"You develop a certain gallows humor"

Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.

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In July 1994, an aneurysm burst in Christiane Ho's head. After that, the then 52-year-old was paralyzed on one side. In the interview, she talks about her life after the strike.

Ms. Ho, you have been paralyzed on the right side of your body for 18 years. How do you cope in everyday life today?

Sometimes better, sometimes worse. Of course, everything is going a lot slower than it used to be. I can only walk very poorly and use my right hand only to a limited extent. Gardening, swimming or sailing - I've always loved that in the past - fall flat with it.

Nevertheless: I am glad that I am more or less independent. Immediately after the cerebral hemorrhage, I was sitting in a wheelchair, which was not as nice as you can imagine. Speaking was also very problematic, I could not articulate myself well and used words in completely wrong contexts. Thanks to the rehab, however, I recovered to some extent. It's really important not to give up and stick with it.

You attach great importance to your independence. Do you have tricks to do certain things on your own?

Definitely! For example, for breakfast I use a board with nails in it. I can skewer my bread on them. Peeling and cutting an onion with one hand is almost impossible for me. So now I buy onions frozen and pre-chopped, which is pretty handy. No more crying when peeling onions! I also have a special potato peeler. It has a suction cup that can be attached to the table and I can use it with one hand.

And how do you move outside of your four walls?

I own a converted tricycle, without that I would be pretty lost. It's not a classic handicapped bike, but a flat, sporty one. I had it converted so that I can operate it with one hand. And I'm getting on pretty well with that. I go shopping, to the post office, to the physiotherapist and visit friends. I've also been on vacation trips by vehicle, along the Danube and on Lake Constance. This works out! However, the stages are not quite as long as on normal bike tours - but at least 30 kilometers a day. We'll take it a little easier.

How do people react to your disability?

It is very different. Some of them are pretty rowdy, for example when I ride my bike on the pedestrian path. I was once told by someone that it was forbidden and that he didn't care that I was severely disabled. Others are almost too helpful. They are really disappointed when I say: 'Thank you, but I can do it. "

Life is much more exhausting for people with disabilities. Where do you get the energy for your activities from?

Oh, if I only sat at home, I would be terribly bored! I've always been an active person, and the stroke hasn't changed that. For example, I am involved in a citizens' initiative that is going on the barricades against a large pharmaceutical company. But overall, of course, I manage a lot less than before.

How did you mentally cope with this hard blow? You knew it would never be the same again.

I've developed a certain gallows humor. At the moment I also broke my shin, then I tell people: 'You can come over anytime, I can't run away anyway.' In rehab I also saw a lot of people who are much worse off than me I was really lucky compared to them. You have to decide whether to say to yourself: "The glass is half full or half empty". Apart from that, I always have something to do. That is better in any case, as if you let yourself down. I have little time for self-pity.

Tags:  travel medicine sports fitness Baby Child