The plus side

As I was checking in, the receptionist said: “At this hotel you cannot reserve sunbeds.” Then, pointing at me, she added: “But he can.” It wasn’t my superstar status that allowed me to break the rules, it was my wheelchair. This got me thinking that, as unbelievable as it sounds, there are some ‘ups’ to being in a wheelchair.

Read about disability equipment

Superstar status

In addition to being able to reserve a sunbed (which is often required at this hotel given how early some guests arrive at the pool in the mornings!) I can also take my ‘noodle’ into the quiet pool. For everyone else, no inflatables or foam floats are allowed, but I couldn’t stand or float without my foam pool noodle.

At first, people looked on incredulously. But then they saw my chair and their looks and attitudes changed. Now, complete strangers offer me assistance with getting in or out of the pool.

On a trip to the capital to see ABBA Voyage (the ABBA concert with the holograms), a steward appeared and ‘fast tracked’ us, due to my chair. I’ve previously talked about using assistance service at airports. Fast tracking and airport assistance combined often means no queueing for me. “No queuing!” I hear you say. “But we’re British, it’s what we do, and we do it so well!”

Read about Craig’s experience of travelling with MS

Table service

When I go to Starbucks or Costa Coffee, as well as always getting a seat (I take my own!), I get table service. Table service doesn’t sound a lot but as holding a cup and wheeling is near impossible, to me it’s a big deal as I no longer end up wearing hot coffee.

If you fancy any of these, I’ll happily swap them. The deal being that I get your ability to walk and you get my chair.

Read about our Stop MS Appeal

There are many, many, many negatives and a few positives that being in a chair can bring. But I don’t focus on the negatives, I focus on the positives. Upsides are always better than downsides and much more worthy of our attention.

Being unable to nip to the bar to grab a Pina Colada is not a downside but an upside. You don’t have to nip to the bar, someone brings the bar to you!

Swapping 'can't' for 'can'

Downsides will have me dwelling on the ‘can’ts’ when I should be dwelling on the ‘cans’. I CAN do everything I used to, just slower and less steadily. But, I can still do them. I replace the word ‘can’t’ with ‘don’t’ or ‘I no longer’ and I feel better. I find it’s freeing and it makes life better. It’s better to no longer cut the grass than to feel that I can’t cut the grass. Small changes to vocabulary, or how I talk, make huge differences to how I feel.

Read about MS and mental health

There are downsides to every aspect of life, but with MS, I think it’s more important how you feel. Feeling positive is so much better than feeling negative. I believe if someone feels positive then everyone around them will notice it. And who knows, that positivity may rub off.

I’m lying here on my reserved sun bed (First World problems, I know!) looking at my chair, not as something that disables me but as something that enables me to live a better life. Being in my chair means I have a sun bed, unlike some. Being in my chair means I no longer queue. Being in my chair means others bring me drinks. Do any of these sound like disabilities to you?

Read about financial support for holidays with MS

Like most people with MS, I’ve heard about many different ways to improve life with the condition – but let’s face it there’s no known cure (yet). A lot of what I’ve heard focuses on what we should or shouldn’t do, but forgets to mention how we should feel. How we feel is important. Do you feel disabled? Do you feel that you ‘can’t’? For me it’s a no to both of these.

I look for the plus sides (they are there) and then I feel better, I look better, and I am better. I owe it to myself to be better, not to feel like that poor disabled person who needs sympathy.

There is plus side, you just have to look and you will find it.