30 Seconds To Mars and a Nightmare Journey

Yesterday’s adventure to London was good times; just the journey both was a nightmare.

I meet Chris yesterday in Winton (here in Bournemouth) at a cafe for breakfast, then we jumped on a bus and headed for the train station. We got to the train station early and we had an hour to kill. He grabbed a coffee and we just sat in the little cafe inside the station and chatted, then he went for a quick smoke and I waited on the platform. A train lady came over to me and asked which train I was getting, I said the 12.59 to Waterloo, she then asked if I had booked ramps, I said yes I have, she asked my name,  I said Justin Scrimagia. She said great I will let my colleague know, but I think she may have forgot to as it was a fellow passenger that told a train man and he got the ramp out. We got on the train and it got delayed leaving Bournemouth and then delayed again at Southampton. Added about 20mins on to our journey, we arrived at Waterloo and their meet us at the train with the ramp to get me off the train.  We then headed for the underground for the tube, busy as hell and oh yes further delays on the tube line we needed.

Having finally making to the O2 arena, we meet up with some friends who were also going to the gig (Abi and Zoe) we all went to Garfunkel's restaurant for food, it was nice good food and good company. After filling our belly’s we had some time kill before heading in for the show to begin.

First up was the support band You Me At Six now Hate is a strong word But I really, really, really don't like them. I will give it to them though they did their job they got the crowd fired up, and for the people who are into them they were loving it and having a good time. After You Me At Six finished I think there was a delay with 30 Seconds To Mars as it took ages for them to start. When they finally hit the stage it was great, a good set they played of new and old hits. The only thing that did annoyed me a bit was Jared Leto stopping to talk, now I understand why he was doing it to make the crowed feel like they were part of it. It got to the point where I was like dude just shut up and sing, when he did sing it was great and the stage show and lighting they had was just wow, it was fantastic to be apart off.

After the show had finished and missing one tube back as it was full. We made it back to Waterloo with about 15mins to go before our train left, so we get to our platform and we see a train man and Chris goes or to him to say we need to get on this train can you get the ramp. The man’s reply, I don’t know nothing about it not my job. 10mins later he come to us and goes I’ll go get someone for you, me and Chris just look at each other and go he could have done that 10 bloody minutes ago.  A train man comes over with the ramp and we get on the train. Now the deal was because they were doing work on lines, the train was only going to Southampton and they were laying on buses back to Bournemouth.  I got told as I can’t get myself on the bus they wound lay on a taxi back to Bournemouth. (Look see play things by the book and you still get nowhere)

Southampton Central (SOU) -  Assistance in transferring between trains,
Assistance at station for alighting,
Wheelchair user requiring ramps at destination station,
wheelchair accessible taxi required to BMH

 

We got of the train at Southampton and leave the station and go outside to no taxi, we go back in the station to talk to the staff and explain it all to him. He goes maybe they are the other side, so we go the other side and no taxi. We got stuck in Southampton for just over 30minutes and then a taxi driver outside the station, asked what was going on we explained it all to him and in the end he was the one to bring us home.

Both he and the two staff at Southampton were fantastic, lovely people. Bournemouth station will be getting an email of complaint by me, as it was a complete fuck up and lack of communication by Bournemouth. 

Apart from the nightmare of a journey, had wicked time at the gig live music is just the best. :-)

London Baby

Here we go.

My first blog out on the road, well train. We are off to London baby. :-) i'm with my best friend Chirs, and we are going to see 30 seconds to mars 2night at the O2 arena. So some may say why 30 seconds to mars??  when you like other heavier bands, well I like what I like and I will admit that 30 seconds to mars are a bit of a guilty pleasure. (We all have them)

I have been a good disabled person and pre-booked my ramps so i can get on and off the train. I only down part of to days adventure is, on the way back we have to get a taxi back from Southampton to Bournemouth. This is because they are doing work to rail lines. And they are lying buses on from Southampton to Bournemouth but because i am no longer able to walk i can't get on it. So taxi back it is, (South West Trains) are paying for the taxi not me. This isn't the first time I've had to do it, which it kinda sucks but hey ho it beats getting stuck at a train station in the cold and it's a way home.

Just throw in a plane and a boat and we will pretty much cover all forms of transport today haha. Lets go have some fun in London town. :-)

FA + Falling = Warzone

It is only Thursday afternoon and this week has been a bit of a warzone for me. FA has been getting the better of me, I have falling a few times mainly off the toilet when trying to get back into my wheelchair. Like today I totally over shot my wheelchair and face planted on to the cold floor. No major injuries just a few grazes and a bump to the head.  My mum and brother had to help me back into my wheelchair, I feel so silly when I fall and can’t get myself back up.

