10 Apr 2013

Flipping fantastic, wheely great - gadgets to keep yourself going

So recently, I have found myself rather incapacitated and standing for longer than a few minutes is proving difficult.
It seems that while I was working in the sphere of one particular rare disease, another kind, EDS, that I have unknowingly had all my life, undiagnosed, was about to knock me to the ground and wipe the floor with me.
I was fortunate for a while that my husband had a gap between contracts and took over the washing, driving the kids about and doing the cooking while I spent large parts of the day asleep and generally being useless. I haven't been to the shops since November and am not likely to for the forseeable future. Thank goodness for online groceries and home delivery!
Eventually, my husband started his new job and I am now having to find ways to get about and do things like cook etc.
Being a solution-focused person, I sought out some mobility aids and this, demonstrated using Twitter Vine, is what I found. I thought I'd share them in case you or someone you know might find them useful.
First the seat flip-stick, a helping hand for standing longer.

Secondly, the saddle seat on wheels, height adjustable, so that I can do things at the counter-top and so on. Obviously, getting someone else to do it for you is preferable but not always possible.


The stool on wheels is a particular hit with the kids - now we need another to have races down the hallway...



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3 Apr 2013

My Daughter's Trial - a compelling play by my friend Gulshanah

Rehearsals are now underway for My Daughter’s Trial, written by my friend, Gulshanah Choudhuri, an SEN Barrister and the mother of a daughter with Down's Syndrome.

The play, described as compelling and fast moving, features Parveen, an ambitious young Muslim barrister who faces her own trial when she must decide whether to section her mentally ill mother against her family’s wishes.

As Parveen juggles her professional and personal responsibilities, the action switches rapidly from courtroom battle to domestic turmoil, made even more complicated when her opponent in court turns out to be the love of her life.

Witness the actions of both the defendant and Parveen, and judge for yourself who is really on trial

The play is being staged in the atmospheric former Westminster County Court, hidden away in Covent Garden. 

Parveen is played by Goldy Notay.  Goldy is best known for playing the lead in Gurinder Chadha’s It’s a Wonderful Afterlife, Basimah in Sex and the City 2, and opposite Martin Clunes in the ITV series The Town.  She recently starred in Beloved, Produced by Len Loach, which was the closing night film at Cannes. She is a well-known face on TV from regular appearances in Holby City and Doctors

Capacity is limited so don’t leave it too late.  Put it in your diary and book your tickets now.
April 8-11, 15-18, 22-25  7.30pm
Brown’s Courtroom
Above Brown's Restaurant
82 St Martin’s Lane
London WC2N 4AG
Book tickets via
Soho Theatre
 Box Office  020 7478 0100
Or via www.sohotheatre.com

Gulshanah's website is at http://senbarristers.co.uk
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