Busy Afternoon

So..... first of all we nipped down to the folk I bought the car from(1), to order another. At great length, after much checking he said "No, you can't have a free one, there has been so many going that they have taken it off the free list". Erm... OK, see yah. So we went to the Peugeot garage, explained and they said "Yep, sign here". We said "No, gotta check it with the boss" and came away and went to have a brew. We went from there to Argos  and there bought another electric razor as instructed by my Dad last weekend

But since we got back Timmy phoned Paul (who is in charge while Denyse is on holiday)  and he said "Contact someone and see if they will pay a deposit to us" so dunno...

(1) I didn't have an FES fitted as we were supposed to go to gym afterwards but this took so long....

Swimmingless

And because the Fixer was late we have missed out on today's swimming pool period, so no swimming today. As we can go gymming at any time we shall pop over there later but it is much more fun than swimming

Fixer

And after a long wait s'morning half an hour after he said the fixer chap came out, looked at my chair, said "Yes" so he has now gone off to order the parts, so in a couple of weeks he will come back and actually fix it

Shopping

Then because the "wheelchair fixer" chap is coming to see me here tomorrow morning I did my shop in Morrison's today

Bye Bye

So my parents came over here s'morning and chatted for a couple of hours before they went off towards an airport to return home

It wasn't as bad a visit as I had expected, it was all quite pleasant, even when they were here with Anthony

Posh, modern scales

So today my Mum said "Ooh, lemme try your scales", tried them read the instructions on the back and put them up in the bathroom instead of on the carpet in my bedroom, and weighed herself again. It said 2.5 ounces lighter, which would take me through the 17 stone landmark. So tomorrow I will have to weigh myself for the second day in a trot

Out with parents

They came over s'morning then went off, then after they came back we went out, picked up Freya and we all went for a peaceful family meal

Unusual poohing routine

So s'morning I got up, walked into kitchen, made a pot of coffee, made my cereal, ate my cereal and had to go for a pooh then drink my coffee

Busy

And since then we have gone Aardvarking, gone for a walk along the beach and just generally been together

Meeting S'morning

So then s'morning at about 11 my parents came over here with Anthony and we talked about my will. Anthony was putting himself down but he suggested an addition etc, I was quite impressed about his knowledge and suggestions.

Then after he left my parents had another cuppa then went off. They are gonna meet me in Aardvark later to do my shopping

AND I didn't even have my FES fitted s'morning and he still commented on how well I was walking. Sorry, lets hear it again for muscle memory

Sara-ing

Then Sara came over to do more balance exercises and walking with no stick etc, but first we chatted for 20 minutes then my parents arrived. And were astonished at how much better I am in the months since they saw me. I walked and opened the door to them even with no FES fitted. Then Sara did more exercises for me and we showed them the video of my getting up from the floor etc

Then my parents went off to book into hotel etc and eat dinner while I cook mine here

Then after dinner they came back and chatted for a couple of hours. So I will meet then in the morning when I meet Anthony

Gymming

And we went to gym s'morning and for the first time I did 20 minutes on the bike machine and then did other exercises too. Last time I was there was the first time I did 20 minutes cycling and I looked so knackered we came home, but not today

And more to the point I walked from house to car, leaving 'chair in bedroom, then exercised and returned. No wheelchair involved

Hooray

And tomorrow my parents are coming to stay and be nosy when I talk about my inheritance with chappy on Friday

FESing

And the new fitting for my boots arrived today. Gareth picked it up tonight and said "Shall I fit it?" but I said "No, not until I can wear it and try it" so we will try and make it proper tomorrow

Strawberries

And tonight I had the first of my strawberry crop from my trug, mmmmmmm

Out

And we are going back out tonight to have a first look at 2 houses

(Sigh) No, nowt doing...

Hooray

And fscking swimming again today....

And it was as much fun as ever, 4 lengths, many different exercises and balancing things.....

BUT balancing. So today as an experiment I stood on one leg not holding on with my hands. I was able to do it on my left leg, it looked a bit odd as I had to lean one way then the other to balance but I did it. Then I tried it on my right leg, I was much worse at it but still managed a load. According to Gareth I was doing better than loads of 'normal' people who can't balance in the swimming pool at all

No 'Chair

First of all s'afternoon we headed off to Llansteffan, opposite Ferryside, across mouth of the river. We left my 'chair in the hall at home. There first we walked up and back along the path by the beach, then we headed across the car park and across another stretch of uneven walkway to the shop. Where I bought an ice cream.

