DANCEFLOORS. Not your usual hangout for a wheelchair user but recently I have found myself on a few.

It’s the mentality of ‘oh, why not?’ Dancing on wheels isn’t the same but it’s still fun.

Wheelchair dancing is an art I have yet to master. It mostly shoulders and arm, my can-can days are over.

I can now incorporate a few spins and wheelies if I am sober enough to control the tricks. It has been known for me to fall out though. Most often out of the back.

To be honest, it happens more than you might think. My most recent fall was the result of some overzealous putting on of trousers.

You see, the chair is designed to be tippy and flicky. This is so that a relatively simple hand motion can put the wheelchair into a (controlled) wheelie to hop up kerbs or over obstacles. Its super handy 99 per cent of the time, but that one per cent is the painful one.

Anyway back to the dance floor. I think you know where this is going… The other thing about dancing is that everyone does it standing up. Well, that is not odd, but me being among them is. In the streets people often don’t see me creeping up. Add dancing, darkness and drink and I’m basically a trip hazard waiting to happen.

Normally I have my entourage of mates clearing a space, John Travolta style, for my moves.

So there I am dancing away and suddenly two guys dancing nearby land on top of me. Now I’m dangerous enough in my chair alone, but when two guys land on me, it’s game over.

I went straight out of the back. Luckily I know this feeling, so I tucked my head in to protect the inevitable bump but on the way down I caught my elbow.

The poor blokes got kicked out! I then got ushered away where I saw a trail of blood and discovered I had taken quite a chunk out of my elbow.

Anyway, not wanted to cause a scene, I did some first aid and headed home.

What I have since discovered is just how elbow dependent I am. It’s basically the joint of one my two working limbs.

Moving around in bed – ouch, using it as a contact and stability point when transferring on and off chairs, toilets and baths etc. – ouch. Getting in and out of the car – ouch. Getting dressed – ouch.

You get the idea. I had no idea how vital an elbow is.

I’m now back to full health 10 days later… if still a bit tender. The lesson?

There isn’t one. Just be yourself and sometimes you will fall and you just have to get back up again.

I’d hate to live in fear of the odd bash or bruise and miss out on some fun nights.

So if you see me out and about in Oxford, just make sure that when you do your killer moves they are not on top of me!