Cheryl Wilton: Ageing with spina bifida
In April this year, Cheryl Wilton from Staffordshire celebrated her 60th birthday. We caught up with her to find out a bit more about what it is like to age with spina bifida.
“As I have grown older, I feel I have also grown happier. Ageing with spina bifida for me has helped me develop a particularly positive outlook on life. As I’ve got older, I’ve definitely become more optimistic. I always try to see the good side of people, situations and life in general. I think this has made me a very contented person.
“The other good thing about getting older and having a condition like spina bifida is the progress which has been made in medicine. There have been advancements which have helped me, the most notable one being the introduction of super pubic catheters - when I was fitted with mine it changed my life.
“As far as negative aspects of getting older with spina bifida go, I don’t feel I have experienced any major negative effects. The only pessimistic things I can think of are to do with other people’s perceptions of spina bifida. Many people hold quite a negative stereotype about people with spina bifida and I think this comes from how the media portray the condition and people not being educated about conditions like this.
“In terms of physical effects, I think I have been quite lucky as I haven’t experienced the usual mobility problems able-bodied people seem to as they grow older. Many older people seem to have problems with their hips and knees but because I use a wheelchair, my hips and knees aren’t under as much strain as they would be if I was walking around all day.”
As is the case with many people, Cheryl has experienced hard times in her life: “My father died when I was 15 so my mother looked after me throughout my childhood. When I was 46, she passed away. Her death was particularly hard for me as she had always been my main care giver.
“I also experienced problems with my foot a few years ago and as a result had to have it amputated but, as with any cloud, there are always silver linings; I now have a wonderful assistant who visits my home every day to give me a hand with cooking, cleaning and generally looking after both myself and the house. I also have a strong network of friends who continually prove a source of inspiration and companionship.”
As the years pass by for Cheryl, she is starting to take things easier, enjoying pastimes such as playing cards and scrabble and watching TV, especially comedy shows and soaps. Spina bifida has not stood in the way of growing old gracefully for Cheryl.