Several years ago I was diagnosed with me/cfs, fibromyalgia and ehlers-danos (EDS) type III these issues cause widespread pain and extreme fatigue (imagine you had the worst flu ever) and I regularly dislocate or subluxate my joints which often results in trapped nerves and I have nerve damage as a result.

Due to the stress and pain levels I had to leave work in 2014 having worked all my adult life and I spent three years unemployed due to my illness. I was advised that I was only eligible for a manual wheelchair under my local wheelchair services guidelines and I got about for a bit OK but I was so tired from pushing myself around and the frequency of my shoulder subluxations as a result was too much. I was fed up and became depressed and I won't lie, I often thought of ending things as I saw myself as a burden to those around me. I lost my sense of self whilst out of work and developed social anxiety as I'd almost forgotten how to interact with anyone other than my partner and kids.

In March 2017 I'd had enough and I purchased an electric wheelchair on eBay and the difference it made was unbelievable, by May 2017 I felt up to going back to work and so with the help of Remploy I found a job locally where I've been since. I love my job and the difference it has made to by sense of self being able to have a life outside the home is unreal.

Recently my powerchair broke down in the middle of Aldi leaving me stranded. Thankfully I called the local shopmobility and they brought up a powerchair for me to borrow and took mine to send off for repairs. At first the repair costs were reasonable, £140 they said at first, then it crept up to £260 then £450 then they got back to say that it's uneconomical to repair.

I broke down in tears at work as my powerchair is quite frankly the thing that made it so I could work.

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