It was only a matter of time!

I wondered how long it would be before I would be inflicted with 'Fresher's Flu' (for readers outside of the UK, 'Fresher's Flu' is the flu you usually get when you start university!) and I am writing this blog post with enough tissues beside me to supply the whole army with! Like many people with Cerebral Palsy, I can't swallow tablets, so I have good old Calpol. Yesterday, this very much confused the lady serving us! I had university in the afternoon, so, in the morning, I did a bit of shopping in the city's shopping mall. It was in here that I started to feel a bit 'ropey', so I thought I'd buy some Calpol to help me through the afternoon. Anyway, the lady behind the counter asked us if 'your child has had Calpol before?', to which our reply was that it was actually for me! .... Well, didn't I look like a pratt stood there as a 20-year-old in my university hoodie purchasing Calpol for myself!

Last night and into this morning it has turned into an horrific cold/flu. I was meant to be at the hospital this afternoon for a feet appointment, but I haven't gone because I feel so pants ... they would have probably mistaken me for an inpatient I look and feel that ill! I just hope that I feel okay for university come Monday morning as I literally cannot even balance of my own 2 feet (I know balancing on my own 2 feet isn't my specialist subject anyway, but you know what I mean!)! I'm only stating a fact here, don't reach for the violin(!), but having a cold/fluey thing is 1 thing, but having Cerebral Palsy with the cold/fluey thing is interesting! I currently have virtually no co-ordination, which is actually quite hilarious! I actually slid down the stairs on my bum as I didn't trust myself ... it was so fun, why did I spend all that time learning to do my stairs a few years ago?!

Quite a few of you have been contacting me about university and how you've just started yourselves. A common theme seems to be that you're all finding it quite challenging. I think the key thing is to remember that it is perfectly okay, and actually normal, to find it challenging. I'll be the first to admit that I am finding it challenging. People keep saying to me, 'oh Ellie, you're so brave going out there and going to university with a significant disability'... what and why?! Anyone who decides to go to university takes a brave step, the fact I have Cerebral Palsy is neither here or there! And for the record, my disability is only 'significant' if I let it be. Sometimes, it does hold me back when I'm around new people and I'm in new situations, but I think unless you're really overly confident, everybody holds themselves back with new people and in new situations. Obviously going to university with a physical disability hasn't as been as straight-forward as it would have been if I hadn't have had a disability, but it doesn't add extra 'bravery' or whatever to the situation! Keep your emails coming to elliecpteensuk@outlook.com about your university experiences!

So, as promised last week, I said I'd blog about the Sponsored Wobble, which took place on Sunday. It was such an amazing event, and that's probably an understatement! Without sounding big-headed, it was an extremely proud moment for me, one year on from setting up CP Teens UK. I don't think I can put into words how special the day was. I will reveal on the 19th October (the day all sponsors have to be in) how much has been raised, but looking at it so far, it is an absolutely phonemal (I can't spell!) amount! I need to also sit down and work out how best to use the money for CP Teens UK and all of you! Here are some photos from Sunday. You can also view them all at www.facebook.com/CPTeensUK, and I will also put them onto the Events page.