Night Night.


Over the years, due to the progressive nature of Muscular Dystrophy, problems tend to creep up on you. When you notice a task that you would perform quite easily begin to get gradually more difficult, you have to try to think of solutions.

Getting into bed involved parking my wheelchair parallel to the bed, shuffling to the edge of my chair, lifting a cheek/buttock (:-)) onto the bed, and basically throwing myself sideways onto the bed. I could then prop myself up onto my elbow and from that position I could manage to get into a sitting position. The final act, getting from my elbow to sitting up, was becoming more and more difficult. Over time, maybe months, it became more of a struggle, every night being a reminder that I needed a solution.  After a lot of internet research(not the Pete Townsend type) I concluded an adjustable bed would help, I contacted social services who agreed to help. Unfortunately finances are tight and they couldn’t stretch to an adjustable bed so provided the next best thing, a bed riser, basically an air bag that sits under your existing mattress and lifts the top/head end of your bed up. This worked a treat, helped me retain a level of independence, and relived a bit of stress.

I used the bed riser for maybe 18 months/2 years until, sadly, the act of transferring from chair to bed became too difficult. Luckily my Son was living with me at this time and he became my ‘carer’, but sadly, another bit of my independence was lost.

I now have an adjustable/profiling bed, again provided by Social services. It’s much better, though it does throw up one problem, it’s a single bed. If I were ever to meet a ‘significant other’ it could mean replacing it with a double bed(very presumptive). Fingers crossed.