Well my mother used to say she was encouraging me to be independent but in reality she just liked controlling me, like Andy but a female version. And she had as much power over me because she gave birth to me. If I ever tried to assert myself, she would pull the 'I sacrificed my life for you' card.
To be honest, no, it wasn't difficult making a life, it was more difficult living with her and sometimes putting up with attitudes from able-bodied people. Most of the time, me and Andy would just go home and laugh about them
Like, one time after we'd just moved in together, we went to check out the local supermarket together and we were just standing there weighing some potatoes when this couple rushed up to us and the woman was going 'Oh, congratulations, you're so brave, how brave you are!' and her poor husband was shuffling around, looking really embarrassed and studying the pattern on the floor, then she practically LUNGED at us to give us a hug and he had to practically pull her off us.
When they left, me and Andy just looked at each other and burst out laughing. I said to him, 'Why are we brave? I was only weighing potatoes, not going over the front line of the trenches!'
I also generally found that social services make matters worse so I don't have anything to do with them now, I just manage my own life. It's mild, so many people don't realise. The guy who came round to read the gas metre, thought I had fallen over and sprained my ankle! I just smiled at him and said no, this is me, permanently.
Some people are so funny.
I've not heard of Angelman Syndrome, I'll have to look that up.
