27 replies to this topic

[Apparelyzed]

Do you find your disability means you have to be more in control of your life and your environment?

Do you find that if something isn't done exactly how you want it to be done, it drives you nuts, or can you just ignore it?

Would you mind being known as a "neat freak", if it enabled your life to be how you liked it. I know somethings have to be in the right place for access etc, but if a picture wasn't straight, or a carpet needed cleaning, could you just let it go?

One of my pet hates, is when there is hair on our wooden floor, as the static sticks it to my tyres, which then is transfered to my gloves. As a result, I have to hoover every other day, and have found myself doing it now as a matter of routine, just after my gym workout.

Still, it keeps my fit!

Also, my feet have to be on my footplate exactly as I want them, or it really bugs me for the rest of the day.

Any other "wheelies" out there with similar bugbears?

Simon

[kanga2433]

I don' think I fit into that category at all, indeed I might be the opposite in a way. Yes, like you, I do need to have some things in the right places or I can't shower or get out in the morning or whatever. But past that nothing really, though I like my desk without a chair at it, but my son moves it there to use my computer.

I wonder what you could call me?

[wheelie182]

Well,
I use to totally agree with the footplate thing, but was also fussy with the way my trousers bottoms were with the leg strap, seriously....if i saw my self in the shop window and my trousers were a bit out of line, i would have to sort them out there an then, and when i got out of the car it would take me forever to sort my self out, creases, folds, footplate etc before i could set off...

but for some reason, that seems to all of stopped, i still do it somtimes, but not as much as i use to, i guess we just see stuff that none else sees.

but simon as for one hair needed to be cleaned, you wouldn't want to come into my house, ive got 2 ducks, 2 dogs, 3 cats, 2 budgies, 1 parrot, 2 guinea pigs, 1 rabbit, loads of fish and a horse.

[Apparelyzed]

A horse in the house?

I think I'd probably end up with more than hair on my gloves!

As for the trouser leg problem, I also go mad if I'm left to go public looking like a freemason, and god help anyone who lets me go public with my legbag showing

Simon

[hillarymcarter]

My husband doesn't care about anything! He could live in house made of dog crap and be happy! Me on the other hand, obsessive compulsive, CONTROL FREAK!!! I am so much fun to live with!
We've been without power for 27 hours now from Hurricane Rita and I think Bruce might kill me soon! (if you are wondering, my computer is charged and we have cable hookup!)

[Joed]

Well, I'm a control freak wanna-be. I've long ago given up on anything being the way I'd like it to be. Now, I just happily roll over anything in my way.

My biggest pet peeve is things left on the floor. I cannot bend over, and gravity being what it is, makes things difficult, at best. My good grabber has finally bit the dust, and my other one is all but useless for the finer functions. But my family will walk on, over or around something several times a day until I have to get nasty about it. This is a normal complaint among the able-bodied too, it seems.

But, yes, I've had to lower my standards since my injury and just learn to live with some things. I've discovered that the world doesn't come to and end just because there is an orphaned tennis shoe in the middle of the room.

It still bugs me though.

[AHolland]

I'm sorry but I still get upset by the tennis shoes left in the hallway and such. Everyone knows that I can't get around the house if there are items left in my way so why do they do it... I think it's just lazyness and if they were in the same situation they would complain too.

[carolline]

Me on the other side....
In the hospital...to avoid myself to be a control of the patient's with SCI.
I provide them all their needs...put all their things on the side table from water,cups,tissues,urinals,tissue,tv remote control and many more.To lessen their frequent calls.I used to be organized with them,coz it's difficult to move specially when you're on bed.No control at all for their life...so I'm here to do a role As...a remote control for them...they have the rights to control me And I'm happy to serve them!!! I need to Love them....coz,if they're not here in the hospital I have no work...means...I dont have money!!! (joke...but...half true)

Really I serve them wholeheartedly

[Bob Clark]

I no longer have the luxury of being a control freak. Not that I ever was one. I'm poor, don't own a car and am stuck in this chair being somewhat reliant on others. My house is a mess but that doesn't bother me very much. I wish it were clean but I don't wanna clean it myself or have anyone else digging into all my stuff and rearranging my mess or worse yet, throwing away my valuable junk. I only do "light dusting"! Well, some vacuuming and mopping but as little as possible.

As long as it ain't rotting, stinking or growing mold it can set here for eternity for all I care.

The last time my brother helped clean my house, instead of scouring my favorite pizza pan (hey, I admit it was a baked on mess) he just frisbee'd it out into the back field. I didn't find out about it until the next time I wanted to make one of those delicious "Chef Boy ar Dee" make-your-own box pizzas and couldn't find the pizza pan. Grrr. Losing control. That was over 10 years ago and I haven't ask for his help since. He annoys me in that he's such a clean freak and his own house is always spotless. White leather couches and white carpeting etc. But when he comes over here he won't even throw out his own beer cans or empty an ashtray. Or swab the floor in front/under his chair since he never fails to spill a beer or two on my floor and track it all over the house. Something he would never do in his own house. When he gets drunk he's insane and there's no getting through to him. We're all amazed that he's still alive with all his weird drunken behaviors!