Then we panicked a bit as Alex thought we would head home for bath and rest etc then head back out to gym, but it was so late now, if we waited for sleep time to be over etc gym would be full of folk who were in work in the daytime so we needed to go now. Which we did. I asked a MOS to redo my key so it assumes that 20 minutes instead of 15 on the cycle then did 20 minutes at which point I was so overtired that we called it a day and headed home for a rest

FES

And the phone rang, Timmy shouted "Shall I..."  and I heard him discussing stuff. It was the FES shop appologising for sending us the wrong kind, she is gonna send us a second hand one as they are out of stock ATM, but when they come back into stock she shall send me a new one too

Pouring

So I opened another 2 pinter of milk s'morning, reached out to top up my bowl of muesli and poured it in using my right hand. It was difficult but it worked. For the first time in how many years...

Rescue

And Freya emailed me tonight "Did I leave my phone at yours?" I looked all around, couldn't see it, called Timmy and asked him to check the car, found it so we took it back there, I opened the door to the car and walked to the house, knocked etc, on my own two feet. It seems to be becoming a habit recently again

Booked

And we booked AF room tonight, paid deposit, balance when there

Luck

So I always put my phone onto nightime mode when I go for my nap. Today I didn't and it rang half way through my nap. It was Toby, he is in Wales and I have to buy him and Freya dinner

And it was lovely. All three of us were eating, he seems so much older, sensibler.....

Disgruntled

And today I am struggling somewhat with being dissatisfied. It is so much easier to walk etc now, but it is still too hard. Sorry etc, I can do it so much better but I am fed up with having to struggle

Team Meeting

So most stuff has been put on hold today as "they" are having a team meeting here to discuss my progress etc

Muscle Memory

So if you look at the pics of me walking at the shops today, I was walking without any FES switched on and my right ankle still stayed straight.

Muscle memory

Bare Feet

And as Ed didn't put on my sockings last night I woke up with free feet s'morning. I nearly said to him last night but then I thought that just once in a blue moon won't do me any harm so I just went with it

Shopping

And because there is a "team meeting" here tomorrow I guess we'd better go shopping for my few bits of non organic food from the super (dooper) market

And we popped out after lunch. I walked from the car to the recycling point, got a taste for it and stayed on my own two feet for the rest of the trip

Balance

So now when I get out of the bath I can lean down and dry my shins/calves without having to hold on to anything with my other hand

Just generally life is getting better easier

Expensive Trip Out

So me and Ed went out s'morning and I spent £400 that had been sent to me on a new mattress

We walked out of house, left my chair here, went into town, walked in to shop, across to lift, up, across to sales desk. Then back out, drove home and walked from car to house

Rubless

And after I had my bath and nap today I didn't have to have someone rubbing my boobs.

But I require some attention....

Nursey Inject Me

Then s'morning I am heading over to my doctors to let the nurse pull down my underpants and stick a needle up my arse and inject me with Testosterone

Which she did and I must comment on how painless it was. So I commented to her how it must be because she has a steady hand. Before we left we made another appointment for next month.

Then we went to Aardvark and spent two thirds of my weeks food fund.

We came back from there, put the shopping away then it was time to go to my weekly Samless gym class. My balance etc is so much better than it was a month ago 

What a busy morning...... I have got f. all on my diary for rest of today

Late Shopping

So then late we nipped out to that naughty T place to buy some ready chopped butternut squash etc

Out Tonight

And this evening we went out to the opposite side of the Lough than we went to last time we took a night out together

Cycling At Gym

So today while I was at gym Paul was being really encouraging so after my 15 minute work out on the bike he said "A few weeks ago even 3 minutes would have killed you, try 5 more", I succeeded so for the first time since my accident I was on an exercise bike for 20 minutes!

Busy-ish Morning

So first of all we went to Nantycaws to have a first look at a house, it was a bit small but it looked nice so at a guess we better have a proper look.

Then we went and found that Dreams bed had gone, internet use, oh, it's now part of another shop. We went there, had a frightening lift ride up and tried out some matresses. So Denyse will ask someone to forward the cash and I will buy one.

Then back home for lunch then off to gym in a bit

When we came back I left my 'chair in t'car and walked in without it

Phew

And I did, great relief

Single

So after last weeks disaster now I am pouring my Whisk(e)y more carefully so a single is just that, not a one and a half-er, or a double or occasionally a two and a half-er.

So hopefully I will wake up in a dry bed in't morning

'Wimming

And I said "Can we not go swimming today, just gym?" and Alex said "No, because....." so we are off for my second trip to the pool this week.

