Jill’s Jottings NewYork (Part B)

Tuesday saw improving weather. Mary-ann & I wandered through Central Park, about 3 blocks away, before I headed off to the Natural History Museum which offers a planetarium I wanted to investigate. Looked good - so I’ll plan to see it when I visit the Special ‘History of the Horse’ display occurring over the weekend. Enjoyed slowly getting closer to Downtown New York by wheeling, walking & resting my wheelchair in great weather, also all down hill. I’d done some homework and knew bus 104 ran past our hotel, so hailed it 4.30pm for a ride home. Their lift & ramp seemed an older version of the type I’d recently used in Johnstown, but did the trick. Was rudimentally secured in the bus and asked where I wanted to dismount. Then the bus soon became very crowded, but 30mins later the driver arrived to untie me and organise the lift/ramp – great service.

Interesting aside - safety awareness seems scarce, surprising in such a litigious society. We see bike riders without helmets, workers carrying large timbers without gloves, drilling holes without ear muffs or safetey goggles, taxi drivers are not required to wear seat belts, wide gaps for public transport users (especially wheelchairs) to negotiate, rough footpaths, etc.

The pavements continue to slope sideways and at cross roads, such a nuisance! Home again, this time the lift working fine so dinner then bed.

Wednesday met Susan Fish & had lunch ‘with a lake view’ - see Mary-ann’s notes. It was interesting to meet a Physical Therapist working as a private Physio with Post Polios. Susan learned the approach to managing PPS issues from her patients, a positive example of what we need in Australian PT’s. I am becoming more & more convinced that PPS management is as much about our approach to new PPS challenges as it is about the physical aspects of managing pain, weakness, exercise & mobility issues. There is so much information here about management, aids & equipment, but still USA Post Polio sufferers hesitate to take advantage of modern technology available to assist them in daily Living Activities. I almost feel we should be able to design the concepts of a new program approach called i.e., “Harnessing PPS Demons to reach new achievement levels” – any comments from readers??

PS – Popped out for a local shop only to be tipped out of my manual w/chair by a tiny 1 inch bump thanks to the latest road works to spring up. Now on my 3rd glass of red wine, settling nerves. I was only moving slowly, so don’t know why it happened, except that I don’t normally use my manual w/chair outside, so suppose my foot path negotiating skills are low.

Looking f/w to sightseeing adventures Friday & the coming New York w/end.

Jill Pickering