Right, well, Izzy has a wheelchair. It arrived a day after she broke her leg a few years back, it was ordered before this event happened and arrived by coincidence, which was a blessing as she was getting to heavy for me to carry and too tall for a buggy.
With her leg in plaster and shiny new wheels she quickly was able to manoeuvre it around, negotiating corners and bends. I can only assume she had spent a great many hours observing her friends in wheelchairs and how they got about, because people we met would assume she had always been in a wheelchair as she was so capable getting about. This made some situations way less complicated, I could take her shopping and carry a basket as she followed me around (at great speed sometimes!) I had two hands free for the first time that i could remember. I must also point out that supermarket trolleys were almost impossible to fit her in to with those longs legs she has, partly due to her mothers genetics, but exacerbated by the Soto's syndrome (that I did not know about then). It also helped when we needed to get somewhere fast as her walking can be very slow and it saved my back-vital for my own mobility and caring for her.
So things were definitely helped then and mobility issues were more straightforward. However, Izzy still uses a wheelchair, sometimes she gets tired, sometimes nervous. She has poor depth perception, so although her functional eyesight seems ok, she cannot always identify the ground and differing levels and textures. She also has nystagmus which affects the way she sees things. It is also difficult to determine her sight appropriately as when she has her regular eye appointments she is not really co-operative, the poor eye doctor cannot get anywhere near her and covering her eyes with her hands, or simply keeping her eyes closed, definitely does not help him...or me!
Anyhow, so she will use the wheelchair on longer trips, sometimes when she needs comfort and security in new surroundings and sometimes because she just wants to. The funniest thing about this is other peoples reactions. This occurs by some when their only assumption of needing a wheelchair is because she cannot walk. So, imagine their faces when Izzy will get out of her chair and want to push it, or overhear me encouraging her to get out and walk for a bit...it must look like some small miracle! the thing is if i had to explain each and every action it would take me forever and why should I? for me it is much more enjoyable to witness their reactions! Considering Izzy gets starred at enough for being herself, highly excitable, deeply expressive and completely unfazed by the reactions of others it come sometimes make a difficult or tiring situation much more pleasant!