Hoo-f*cking-ray

And it actually wasn't too bad today. Either I am just getting better at it all or I like being in a room with Alex where he can see my bum. G*d knows but I actually didn't hate it today

Chairless - again

Well my leg seems much better s'morning, still slightly stiff but I am back to walking into have breakfast today

Hot Dogging

So we have a packet of veggie sausages to eat today and tomorrow. While we were out today I said to Timmy 'Shop' and we nipped to More Reasons To Shop At.... There I bought some hot dog rolls. I cut them when dinner was cooking and managed to not cut them the whole way through, microwaved a small amount of chopped onion and had them with ketchup and sweet potato chips.

Just yum yum

Injecting My Arse

So Timmy phoned the Dr s'morning and said "Can you inject Neil's arse with Testosterone, please", they said "Why?", he explained the circs and made an appointment for Friday morning

Shit, shit, shit, marginally apprehensive but I am sure it will be fine. Well it better be

'Chairing

And when I woke up s'morning my right knee is aching, perhaps I over did it when dancing etc last night. So we are giving it a rest s'morning and gonna attempt gym s'afternoon

Well we went to gym and did 15 mins on the bicycle which seems to have helped loads

Out and About

So partially ta to a post on Facebook we took ourselves to a club tonight. Lots of folk there commented on how much better I was, basically my wheelchair was simply "my seat" from which I walked to the bar, to the loo etc

Busy Monday

Oh dear, right it's busy Monday, Morrison's then f*c*ing swimming

Well before we went to Morrison's we nipped out to try and buy some cheaper bits for my electric toothbrush. I walked miles along a street only to not get any, he pushed me back along to Waverley stores (that we had parked outside), went in and got some.

Then we went shopping in Morrison's, buying almost nothing from the supermarket

Then we went and had great fun in the swimming pool. It wasn't as unpleasant as I recall but still not fun

Father's Day

And Freya got in touch and said "Oops, can I meet you for Father's Day lunch in town?" so......

Oh, it was lovely in the end. Freya told us to meet her in a café, we parked outside and I walked into the café and met her, had a brew then set off to walk miles to another café that Freya had decided to have lunch in. I got about 2/3 of the way there then stopped, sent Gareth back to get my 'chair then finally made it. It was very lovely if a little slow coming but we had a good lunch before we dropped Freya off at her new house

Published

And in the video which I posted you can see how my right knee is bending as I walk. Even tho it is the first effort etc etc

Hardest Veg Known To Man

And at Aardvark yesterday I bought a butternut squash. Now I have used these before but only from packets of frozen, chopped up butternut squash. So today I had a raw one to deal with. 5 mins later I had to call Alex to help. Even he said it was the hardest veg known to man as he cut it

More Aardvarking

So today we have to head to Aardvark again to get the blueberries which someone dropped yesterday as they were taking them off the van to deliver, so a 2nd delivery was due last night

It was only last week they started selling them again, they came in season once more

And they were there, sitting in a bag with my name on it, waiting for me....

Out, walking in

Then because we had a late lunch today we went out at 5pm for a cuppa. We ended up driving past Timmy's house on the way to a very far away brew stop. There we parked a bit up the road and I got out of the car and walked all the way to my brew, left my wheelchair in't boot

Gym

And I went to gym s'morning and amazed myself with how much I have improved. We left 'chair here and just drove down and walked from t'car. I was in a conversation with another client about how much I am improving and she commented about how much more my right hand moves. We did that stretching up with both hands exercise and my right arm nearly equaled the left although it was much more difficult to do

AND on the way out I tried to open doors, which I have only been able to do for a month or so, I tried with my right hand. And I succeeded

Aardvarking

So we went into Aardvark s'morning. Parked on the double yellow across the road and walked from the car. So my wheelchair stayed in't boot.

We had to bring it in case we had to park far away but as it happened....

Yet More Walkies

Then today I needed to go to Morrison's for burger buns (guess what's for tea?). So I walked out of the house, left my wheelchair behind, walked into shop, all the way to the bread rolls at the far away bit, walked to till, walked back out, walked home from my car when we got there.

It is easier

Up and Down

So s'morning Sara  came round and did the exercises that I was sh*tting myself about, getting down and up again from the floor. But good lord, it was a lot easier than last time, I am so much better at it, I am getting better etc (noisy link)

AND she mentioned walking onto the beach, paddling etc. So (hopefully) we will head out in a fortnight and walk down the beach barefoot

On My Own....

