Life in a Chair

Link to Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/lifeinachair

My Basic background information.

My name is Dave Anderson and my life has been reliant on a powered wheelchair for several years after the gradual and unexpected changes to my health.

I had studied Chang Hon Taekwon-do for over 40 years and taught my own schools of TKD practitioners for many years, continuing from my Father, Derek George (Andy) Anderson.

I also did fitness and weight training most lunchtimes in the gymnasium at my place of employment.

In my late forties my mobility became affected causing severe difficulties performing TKD and  being able to perform what was required in my employment.

The main condition that people that know me have knowledge of is Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis but this was'nt my initial condition that I was being treated for.

This was originally noted by a nurse at a brain scan that I had at Leicester Royal Infirmary, sometime in the 1980's. But there was no follow up to this observation and I continued with my very fitness conscious lifestyle not really knowing what MS was until it became very much an issue after multiple surgeries. Raising its head in the 2010's.

I also suffer from Spinal Stenosis even though I have had two Lumbar Laminectomies and I need further surgery I have been told that I will not be offered surgery because of my MS and other conditions making it impossible to say whether my condition may be improved. 

Inbetween my spinal surgeries I also had the misfortune to be diagnosed with Osteoarthritis and required a Total Left Hip Replacement.

After the surgery, whilst recovering in the recovery bay I was asked by one of the nursing team to rate my pain scale on a level of 1-10 and he could'nt understand  why it was 10, as I'd had the maximum dose of Morphine that I was allowed and it did'nt touch the pain at all.

I had to stay in for a few extra days and put up with certain nurses telling me to 'Man up'.

I later found out that the implanted ball of pain relief that had been put in had failed to release its contents. An X-Ray the following day showed massive bruising to my hip.

Somewhere in amongst my surgeries I also had to partake of a right ulnar nerve transposition surgery.

So my body, especially my mobility was not recovering. Although I did all my physio and more, my walking was getting worse.

I returned various times to doctors/physios/specialists but they could'nt understand why I was in such difficulty.  I was referred to a spinal neurologist at Nottingham University hospital, who after studying my MRI's and X-Rays informed me that I had various lesions on my brain and spine conforming to a diagnosis of MS.

I had by this time moved to Cornwall with my partner after a divorce, a redundancy from a 20+ years career and a body which limited my life and denied me from being able to seek employment.

I attended Derriford Hospital Plymouth under Professor Hobart who gave me a diagnosis of Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis.

Conditions which have developed since my life in my chair began are: Severe sleep apnea,  Distasis Recti, Severe Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in both hands (surgery on my right side which did nothing as I believe the symptoms were caused by my MS), diabetes, anemia, oedema, Oesophageal varices, Gastric polyps, Hyperlipidemia, Fatty liver (originally put down to medications) which progressed to compensated cirrhosis as I was not treated for this and was continued on high dose Ibubrofen amongst other pain relief medications.  Oh and the demon in the room which I think I'm always on top of until the big black dog reminds me I'm not always in charge until it loosens it's grip again and you remember that it usually goes back to the shadows for a while. 

I'm sure there are other things that I will recall also.

All my  conditions have had very debilitating symptoms at various times and are unpredictable in nature.

On top of this I have had to make massive changes to my lifestyle and financial position which I hope to refer to later and will hopefully be able to share experiences and advice with others with any of my conditions.

#multiplesclerosis #spinalstenosis #disability #lifeinachair #MS #disabilityawareness