Even though my house is a mess I know where everything is. Or have a pretty good idea! That's one way of having some control over my environment. And whenever anyone attempts to clean (my sister has tried a few times too) I can't find a thing and that gets me frustrated. I need some organization in my life but I don't see that happening anytime soon! It used to be a bit cluttered in here too so I got rid of the lazy boy, the couch and the love seat and now it's easier to keep clean. And there's more room for boxes and stuff! There's only 3 plastic lawn chairs in my house to sit on. I don't wanna encourage too much company or have them stay too long! I guess that's a subtle way of controlling my environment.

I make sure the outside is always landscaped nicely so I don't bring down the property value of my neighborhood (or annoy the neighbors) but I'm as comfy as a pig in slop inside.

I'm a nut about my computer though. Maybe that's a control issue. It's gotta be a fast top-of-the-line gaming machine with all the latest bells and whistles. Only when it starts to show signs of getting warm do I ever clean it. I just bought a new computer a few months ago and it's already covered in brown gunk from all the cigarette smoke mixed with dust and dog hair flowing through it. But my monitor screen is always clean as can be.... spotless. There can't be any fingers prints or streaks on it or I go ballistic! Not really ballistic but it does bug me when someone points at the screen and feels the need to touch it with their finger. Point without touching please!!!

When I was walking I was the same way with my cars and motorcycles. The backseats were usually full of trash and they always needed washing and waxing but as long as it was tuned up perfectly, the battery and tires were good I didn't care much what they looked like. At least within reason.

Now the only way I can keep some control over my life is to plan things out in advance. And make sure I always have a Plan B to fall back on. Whatcha gonna do?

[AHolland]

I do hate it when people clean up for me. My house is generally pretty clean, but then again my wife does all that hard work not me. I have a den...bat cave..where all my computer junk sits. I have tons of computer parts and I remember what and where it all is. When people start cleaning the bat cave it reduces me to rubble. I can no longer remember that the P1 150 CPU is third drawer down under the 5.25" floppy drive. I'm happy if people just leave that room alone. My wife is bad for putting junk in there that she has no other place to put it. It starts becomming a dumping zone. I retaliate by putting it on her kitchen island..damn flyers out with yee...

I can appreciate not wanting to have some one clean up some times.

[Joed]

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Bob Clark said: But my monitor screen is always clean as can be.... spotless.

A 'down-sized' control freak.

I do the same thing with my computer area. The rest of the house may be falling down around my ears, but by my last breath there'll be no clutter or dust on the desk, computer, etc.....

I think it gives me a sense of control to be able to keep at least one area predictable.

Oh, and the finger/monitor thing....what is up with that anyway? They must make contact, it seems.

Quote

Even though my house is a mess I know where everything is.

An 'order to the maddess' method. I know exactly what you mean.

Quote

AHolland said: I do hate it when people clean up for me.

I'm not crazy about it either. For awhile I had someone coming in to clean once a week, but eventually things wouldn't be where I expected or needed them to be, and I really wasn't happy with how things were being prioritized. So after about six weeks I told her I was ready to start doing all of it on my own, although I wasn't really ready. My sister-in-law told me yesterday that she's thinking of starting a home cleaning business, so maybe I'd feel more comfortable with that arrangement.

[wheelie182]

Guys it seems we all love our computers

This last couple of months, ive been an apsolute computer GEEK !

I have just built my first computer from scratch, and i loved doing it, but it didn't stop there, im obsessed by speed now, ive still to get some better ram, some some duper stuff, that exceeds other ram standard voltages, in other words you can overclock the pants off it !!!,

[Bob Clark]

Hi Wheelie,

I don't want to hijack this thread (as I'm so apt to do) and change the topic to computers but check out this website for OC info.

http://www.ocforums.com/

As soon as you see or smell smoke.... STOP!

[wheelie182]

Oh bob, im a member of loads of overclocking websites but i end up asking so many questions that they get sick of me, but now i know everything pretty much now, so i dont ask so many questions,

oh and bob when you said if you smell smoke stop, thats a bit too late !!!!

[AHolland]

Jumping this to line of conversation to another area of these forums so as not to kill this thread.

[gazrobsuk]

Ha I know what you mean Simon & can fully empathize.

For me it's frustrating with the things I can't do or find difficult so I ask my long suffering wife to 'look' at the mark on the carpet etc whereas before I'd have done it. Also as I'm a walker I look at my feet to walk so always looking down & noticing stuff & these little things annoy me mostly coz I've lost control or the physical ability to do it myself, but I try when I can.

I also can relate to the finger thing on a computer monitor as for me it's gotta be mark free & I can't abide people touching my monitors. I'm lucky I have a converted bedroom which houses a work pc & 2 home pc's all networked & a wireless network for the laptop elsewhere in the house as well as a load of other stuff like a DAT72 for backups & a 220mx optical library for 'playing'... you can tell I work for HP full time from home. But this office is my den with lot's of 'toys' & barring a weekly dust n hoover no one moves anything otherwise I'd lose it.

