Ben Nevis
Well what started out as a big joke seams to be coming true, which really wasn't the Plan?
Let's start from the beginning, Hi, My name is Caroline Cooper but my friends call me Caz. I am 26 years old, I live with my boyfriend Andy, I have an older brother, Kevin and an older sister, Allison and I can't forget my mum and dad Vivien and Graham.
The most important thing you should know about me is I have Spina Bifida. Which means I have a lot of back problems, but I also have one leg. Well I say I have one leg but really I have two just one hasn't grown properly, so I have to wear an artificial leg which fits over my actual leg.
Although I have a lot of physical problems I have never seen myself as different from anyone else. I am a strong believer in you can do anything in life, you just have it believe in yourself. I went to a normal school, I have a full time job and my hobbies are swimming, kayaking and cycling. So yes I do everything you can, I just do it in my own time and in my own way.
As you can tell I am very active but on the 5th November 2007 I had an operation on the lower part of my back. The doctor told me it would be 2 weeks healing process which I thought I could handle, but as always there were complications. It ended up being 8 months and because it was on the lower part of my back I wasn't allowed to sit down or lie on my back. During these 8 months I also had a sore on my little leg, which meant I wasn't allowed to ware my artificial leg.
I have to say those 8 months were the hardest I have ever had, not just physically but mentally as well. I had to relay on everyone around me, which was really hard for such an independent person. At this point I do just have to thank Andy and my mum, I really don't know how I would have coped without them. Now I don't want to get soppy or anything but they really did help me more than they both will ever know.
Now as you may know if you don't do any exercise your muscles start to deteriorate. As I didn't do anything for 8 months, I found it really hard to get back into it. Once I had the all clear from the doctors I thought, as did everyone else, that was it I would be back to myself again. But as we all found out this op had taken more from me than 8 months. I couldn't do anything without mu back hurting.
On the 19th May 2008 I started back at work, well I say back at work but it wasn't the work I had left 8 months before.
My old work which was working with animals really wasn't happy with me having an op, even when I said I was only going to be off for 2 weeks. So after 8 months they really didn't make me feel welcome. I now work looking after mentally and physically disabled adults and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Well it's been over a year now since my op and I am only now feeling like I'm getting back to myself. I repeat I'm getting back to myself but I am no where near as active as I was.
In January 2009 Andy and I booked up all our holiday for the year. We had a few days and weeks here and there but our main holiday was 2 weeks in June From the 12th to the 28th.We had both agreed that we wanted to go camping in Scotland. We then started to talk about what we wanted to do.
One of the first things I said was I wanted to talk up Ben Nevis. As soon as I said that Andy laughed at me and said I could never do that now, maybe 2 years ago, but not now. Now this became a theme, everyone was saying the same thing. All I kept saying was, "As long as I have given it a go I would be happy".
The thing is, the more people say I can't do things, the more determined it makes me to do it.
Sadly in March we found out Andy's dad Ian had cancer. As time got closer to out holiday we both decide that going away at this point really wasn't the best for both us and the rest of the family, so we decided to stay at home. Even more sadly Ian passed away on the 11th June.
In the two weeks that we have had off I had a lot more people, Including Andy, say they bet I was glad we didn't go and do Ben Nevis, because they thought I was all mouth and no trousers and I still wouldn't be able to do it. So here is where the joke started I told Andy I wanted to walk up Ben Nevis for charity. That was all I said.
So the next day Andy and I went round Kevin's, my brother and his wife's Lou's, for dinner. Who, I just have to say, have just found out, they are expecting a baby boy in October. So congratulations to them. Anyway back to out dinner. While we were there Andy told Kevin and Lou about me walking up Ben Nevis for charity. Now I told them the same as I did to Andy it was just a joke.
Kevin, Lou and Andy all said I shouldn't joke about it, and if I wanted to do this I could really make a difference to the charity I chose. They also said that they would help me in what ever way I needed them too, even if it meant them walking up Ben Nevis with me. Kevin also said he would talk to his friend to try and get me publicity for what ever charity I wanted, all I have to do is chose one.
Because they were all so excited and supportive they made me feel I could really do this, not just for everyone who said I couldn't do it, but for myself as well. Because, if there are lots of people telling you, you can't do something then a part of you starts to believe them. So by the end of the evening I am walking up Ben Nevis, all I need to do is get myself a personal trainer so I don't hurt myself and chose a charity that I want to help.
Now this is where it became really hard choosing the charity. I could go for the obvious ones like Cancer Research or Forest Holmes who helped Ian and the rest of the family so much, but I really didn't want people to think that I was doing this because of what's happened, I am doing this for me. So I needed a charity that is personal to me. I want a small but local charity that doesn't get much if any publicity and so I can hopefully see the difference I could be making. I want to be helping people like me. I need a charity that sees beyond a disabled and can see the potential that disabled people have.
I went straight on the internet, I talked to a few people at work and the one charity that keeps coming up is Poole Sailability. From what I can tell Poole Sailability teaches disabled people how to sail, which as I said it shows disabled people and everyone around them what was can do. Before I decide that this is the charity that I want I am going to hopefully meet someone and get more information about them.
Now with the personal trainer that I'm going to need I already have someone in mind. I have a sports massarge once a month and last time I saw him he said he was started up his own business to be a personal trainer. So the first person I'm going to ask is him, by the way his name is Rob. I am meeting him in a couple of weeks to see if he will help me.
Now as you may be able to tell this isn't the end of my story. I'm not sure why I started to write my story, I'm not even sure what I'm going to do with it. I just know that I'm going to keep writing until I have achieved everything I want out of all of this. I just hope you want to keep reading it.
