Walking Track Adventure!

I have recently regained some energy and health after being sick for many years, and I've been desparately wanting to get out of the house. So last week, Ellenya and I went on an adventure - exploring a nearby walking track! This blog post features some pictures from our trek.

Making our way to the walking track (and back) was a bit difficult because the footpaths in the area were very steep. I mostly use a powered (Alber E-Fix) wheelchair to get around, though I can walk very short distances with a crutch on good days. In many places, I needed Ellenya to hold onto the back of my wheelchair to stop it from tipping backwards! Many of the road crossings had a step up that my wheelchair couldn't handle without assistance. Getting on and off the walking track was the most difficult part of our journey, because the paths to join the track were so steep it wasn't safe for me to use my wheelchair (I almost landed flat on my back trying! Luckily Ellenya saved me! It was scary!). 

The walking track itself was mostly fine for wheeling - but, there were stock gates along the path that didn't have quite enough room for my wheelchair to go through with me in it. Fortunately, I could step out and use my crutches to get through the gate, while Ellenya removed the wheelchair footplates and squished my chair through for me so I could hop back in on the other side.

On the track, we saw lots of different types of grasshoppers, butterflies, and vast cities of ants. We watched the ants busily carrying things back to their nests and working together to squeeze larger items through the entrance. There were also cute sleepy sheep beside the track (employed by the council to eat the grass), and giant dragonflies helicoptering around above us. We saw willy wagtails swooping down and feasting on bugs, and the view of the distant hills was beautiful.

At the end of our walk, we ended up sliding the empty wheelchair down the grass beside the steepest part of the path - with Ellenya skidding behind it, and me slowly and carefully trying to edge down the hill with my crutch. (Luckily it was a short distance and I was able to do it, but it was pretty risky!) It's a shame there's not a more accessible path to and from the track, and wider stock gate areas for wheelchairs, scooters, bike and prams to fit through - because the track itself was quite wheelable, and it was a nice place to visit.

I am so happy that I finally have energy to go out and explore again, and I am so grateful to Ellenya for helping me and making the trip possible! I will need a little time to recover - but I hope we can explore again soon. It was a fun adventure!

Welcome!

Hi! 

I am AmazinAdrielle, also known as Enfysbeads. It has been a long time since I last wrote a blog post, so I thought I should start by sharing a little bit about myself. Firstly, I am an artist and a collector of pretty things. I live in regional Victoria, Australia with my sister Ellenya, our parents, our two cats, and many birds and fishes!

I love being creative and enjoy learning new skills. I like rainbows, puzzles, charm beads, nature, animals, nail art, crosswords, drawing, painting, embroidery, beading, relaxing at the weir and the river, experimenting with new art mediums and playing games. I'm also currently on a mission to grow my hair as long as I possibly can!

I enjoy studying, and I am currently learning Spanish and Chinese. I have a Bachelor of Behavioural Science degree, and Certificate III in Media (specialising in 3D art and animation for film, games and television). I'm also a graduate of the Flying Fruit Fly Circus, and a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society.

In my younger and healthier days, I was an award-winning performing artist, circus performer, singer and dancer. After my illness and disability made it impossible for me to continue with these activities, I spent many years volunteering online as a visual artist, animator, game tester, wiki administrator, writer, video editor and level/scene designer for various causes and projects. 

I have been chronically ill for many years, spending long periods of time housebound or bedbound. Art gives me an outlet for my creative energy when I don't have much physical energy or my joints are too uncooperative. Over the years, I have won numerous prizes for my digital and traditional art, photography, charm bracelet designs and embroidery. I've also created logos for various websites, and had my digital art feature in online games, such as Puzzle Pirates. Through Twitter Art Exhibit, I have also had my traditional artwork exhibited in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. 

Most of my health and mobility issues are caused by Ehlers Danlos Syndrome - a connective tissue disorder that causes problems with my joints and soft tissue. My joints are extremely hypermobile and I experience daily joint subluxations and dislocations. Over the years, this has led to chronic pain, arthritis, and many interesting injuries. I have also been diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, supraventricular tachycardia, fibromyalgia, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, anxiety, and other things.

I mostly use a powered wheelchair to get around, though I can walk very short distances with a crutch on good days, and can get around inside my house using grab rails, daddo walls and furniture. I take a lot of medicines, have a cupboard full of splints, braces and bandages to support my joints, do a lot of physio exercises, and try to be the best I can be every day. 

Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and most of my other conditions are long term and variable, with symptoms and severity changing from day to day. However, after a tough few years, I have recently regained some overall energy and health! I am hoping to get back into my arty adventures now that I'm feeling better, and I can't wait to share them on this new blog!