Again I find it really frustrating to not be able to get on the floor sometimes to 'check' a cable blah so my other half is my engineer/hands/arms & I'm the director of operations. I've lost count the number of times she's had to grovel behind a mass of wires etc to reconfigure with the aid of torch:-) but it's frustrating for me to have to wait for help but I'm aware how lucky I am to not be on my own.

Gary

http://www.gazrobs.freeuk.com

[LittleUpsidedownGirl]

Quote

AHolland: My house is generally pretty clean, but then again my wife does all that hard work not me.

That's 'cuz you'd do it *wrong* anyway... I mean, I've yet to see any guy understand the concept of PROPERLY using the mop, the vacuum, the brillo pad, etc etc etc...

This is me: "Honey, I love ya' but THAT is NOT clean."

Then again, he's a horse nut, he was quite literally raised in a barn!

[Bob Clark]

Hi LittleUpsidedownGirl,

We understand perfectly the concept of PROPERLY using a mop, the vacuum, a brillo pad, etc etc etc... even an old toothbrush for those really tight corners.

But if we demonstrated (even once) our ability to properly use those cleaning implements then you'd expect us to help out with that "women's work" all the time. We ain't stupid! Lazy yes, stupid no.

[allis53ca]

......SHOES LITTERED ABOUT THE HOUSE AND CHAIRS LEFT AT THE COMPUTER DESK.....AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

[Webwych]

I'm really making a concerted effort to let go of my control freakery. A lot of what's been posted here sounds like OCD, and I'm not immune to a little of that either (when I shut my window blinds at night they have to be tilted to the left, away from my bed).

I get p*ssy about autonomy rather than neatness etc. My dentist sent my mum a letter asking us to make an appointment for a check up and included me in the letter, rather than writing to me as a seperate person in my own right. That annoyed me.

[Jackiefff]

i think i could be considered a neat freak..
i live with a room mate.. and boy is she a slob..
cant stand the floor dirty, crumbs on the counter, all dishes have to be rinsed before put in the dishwasher, all sorts of silly things =]

[Stickman]

All I ask is keep stuff off the floor, and keep the path to the fridge and the bathroom clear at all times or I get violent!!
Otherwise, im a really nice guy.

[sits2much]

I have to admit Simon I am the complete opposite of OCD now!!! Before my accident you could not clean my house correctly cause I was so anal about how I wanted it... I even went as far as pulling my clothes for work the night before so make sure all the animal hair and wrinkles were out of my clothing... I was a director though and my appearance meant a lot to me...

Now a days I just am glad to have the help... In the beginning I would go kinda nuts about everything... I didn't even want my diaper changed... I wanted to be independent but unfortunately that was something I got use too ... I had to let my pride go and just threw my hands up and said "Well crap, at least it's getting done!"

I will still go on cleaning benges and get out the white gloves and toothbrush but that only happens about once every 2-3 months now... I just am too busy with life to care about those things anymore!!

I do get a laugh out of reading comments on various posts, but that is a good thing...

As far as the computer obsession... I was like that the first year post accident while I was regaining my footing ... Now I am an active part of society whether they care or not.... HA!


Cheers.

[fatdave]

I have a 3 year old boy and a 10 year old dog, they both seem to leave their toys in the middle of where i want to go! my computers are a tangle of wires and parts. just dont touch them! i know where they go, what they are from, and where i put them.....move them and get fingers broke.

[Gibbo]

wheelie182, on Sep 25 2005, 07:44 PM, said:

Well,
I use to totally agree with the footplate thing, but was also fussy with the way my trousers bottoms were with the leg strap, seriously....if i saw my self in the shop window and my trousers were a bit out of line, i would have to sort them out there an then, and when i got out of the car it would take me forever to sort my self out, creases, folds, footplate etc before i could set off...

i do exactly the same thing lol, then cos i bend over i feel i have 2 pull my tshirt down at the back, everytime! i get annoyed with myself doing it lol

[Apparelyzed]

To be honest, I go nuts if I leave the house looking like a Freemason!

Simon

[Susi]

Man, am I glad this topic aired. Reading all comments made me realise, I am not alone. I am a control freak, I was before the accident and since am even more so.
It's my German heritage I suppose. There is a place for everything and neatness has to be complied with.
Since the accident even more so. As I have help during the week, I pity my house help, and since I cannot reach out and grab things and place them where I want them, she replaces my hands. Cleaning has to be just so, and as I have advanced to basin washes during the week, my implements have to be close by.
As to dressing, my clothes have to be just so, neat and pulled just right. I HATE creases in clothing as this irritates me and can feel if a crease agitates. My trousers have to be pulled on just right otherwise I throw a "haffy" (fit).
Weekends are to my annoyance different. My husband takes over and he is not the neatest person. So I have to contain myself until Mondays. I have tried washing up myself but end up breaking dishes/glasses, etc. that it ends up being more frustrating than worth the clean up.
So yeah, if I can't do it myself, I still want a tidy, neat, compact living environment. Oh and did I mention, hygiene is of the utmost importance and has to be adhered to at all times. So no I had those values before the accident and won't let go of them post-accident either.
What does that make me???