It's not all bad when you've got these diseases .....

[Nickijk73]

At least one positive is that you get given fantastic seats to some great gigs.... I've been waiting a long time for black sabbath tonight 😊🎸🥁🤘🏻

I can't post a pic as for some reason it just keeps rotating it,but we are basically level with the stage,and you can see the band come up onto the stage via the steps - how cool?! You'd have to know someone in a very high up place,or be willing to part with a lot of money for seats like these otherwise 😊 And of course,the best bit is that I have my own chair and cozy toes to keep me very comfy😀

[medway-lady]

I've never thought of this! what a wheeze and great gig. Lucky you. x

[Richgirl]

I love that! Can't wait to go to my next concert since Ive now got my own chair too. I can tell u have a great seat! Richgirl

[Nickijk73 in reply to Richgirl]

Thanks - it would've been fantastic if my flare hadn't raised it's ugly head halfway through..,, only I could fall asleep/pass out when I'm sitting right next to the stage of o2 with one of the oldest rock bands playing!!it was only when I dropped my drink down my front that I woke up... typical 😂 God knows how much I missed,but I do know he was fitter and in better shape than when I saw him in Chicago in 2012.

So you've got yourself a chair now then Richgirl ? Is it a Powerchair? Because if it is,you seriously can't understand how hard they can be to use at first,and as far as I'm aware,there are no courses you can go on to get your confidence up either.... ok,so tonight I had one or two issues with getting in and out of the disabled loos,but other than that,I was a million times better than the first few times I used it - I just didn't find it natural at all,and my chairs one of the smallest you can get - I used to keep forgetting that I had a little bag attached to the arm so that I didn't have to worry about taking my handbag.... the amount of walls or people I've taken out whilst learning 😳

[Richgirl in reply to Nickijk73]

Oh wow! What a night u had. Yes I have a powered wheelchair. I can handle it now. but at first, I drove it like I was in a bronking bull out of control. I too ran over a few people along the way. I was in a store one day & wiped out a whole table of very exspensive pottery. Thank goodness the owners understood & were very nice. When I first got RA I had so many flare ups that I would lay in pain for days at a time. There awful. I started noticing that certain foods & drinks set them off. It's amazing how much better I'm doing after giving up certain foods. Have u tried that? Anyway now I just gota go see a concert. I saw Bob Dylan once. But I wasn't very close to the stage. That was before I had RA several years ago. I'm trying to learn how to make my gut healthy. I'm learning about leaky gut syndrome & how it causes autoimmune diseases & how by healing the gut U can heal my body. Don't know, but I'm willing to try. If nothing else I know that it's all a healthy thing to do so what do I have to lose? Oh every now & then I'll try a little something that I gave up just to see what would happen. The other day I had some wheat. Just 2 crackers. OMG. Severe horrible joint pain. My body reminded me of how awful I use to feel. For two days I had to take pain pills.That little experiment with those 2 crackers told me I'm doing the right thing with not eating things that hurt me. It gave me so much faith in what I'm doing. Not sure what part of the world your in. I'm in Santa Barbara california. It's about 6pm. So I Hope u have a great day tomorrow.🌻 Richgirl

[Nickijk73 in reply to Richgirl]

Thanks Richgirl

I'm in the UK,in a very green and leafy part on the Essex/Suffolk borders ,which I absolutely love for when I'm fit enough to take the dogs out - it used to be my parents dogs but they're too big for me now,so I treated myself to a little maltese late last year(I had to wait two months since speaking with the breeder,and it was pure hell.... I'm impatient at the best of times😝 But I figured by getting a small breed,then no matter how rough a day I was having,she could still get all the exercise she needed by being in the garden,and she couldn't pull me over no matter how hard she tried😈 She's just 15wks today,and I'm loving every bit,even the painful and messy bits 😊

