In the blink of an eye

It has been along time since my last blog.  My whole life has been completely turned upside down and it is only now that I am doing things just for me.  That may sound selfish but after the last year I am allowed some me time to breathe.  

Mum and me at Claridges Hotel

On January 21st last year my mum suffered a stroke in the night and was found by the police the following day after I had called and asked them to do a check.  She was taken into hospital and because the stroke had paralysed her right side it was evident early on that she would not be returning to her home.  The stroke had also affected her speech and that did frustrate her very much.  

Mum moved into a Bupa owned care home called Gallions View which she had chosen herself.  She had a lovely room with a door that opened out onto her own patio area.  We made her room a home from home with lots of things brought from her own home.  The heart of Duncan House was the large lounge/dining room which was where most things happened.  Mum made friends very quickly with other residents and staff.  As well as settling mum into her new home I had to sort and dispose of her home which I could not have done with out the help of my best friend.  For nearly seven months we travelled down to London every weekend and looking back I don't know how we managed, we were just running on adrenaline.

Mum settled in well and made a lasting impression on everyone she met.  In September she went into hospital and passed away after a short illness.  I am mum's executor and after her funeral I am now shorting her estate.  I have what is called an executors year and I intend to take my time doing it right.

If someone had told me at the end of 2013 that this was going to happen I would never have believed them.  There were no indications and mum was a strong independent lady. 

I miss mum everyday and I miss her daily phone calls.  I have so many memories of things

Christmas Day 2013

that we had done together in 2013.  To celebrate mum's 90th birthday I took her and my best friend to Claridges for a festive afternoon tea.  I also organised a party to celebrate her birthday with friends and family.  But by far the best memory I have with mum was our last Christmas together.  As a treat mum took me to The Connaught Hotel in Mayfair for Christmas, it was a very surreal experience but a wonderful one to have.  I remember her smile and laughter on that Christmas morning and fun we had on the horse drawn carriage ride.

I promised her that when she was not around anymore that I would continue to live life to the full and I intend to keep that promise to her.  I know she is with me always.

An Open Mind

Like many people I have become totally addicted to Paralympics and Channel 4's coverage of the games has been superb.  I would have liked to have seen more equestrian events and less swimming but that is just my opinion.  Sadly this time next week it will be all over and life will return back to normal.  During the games the talk has been about people's changing attitudes to disability and that the legacy will continue once the games has ended.
I for one would love this change to have an everlasting effect but my own experiences tell me different.  I have never been physically attacked or had verbal abuse thrown at me but I have had first hand experience of being totally ignored when I am using my wheelchair as people think you have no brain and on many occasions I have had people talk to me in a slow distinct voice when I say that I have CP.  So for now I will keep an open mind on the topic of changing attitudes.
I think some people are looking at our disabled athletes through rose tinted glasses and I know this bothers some disabled communities and individuals who believe that the Paralympians have made peoples perceptions of disability all wrong.  I don't think that someone watching an armless swimmer understands the support network they must have outside the pool and with the current welfare reform of disability benefits taking place in our country it has made many disabled people a bit uncomfortable.  I would be lying if I said that these thoughts had not crossed my mind.  I did and still do have a problem with Atos being. a major sponsor of the Paralympics knowing that they are the company that have been appointed by our government to assess disabled and sick people for benefit.  My fear is that they may use the information gathered during the games to make life a lot harder for disabled people.
I think what everyone has to remember is that these disabled athlete's are at the peak of fitness and have coaches, physiotherapists and a large support network unlike most disabled people who struggle everyday of their lives and I think we need to remember this.
All in all I think the Paralympics has been a fantastic stage for the world,s disabled community but it is down to us all to carry the legacy forward.  More television and media coverage is a must for future disabled meets and not just the odd hour here and there and I think that Channel 4 should continue what they have started. 

Welcome to Katie's World

As  the description says this blog is about my life and the things that mean the most to me.  I am blessed to be surrounded by a bunch of individuals who actually love me for who I am.  Being born with Cerebral Palsy (Hemiplegia) I have  had to overcome many obstacles to have a normal life as I can.  From an early age I was encouraged by my parents to be the best that I can be and I think I have done them both proud.
We all have goals, dreams and desires that we aim to achieve and for me they have been a mixture of both major and minor ones.  Some have been happy some have been unhappy but they have moulded me.
At this moment in my life I am happy and content with where I am.  I have a lovely home, fantastic friends and the future looks positive, the universe is treating me well.  Some of my friends maybe not understand the last sentance as they see the daily
pain and discomfort l'm in and all I say is that my situation is not going to change.  I simply have two choices one is that I just live my life or I just give up and stop living and that is something that I will not do after the hardwork and sacrifices my family have made to get me to where I am today.  Watching Ellie Simmonds win gold in the 400m was so inspirational and I just thought how proud her family  must be and like every family that has a child with a disability they give so much and it is totally unconditional.