Managed decline
I’m sixty one years old in a few weeks time and my forty years of paralysis have been catching up on me this last year. Up until now I’ve been able to do most things with the use of simple adaptations: hand controls for the car, a manual wheelchair and a lift at home along with a few grab handles.
But over the last year I’ve found age catching up, and I don’t possess the physical strength I once enjoyed. Accordingly, I have been exploring ways to mitigate the effects of age. For example, I now use a transfer cushion when getting out of the car so I don’t have to lift my full body weight. Today I looked at a power drive for the wheelchair and at some point I will be exploring other things to help in the bathroom.
“Managed decline” is what I call it. Most of us go though it but I was hoping it would not be so soon! So today’s photo is much more of a visual discourse on this subject rather than a spectacle.
One day, one photo 
Well, it’s depressing but apt I suppose and the title itself tells a story. I’m a fair bit older than you so certainly identify with the decline in physical strength. I think you’ve been amazing to cope up to now with simple adaptations and that says such a lot about your determination and strong will Pete.
I was wondering if you planned to write some magazine articles as well to document your explorations.
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Thanks Catherine. I accept the decline. The main issue is finding solutions that work in terms of ameliorating the effects of ageing as many of the options are expensive and you can’t really try them out eg bathroom adaptations such as hoists etc. Still I’m seeing a good guy on Monday and trying out a wheelchair power pack 🙂
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