Lifting a teenager WILL damage your back

This post is about Smiley and how her physical disabilities are affecting the life of this family.  What you need to know is that Smiley is a pretty, happy, bright 14 year old who likes music and shopping and just happens to be severely physically and mentally handicapped.  As a baby she was given a diagnosis of cerebral palsy and something else, still not identified. 

This is also about me, and the ongoing threat to my back that’s caused by having a child with disabilities.

You see you can lie to yourself for years. Tell yourself that you’re doing fine. Other people will say she’s not that heavy – I mean she only weighs about 7 stone. And a few years ago when she was lighter I could be picking her up 20 times a day. That’s what does the damage – it’s the cumulative effect, you make things a little bit worse each time. 

I got my first fright about 3 years ago, when I damaged my back very badly from lifting Smiley in and out of the car.  So I went out and bought the Smileymobile, this great big enormous ‘car’ that I can push her wheelchair onto, and it also takes her walker, hoist, ramps, 3 passengers and me!  It’s about as exciting and sexy as a Transit Van, but means that Smiley can once again come out and about with me everywhere – which she loves -  even a trip to Tesco is an opportunity for fun, learning and meeting new people.

Since then, I have had more back problems, but I keep getting patched up and carrying on.  Last Spring I spent a lovely few days in Wexford and damaged my back again.  On the Friday morning I stretched everything thoroughly and it seemed okay.  But on Saturday it was worse, and by Sunday morning I could hardly get myself down the stairs.  Once again my friends came to the rescue, opened up their clinic  and gave me an emergency treatment.  We had a long talk about what was wrong and what I should do about it.  Basically I was warned that I was sustaining crush injuries through all the carrying, and that it had to stop or my spine would be permanently affected.  That could mean that I would no longer be able to care for my daughter.  So Smiley’s bed was moved downstairs and it was bye bye dining room until I moved house.  Now she has a room downstairs, but I can’t get the hoist into the bathroom so I’m still doing ‘level transfers’ from her wheelchair onto the toilet.  This may have to continue until I’m in a position to get a ceiling hoist put in, or I put my back out again.  More treatment was needed this week and my knees are now giving me trouble as well.  I should have acted much sooner.  But I didn’t know any better.

So please, if you are reading this and a carer who has to regularly lift a child or adult, take care. Don’t just soldier on hoping for the best, listen to your body and if you start to feel under strain, get help and make changes…..before it’s too late.

Read more at

looking4bluesky.blogspot.com

---