I know a lot of people go on about diets on here,and the only thing I've got left to give up is wheat,as I've been a veggie who doesn't really like/eat dairy for well over 20 yrs now - I have been thinking about trying a gluten free diet,but as this current flare was due to a fall,I've been putting it off it finally took just under 3yrs for them to get the right cocktails that seem to keep my conditions under a level of control,and now I'll only use the wheelchair if I'm off for a long day or night out somewhere.... we used to go to festivals every year,with numerous gigs invetween,but that's obviously waned since I've been ill,and also since I had to give up work on medical grounds,purely because after 18 months of fighting,and still not having the correct drug regime at the time,it was doing more harm than good,esp with the stress involved. I've also had three back ops since 2010-2013 for degenerative disc disease,which includes putting a cage and screws in on one area,and bone graft from my own pelvis,plus I had decompression surgery the last time around as my legs were just giving way under me.... my first op was at the age of 37,so I'm pretty used to being pumped full of pills at some point,although it still never stopped me going to the gym 6/7 days a week,with a lot of aqua for my back,but also running and hillwalking on the treadmill 3/4 times a week too - that's the hardest part for me,being so sedate when I'm not a sedate person... it's so frustrating that some days you just sit and cry when you're having a bad day as it's the only way to vent... and once you do,you just pick yourself up,dust yourself off and of you go again ready for the next battle 😝

We've booked our first festival for this year since being diagnosed - at least now I have the right equipment and support it should make it another enjoyable experience again. But I'm glad you got your chair,they really are a lifeline when you're feeling so isolated and alone indoors because of not being able to walk any distances.

Well I hope you get to a gig you've got your eye on,and hope you have a great time too

Nicki x

[craigsif]

BRILLIANT, first time I saw Sabbath was Capital, Cardiff 1977 Brilliant night loved every moment. So I hope that you had fantastic time,xx

[Nickijk73 in reply to craigsif]

Thanks,I did - even if I did have a little sleep halfway through(only a flare would let you do that when you're practically onstage with them😝). I saw them at lollapalooza in Chicago in 2012,and the difference in ozzys health and movements between then and now were so much better, you can definitely tell he'd been training for this - a great night was definitely had,thanks x

[Leonwp]

Im very pleased that you managed to find a positive in these diseases and that at least you are able to enjoy again something you have missed. Absolutely not my thing and im afraid your enyoyable evening would be about as close to my idea of hell as im afraid i dont do travelling, i definately dont do crowded places and never ever loud noises. But that just shows how different we all are, its still great that your "thing" is back for you.

Blessings.

[Nickijk73 in reply to Leonwp]

Thanks Leon

Yep,we're all so different and that's the part that makes us all individual and interesting in our own rights. Luckily my partner and I are both big music fans,infact I look a beginner compared to him,as he's been going to gigs since he could walk,and we also both have such eclectic tastes in music,so there's generally always something that one will like and the other won't,but at the end of the day,we just love live music,and even better if it's in an open field on a nice warm(not hot) day. You have to learn to take some positives from these things,otherwise you'll just go mad over time - it's like the first time I used my blue badge to get me through customs after the flight home from turkey - I could see the aisle was clear,so just asked an attendant,and she didn't even ask to see my badge,just said she understood as she has MS herself,and my friend and I were whisked through - you could hear the moans in the crowds behind us,but as they're not the officials,I'm certainly not discussing my health with them... tough luck as they say.. they probably got upto a lot of things on holiday I would've loved to have done but couldn't because of my health,so it's all swings and roundabouts.

Thanks for your kind words

Nicki x

[stbernhard]

There's always a positive side to everything. Never give up looking for it. Well done. Are your ears still ringing?

[Nickijk73 in reply to stbernhard]

Luckily enough they're not,I'm just so tired.... but as the pup had her first sleepover at 'nans' last night,i'm making the most of a relatively quiet house and a lie in before she comes back..,, as are the cats too 😝 X

[Doodleangel]

Silver lining - hope you enjoyed your night out

[Nickijk73 in reply to Doodleangel]

Thanks,we did,but like I said earlier,you can never quite forget this thing,esp as I'm going through a flare at the minute... so what happens? I must be the only person in history who wasn't drunk,or drinking, that passed out halfway through the gig(just shows the power of a good flare) I only woke up because I dropped my cup of water all over my legs.... luckily my cozy toes caught most of it,and my hoody just caught a little,but all dried out by the time we left 😊.... just shattered now though... still,a night of dinner out and live music was definitely worth being tired for 😊 X

[Gnarli]

I'm thrilled you had such a brilliant night and amazing seats - and a bit jealous too. Those crowds would definitely put me off though unless I was allowed to put Boudicca-style blades on the axles. Anti-social, me?

