by a sleep study
If you think you or a family member may have sleep apnoea, do not ignore it. Seek medical help as soon as possible and follow the treatment plan recommended by your doctor. By doing so, you can improve your health, well-being, and quality of life.
Journeys In Words And On Wheels 
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