Afterwards my brother was asking me why I have a big problem with asking for help. I was trying to explain to him but he didn’t understand it, all I could say was that I get a huge rush of self gratification when I accomplish something on my own. I love the feeling, I guess you could say it’s my drug I am addicted. That’s why I prefer trying to do things myself, rather than asking for help.

Is it just me?? Am I the only FA or wheelchair user who feels like this?? Or is it some sort independent code that we disabled people have build into us??

This may sound a little crazy but I tend to feel more human and alive, knowing that I have accomplish something on my own doesn’t matter whether it’s big or small.

For now in my life with FA are getting harder do Yes I will admit that. (First time I have admitted it) so for as long as I can I still want to do the things I can do for now on my own. I know FA will get worse over time and it will come to the day where I will have to ask for the help for the most basic of tasks.  Trust me that is on  my mind every day and as always we will cross that bridge as and when I get to it, as for now hopefully that’s something  future Justin to deal with.  I’m just going to keep living my life doing the stuff I can and maybe asking for help with the stuff I can’t, see I am leaning baby steps :-).  

Here is a question I get asked a lot by fellow FA'ers

Here is a question I get asked a lot by fellow FA'ers, do your feet get cold in the winter. As winter is just around the corner I thought I’d take this time to let you in on what I do.

First off as FA has taken my ability to walk so my feet no longer have the movement they use to, which means blood dose not flow easy to my lower limbs (bad blood circulation) and my feet can turn a bluely/purple colour and sometimes feel like blocks of ice. Even though now I have had feet operations I still get cold feet and sometimes colder because of all the metal in my feet.

I have tried all the tricks in the book to get warm feet like the two pairs of socks, hot water bottle, thick socks/hiking socks the list goes on.

Post operations my feet were bad and use to get really cold and turn blue/purple quick, now after the ops they still do get cold and that it just takes longer. My right foot is better now were they had  to do the flap surgery (Flap surgery is a technique in plastic and reconstructive surgery where any type of tissue is lifted from a donor site and moved to a recipient site with an intact blood supply. This is similar to but different from a graft, which does not have an intact blood supply and therefore relies on growth of new blood vessels. This is done to fill a defect such as a wound resulting from injury or surgery when the remaining tissue is unable to support a graft, or to rebuild more complex anatomic structures such as breast or jaw. The skin can be divided into 3 main layers including the epidermis, the dermis, and the subcutaneous tissue. Blood is supplied to the skin mainly by two networks of blood vessels. The deep network lies between the dermis and the subcutaneous tissue, while the shallow network lies within the papillary layer of the dermis.The epidermis is supplied by diffusion from this shallow network and both networks are supplied by collaterals, and by perforating arteries that bring blood from deeper layers either between muscles (septocutaneous perforators) or through muscles (musculocutaneous perforators). This redundant and robust blood supply is important in flap surgery because part of the supply will be cut off. The remaining blood supply must then keep the tissue alive until a more optimal supply can be restored through angiogenesis.
An angiosome is a three-dimensional region of tissue that is supplied by a single artery and can include skin, soft tissue, and bone. Adjacent angiosomes are connected by narrower choke vessels and so multiple angiosomes can be supplied by a single artery. Knowledge of these supply arteries and their associated angiosomes is useful in planning the location, size, and shape of a flap)
A lot of work went in to rebuilding my right foot and because they took my main artery in thigh to put in my right foot it now had much better blood circulation than my left foot.

Here we go I have two ways to getting warm feet, one is a quick fix and one is the long route.

1.      The quick fix

A few Christmas's ago my mum and her friend Jackie get me these microwaveable stuffed animals, now the animals are not important it’s the sacks inside them that it. All you need for this quick little fix is 2 of them sacks, some over the top big novelty slippers and a microwave. (I will include a photo of the set up) You cook the sacks up in the microwave for 1 minute (I love how I sound like a blue peter presenters here or a drug lord hahahaha) and after the 1 minute pop them in to your slippers and relax. They will keep your feet warm for about15-30mins it’s really nice like having a personal fire under your feet.

2.      The long Route

It’s actually really easy just put your feet up; elevation is the key to help the blood flow to your lower limbs. Whenever you are not busy get your feet up for 5,10-15mins and it will help. Sit on the sofa and get your feet up, or get a foot rest/puffa anything to get them feet up trust me it will help.