[Nickijk73 in reply to Gnarli]

Thanks Gnarli

The crowds aren't too bad as you go in through a completely different entrance,and we even had people taking drinks orders for the area so we didn't have to worry about going out to the bar at any point - not even for a soft drink 😊

As for the crowds,it's something I've gotten used to now,and I take the attitude that if they can't be bothered to look at who they're walking in front/across of,then they must be prepared to loose a toe or two😂 Plus it does help that my other half,even though is a huge softy,because of his build,and the fact he has a bald head,a sleeve tattoo, a beard halfway down his stomach and walks properly with his shoulders back,he looks like a huge thug that walks either in front of me or behind me,so it's rare that anyone gets lippy to me if I do 'accidentally' run them over 😝

I've always been a considerate pedestrian,especially in crowds,looking to make sure I'm not in someone's way,so I hope to be treated with the same respect when I'm out!! You soon find that like most things,it's a very tiny majority that aren't considerate,so I don't see it as a threat at all,even though I'm half the height of the crowd due to being in my chair - infact you'd be amazed at the amount of people that go to gigs like this that are either in chairs or got some form of walking aid with them x

[Gnarli in reply to Nickijk73]

How lucky to have your own personal bouncer! Strange isn't it how some folk judge by appearance? I've only got one criterion. Are they nice? I get your view of crowds but I struggle a bit as I'm slightly agoraphobic. Okay in familiar places but tend to get panicky in unfamiliar places or surrounded by people.

[Nickijk73 in reply to Gnarli]

Completely understand your fears - when I was young,we had a neighbour two doors down that had agoraphobia,and she turned it into a positive by running her own cake making business from home instead - she was fabulous at it,and I admired her way of coping with her issues.

But yep,Terry (my other half) can't understand why people are so terrified of him,as he knows he's a big softy(unless he needs to stand his ground of course) but it is a case of people judging books by covers,and it's very frustrating!!

[Philip]

WOW lol I went there a week or so ago, not only that it looks like you where almost in the same seat lol, I had a brilliant time there in Manchester . I'd love to go again but they aore old men lol but it didn't stop them .

[Nickijk73]

Hi Philip

I saw them at a festival in Chicago back in 2012,and you could definitely see the improvement in ozzys health between now and then... he still totters around like an old grandad at a wedding😂 But good on him after everything he's been through over the years!! I thought the show was fab,even if my flare did cause me to miss part as I passed out somewhere in the middle 😝 But hey ho,I still had a great time,just paying for it today,as every time I move my knees they make the loudest cracking sounds I've heard in a while 😩 But I'm still counting down the days to the reading festival now - as it'll be the first festival we've done since I was diagnosed,and I just can't wait.... we love our festivals/live music,and I've missed it so much since being ill,but now my condition's under some level of control,I can finally see plans being made again,and that excites me 😊

[thelmar]

I'm not a festival fan but I do like concerts. I discovered quite by chance that if you are registered disabled a number of concert halls have special deals. Mainly 1 free ticket for a carer and advice on best seating. I have registered with Royal Albert Hall, Royal Opera House and London Coliseum (in fact we are going to see Alfie Boe and Katherine Jenkins in Carousel in April). I have found the Box Offices to be most helpful when choosing seats.

As you said it is good to find a positive among all the negatives.

[Nickijk73 in reply to thelmar]

Hi thelmar

That's exactly what happened with me - it was a pure throwaway remark someone said one day that made me realise I'd been paying for two tickets when I only needed to buy one as my partner/carer can usually get in for free - and as you said,once you speak to the relevant box offices,and provide your proof of entitlement,then you usually end up registered on their systems for future bookings,and they are the politest people I've ever come across...,, it really makes a refreshing change compared to some places/people!! The best experience I've had so far was when we saw the Invictus games closing ceremony - the disabled area was right in front of the VIPs - we were literally feet away from prince Harry and all his circle that you normally only see in mags(incl Beatrice and her cronies). The best bit for me though was the fact we were seated next to a grandmother with two young girls - their mum was playing in a few games,so we actually got to see and hold a gold medal..... a truly great moment,and one that my nephew and his friend never got the chance to see - so very glad they were happy to let us take pictures of it 😊

Hope you enjoy your concert when it comes around - we have such eclectic tastes in music that we appreciate everything, especially if live,and that sounds like a fab night.

Nicki x

[Karen77]

I ended up renting a motorized scooter for Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay and my family and I got directed to the front row & centre for the animal show! Hooray! (Not Black Sabbath, but will accept what benefits I can!)