"Treated me as a person instead of "other""

I had to attend the dermatology department for the removal of a growth on my wrist.

Normally when I receive a letter from the NHS my heart sinks because the first thing that comes to mind is How am I going to get there? and Have I got a driver? Who IS my driver? This makes a difference because it all depends on how my personal assistant relates to me that impacts on how the outside world sees me as a person and as how able or unable I can be seen. I am a wheelchair user so as you can imagine there needs to be a lot of preparation before I can even go! For instance, can we find a car parking space? Have we rung them to see if the doors are wide enough? Are there any steps? 

Once I am in the door, if I don't have a chance to instruct my PA on what and what not to do, its normally a race to the reception desk. If reception can see me, as in my wheels I'm very low, and I manage to get there before my PA, I have to talk very loudly because the glass is in the way and I can't get near enough to the speaker. If they can understand my slurred speech (due to my prescription tablets) through the glass they are doing really well!

Even better if they understand me and don't turn to my PA to speak for me! I always give places a star rating in my head if they achieve all this! This experience would be 3 stars!

Once that hurdle is passed I can go to the next challenge. Its like the Krypton Factor sometimes going through the doors and finding where to go, as directions are not my strong point.

When I finally reached the theatre me and my PA and the surgeon had to play Tetris, trying to figure out where I needed to sit in my wheelchair as I couldn't lie on the bed. It was quite a small space with lots of equipment and lots of us: me, my PA, Dr. Erdal, and theatre staff Fiona, Michelle  and Charlotte. They were all very professional but all very easy to talk to and jolly.

Once we figured out what to rest my arm on and where to all sit, I was more worried about my PA fainting as she had to help me hold my arm straight on the trolley. They made sure I was very comfortable and then proceeded with the op, keeping a check at regular intervals that I was still ok. I even showed myself up as a bit of a TV geek by relating to the surgeon what he was doing to me at every stage! We were all having a good laugh and a chat as well as being serious when needed.

It was so refreshing to meet people who are open minded who just treated me as a person instead of as "Other", as normally my experience is very belittling when I just want to be seen as Me, not as my wheelchair!