Author: windupmyskirt

Just an average girl with a lot to say. I am an atheist and a feminist with a sense of humour. recovering from a open heart surgery and a massive stroke.

This is Boo

5 pounds, going blind,but beautiful enough to steal my husband

She’s a tortoise shell cat who weighs in at all of 5 pounds and who can’t lift that up from the floor to the bathroom sink…?

Me,130 pounds, poor eyesight and Kermit the frog’s arms

Perhaps I should start at the beginning of our time together. From day one, Boo has made it known that she ONLY drinks water from the bathroom tap. This really only became an issue when she recently started going blind. The hubby noticed it first, and then I saw her walking into the wall occasionally. Most recently, she waits to be airlifted onto the counter ,which hubby does with a smile.

A day before yesterday, I was wheeling to the bathroom, and there’s Boo I thought, she’s only 5 pounds, it’ll be easy. Then, I bent down and lifted her about three quarters of the way to the counter, when I felt the muscles pop off from 4 lumbar vertebrae, I was barely able to set Boo back on the floor and I’ve been bound to my lift chair ever since.

I’ve never put my back out like this before, and I’m trying very hard to allow as much healing time as possible, but can I just say that if you’re a wheelchair user DO NOT risk the injury. In my case, it’s a right side injury, as opposed to my already paralyzed left side. I can’t transfer to my wheelchair due to the pain ,which means that I must have help with getting to the toilet, where to my and hubby’s horror I couldn’t wipe the rear.

Even some of the able bodied, might have pulled something. But please never forget that you are not able-bodied, and any injury will take you away from the progress you are making. And time away will set you back farther from your ultimate goal. So if you take anything away from this post, it should be even when something seems like it should be easy, if you’ve not done it recently, DON’T ASSUME IT’S EASY, ASSUME IT’S NOT, AND ASK FOR HELP. Unless you want to end up like this for days.

Taken well before the injured back.

Paralyzed or not, I have the best movie recommendation.

Back in 1991/92, I met a man who had been paralyzed. He was a screenwriter, and he’d had a fall while rock climbing and suffered permanent paralysis. His name was Neal Jimenez, and he had just completed his own biographical film about his injury and recovery process .when I say completed, not only did he write his story, but he directed it too. It remains his only directorial title, and it’s still the most moving story I’ve ever seen .

This is what Neal Jimenez looked like when we met.
Best movie about recovery

Starring Eric Stoltz and Helen Hunt, The Waterdance is a brilliant piece of work/life that I can’t recommend highly enough. And you can watch it for free on Vimeo,just search for the Waterdance.

Rounding out the cast are Wesley Snipes, William Forsythe, and Elizabeth Pena, who all do an awesome job with the subject matter as well as their own fully formed characters .

I wholeheartedly believe that this film should be seen by EVERYONE on the planet, even if paralysis hasn’t touched your life, because it’s so important to understand the effort that goes into recovery, not to mention the mindset that’s required. I guarantee you’ll come away with so much respect for wheelchair users.

I’ve received positive comments regarding my seemingly endless positive attitude, and I have to tell you that this film is a big part of the reason why I knew I could get through my own paralysis. The brief time that I was able to spend as his friend was invaluable to me

Unfortunately, Neal passed away at the age of 63 of heart failure. But his life touched many. Please allow yourself to be one of the many, you won’t regret it.

So download the Vimeo app and search for The Waterdance and enjoy career making performances and the best inspirational autobiographical film that I’ve ever seen for free!

It can happen to anyone at any time.

It can happen as a result of an accident. It doesn’t have to be catastrophic either. Something as simple as a fall can do it. But being extremely cautious won’t help because it can even happen during surgery . The truly scary thing is that your own body might just be a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. What am I talking about? Paralysis!

There are many ways of being paralyzed , paraplegic, quadriplegic or hemiplegic . It could have happened due to a spinal chord injury. It could have been caused by a brain injury or even a massive stroke.

If you’re thinking that there is no way that it could happen to you because you’re super successful, healthy, and active, and YOUNG! It can and has happened to people just like you.