Well what started out as a big joke seams to be coming true, which really wasn't the Plan?
Let's start from the beginning, Hi, My name is Caroline Cooper but my friends call me Caz. I am 26 years old, I live with my boyfriend Andy, I have an older brother, Kevin and an older sister, Allison and I can't forget my mum and dad Vivien and Graham.
The most important thing you should know about me is I have Spina Bifida. Which means I have a lot of back problems, but I also have one leg. Well I say I have one leg but really I have two just one hasn't grown properly, so I have to wear an artificial leg which fits over my actual leg.
Although I have a lot of physical problems I have never seen myself as different from anyone else. I am a strong believer in you can do anything in life, you just have it believe in yourself. I went to a normal school, I have a full time job and my hobbies are swimming, kayaking and cycling. So yes I do everything you can, I just do it in my own time and in my own way.
As you can tell I am very active but on the 5th November 2007 I had an operation on the lower part of my back. The doctor told me it would be 2 weeks healing process which I thought I could handle, but as always there were complications. It ended up being 8 months and because it was on the lower part of my back I wasn't allowed to sit down or lie on my back. During these 8 months I also had a sore on my little leg, which meant I wasn't allowed to ware my artificial leg.
I have to say those 8 months were the hardest I have ever had, not just physically but mentally as well. I had to relay on everyone around me, which was really hard for such an independent person. At this point I do just have to thank Andy and my mum, I really don't know how I would have coped without them. Now I don't want to get soppy or anything but they really did help me more than they both will ever know.
Now as you may know if you don't do any exercise your muscles start to deteriorate. As I didn't do anything for 8 months, I found it really hard to get back into it. Once I had the all clear from the doctors I thought, as did everyone else, that was it I would be back to myself again. But as we all found out this op had taken more from me than 8 months. I couldn't do anything without mu back hurting.
On the 19th May 2008 I started back at work, well I say back at work but it wasn't the work I had left 8 months before.
My old work which was working with animals really wasn't happy with me having an op, even when I said I was only going to be off for 2 weeks. So after 8 months they really didn't make me feel welcome. I now work looking after mentally and physically disabled adults and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Well it's been over a year now since my op and I am only now feeling like I'm getting back to myself. I repeat I'm getting back to myself but I am no where near as active as I was.
In January 2009 Andy and I booked up all our holiday for the year. We had a few days and weeks here and there but our main holiday was 2 weeks in June From the 12th to the 28th.We had both agreed that we wanted to go camping in Scotland. We then started to talk about what we wanted to do.
One of the first things I said was I wanted to talk up Ben Nevis. As soon as I said that Andy laughed at me and said I could never do that now, maybe 2 years ago, but not now. Now this became a theme, everyone was saying the same thing. All I kept saying was, "As long as I have given it a go I would be happy".
The thing is, the more people say I can't do things, the more determined it makes me to do it.
Sadly in March we found out Andy's dad Ian had cancer. As time got closer to out holiday we both decide that going away at this point really wasn't the best for both us and the rest of the family, so we decided to stay at home. Even more sadly Ian passed away on the 11th June.
In the two weeks that we have had off I had a lot more people, Including Andy, say they bet I was glad we didn't go and do Ben Nevis, because they thought I was all mouth and no trousers and I still wouldn't be able to do it. So here is where the joke started I told Andy I wanted to walk up Ben Nevis for charity. That was all I said.
So the next day Andy and I went round Kevin's, my brother and his wife's Lou's, for dinner. Who, I just have to say, have just found out, they are expecting a baby boy in October. So congratulations to them. Anyway back to out dinner. While we were there Andy told Kevin and Lou about me walking up Ben Nevis for charity. Now I told them the same as I did to Andy it was just a joke.
Kevin, Lou and Andy all said I shouldn't joke about it, and if I wanted to do this I could really make a difference to the charity I chose. They also said that they would help me in what ever way I needed them too, even if it meant them walking up Ben Nevis with me. Kevin also said he would talk to his friend to try and get me publicity for what ever charity I wanted, all I have to do is chose one.
Because they were all so excited and supportive they made me feel I could really do this, not just for everyone who said I couldn't do it, but for myself as well. Because, if there are lots of people telling you, you can't do something then a part of you starts to believe them. So by the end of the evening I am walking up Ben Nevis, all I need to do is get myself a personal trainer so I don't hurt myself and chose a charity that I want to help.
Now this is where it became really hard choosing the charity. I could go for the obvious ones like Cancer Research or Forest Holmes who helped Ian and the rest of the family so much, but I really didn't want people to think that I was doing this because of what's happened, I am doing this for me. So I needed a charity that is personal to me. I want a small but local charity that doesn't get much if any publicity and so I can hopefully see the difference I could be making. I want to be helping people like me. I need a charity that sees beyond a disabled and can see the potential that disabled people have.
I went straight on the internet, I talked to a few people at work and the one charity that keeps coming up is Poole Sailability. From what I can tell Poole Sailability teaches disabled people how to sail, which as I said it shows disabled people and everyone around them what was can do. Before I decide that this is the charity that I want I am going to hopefully meet someone and get more information about them.
Now with the personal trainer that I'm going to need I already have someone in mind. I have a sports massarge once a month and last time I saw him he said he was started up his own business to be a personal trainer. So the first person I'm going to ask is him, by the way his name is Rob. I am meeting him in a couple of weeks to see if he will help me.
Now as you may be able to tell this isn't the end of my story. I'm not sure why I started to write my story, I'm not even sure what I'm going to do with it. I just know that I'm going to keep writing until I have achieved everything I want out of all of this. I just hope you want to keep reading it.