So the next time you see someone using a wheelchair I want you to think about all of the things that would change in your world if it were you. And treat them with all of the respect they’ve earned.

Because it’s not easy.

Please, #AnnaWintour this needs to be your next vogue cover model and Met Gala invite.

Please allow me to introduce this tiny fashion model who’s starting a whole new trend in fashion. Plus, she’s big on YouTube . This is LOU, who, like Twiggy, goes by one name and also, like Twiggy is making us look at small, a whole new way. She lives in Montreal, so she’s close by and un petite peux francaise.

I’ve included her look book below. Thank you for your consideration.

“I’m tired of this inclusivity thing?”

Candice Owen’s put her foot right in her mouth when talking about models who use wheelchairs modeling adaptable lingerie. Apparently, Ms. Owens doesn’t like seeing people who use wheelchairs. I’m sure she’ll find that people who use wheelchairs don’t like seeing her on their televisions, and she just might lose her job because of that. Gem from wheels, no heels did a video reacting to Ms Owen’s views with which I wholeheartedly agree, and I’ve included it below.

The most Hollywood indictment in history.

Time’s up, mister Trump. You’ve fallen on your own pitard.

In case you forgot how this whole thing began, it started with Mia Farrow’s son, with Woody Allen, or Frank Sinatra depending on who you believe, turned journalist Ronan, getting a peek at the catch and kill file that the national enquirer kept for, then real estate developer,and host of the reality competition show, the Apprentice.There were at least 2 women claiming to have had sex with the man who was about to become candidate for President. The first is a Playboy magazine model named Karen McDougall, the second one was porn star Stormy Daniels, who, because of her chosen career, became the focus of this case for the media. For Trump, she was an annoying piece of fluff who he woefully underestimated . After all, you don’t become a porn star without going around block a few times . In the course of trying to get him indicted, lawyers have come and gone and gotten lawyers of their own, and one or two have even landed in jail (the two michaels, cohen and avenatti) becoming famous in their own right.

So thanks again, Ronan, for keeping up such a high bar with your reporting and for not fearing the big boys or their network.

I’m a PERSON who uses a wheelchair

I’m not here to disgust you as I live my life and I don’t want to hear that you feel disgusted by my wheelchair because it sounds like a YOU problem and I’ve got plenty of my own issues thank you. I’m a PERSON who uses a wheelchair.

Also, it’s not my job to be your inspiration from the seat of my power wheelchair. I don’t want your thumbs up as I transfer from the passenger seat of my car to my wheelchair. Or worse, you telling me that some nonexistent deity loves me to make yourself feel like you’re a good person all while conveniently forgetting that I’m a PERSON who uses a wheelchair and not every person believes what you believe.

I’m not a child. I’m a 57 year old stroke survivor, and I don’t appreciate being talked down to like I’m 5. I’m a fully grown, educated PERSON who uses a wheelchair

Just because it’s a power wheelchair doesn’t mean that I can’t speak. I can’t tell you how frustrating it is when people assume that I can’t speak just because I’m sitting in a power wheelchair. Ask me if you’re not sure, and I’ll happily tell you in paragraph form that not only can I speak, but you should listen to me when I do because I actually have something to say from my experiences that you might just need to hear. I’m a PERSON who uses a wheelchair.

So treat me like a PERSON. The wheelchair is not me. I’m the PERSON sitting in the wheelchair so treat me as you would any PERSON. Or better yet, treat me like you would want to be treated.

If you have issues with people who use wheelchairs you’d better make sure that you never end up in one because I can guarantee that you’re not emotionally strong enough to handle it.

Thumbs up for the best and most complete YouTube channel for stroke rehab exercises at home

I recently found this channel on YouTube. The physiotherapist takes you through issues and solutions to whatever you might be dealing with LITERALLY from moving your thumbs to running! This video is a short one, but there are longer form videos as well. I only wish that I knew about the channel when I was released from the hospital, I’d be further along.

https://youtube.com/shorts/jDXiMSiuuzc?feature=share