So the bin men came today and emptied the waste food bin and set it down. I walked out, on my own two feet, picked it up with my right hand and carried it around the side of the house where it lives. Then walked back in my front door

Misapprehension

And today I can walk. Big style, no problem, as there hasn't been for a couple of weeks. But that 'couple of weeks' - it is gonna take me longer to just feel walking is no problem, no apprehension.

"Just walk, it's easy" he shouted at himself

Gymmy

Well, went to gym over lunchtime as we walked instead of gymming yesterday. I was struggling with one of the lifting machines, I managed to lift both arms up, which I didn't used to be able to do, but my right arm was going up so much slower than my left arm
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Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.

But when we finished I walked into my house and thought "Lunchtime", I walked into the hall, saw my wheelchair sitting there and was tempted to jump onboard but thought "No, recover..." and walked past it into the kitchen

Walkies

So s'morning we went to the Doctors to pick up another script for TestoGel. So I walked out of the house and got into the car, we left the wheelchair in the bedroom. When we got there I was able to walk ito the Docs, including one step upwards, then I walked out of the Docs, across the way and down the last hilly bit to the chemist

Then after lunch me and Alex talked about gym and he agreed to go for a walk at the beach instead. This time we went to Burry Port which is a lot more walkable. So I was able to walk about 0.5 of a KM away then I sat in my chair and said "Take me back"

On the way back home I said "Take me to Farm Foods" and I bought some more spuds etc. And he pushed my wheelchair and I didn't touch it while shopping

A Reputation

Well, good lord, Timmy actually liked the food I made tonight. That's two or three times in a row he has liked what I prepared

Charity Shop

And we (me and Timmy) went to Barnardo's Charity Shop in Carmarthen to drop off a couple of bags of my old clothes.

We parked outside(1), I got out of the car and walked in
(1) There is a "loading bay" there

Farking 'Wimming

And we are off swimming in a bit

Hooray etc etc

(Yes, sarcasm=....)

And it actually wasn't too bad, I did it. Even tho the disabled shower still doesn't work properly we managed

Roast It

So I am cooking my usual Saturday night dinner tonight, roast veg. But today, for the first time, we have some raw beetroot in amongst the veg so we will see how it goes

Mmmmm, it was very lovely. Potato, carrot, sweet potato, beetroot and other stuff. Yum yum

More Reasons To Shop At....

So s'morning I was in a bit of a conundrum. Last week, on Sunday, Morrison's (noisy link) seemed to be well short of bread products, especially ones with long enough sell-by dates but I thought "Lets try it, I can always come back in't morning" but everything was in stock and fresh enuf this week

And more to the point I walked into the store, all round the store and back out, no wheelchair was involved (apart from carrying my shopping)

Aargh

So I took my phone out of my pocket to set it next to my bed as I was bath/napping.

Meanwhile I thought "No Ruth hasn't phoned, she mustn't be coming"

Then I glanced at my phone, it was still set to "Nighttime mode" and had 2 missed calls from Ruth and a txt saying "No, gotta go now, see you some other time"

Oh fsck fsck fsck

Clear It

So today we were getting my wardrobes ready to move. So tomorrow morning 2 MOS will move one of my wardrobes into the spare room and the chest of drawers from there into my bedroom. So we had an enormous sorting session and filled 2 bin bags with clothes that I have never worn/will never wear so now one wardrobe is empty, ready to be moved

Later

Then later we went out to the local pub and it was nice

More to t'point we drove up, parked in't car park, got out and walked to the entrance, climbed up the steps (left, right...) and went in't pub with no wheelchair.

And I got back out afterwards.....

Jeroo

Then later we went to gym. Paul hasn't been for a couple of weeks and he was astonished at how much better I am. So he took a load of photos to show the difference in my performance

2 Feet

So s'morning I walked into and around Aardvark, as is usual now then we nipped to Wilkinson's and I again walked into and around shop, paid standing up etc.

One of women who works there and knows me by site said 'Ooh walking, well done'. I replied that as I get better at walking soon I will be able to chase her, she said 'Oh, I would let you catch me'

But in Aardvark I walked left, right, left, right both up and down the stairs

Drains

So I went to the loo after breakfast like I do most mornings. Like most mornings I had my usual enormous poo. Like most mornings I flushed the loo and it went away.

Think about it, so I poo, flush and it has gone, where? Just about every building in the country has one (or more) of these flushing devices. What enormous infrastructure of drains and sewers must exist under every-f**king-where?

So at a guess I am thankful to the Victorians who started this building thingy....

More Walkies

Then tonight we nipped to Tesco to get some more food that Timmy likes. As I was nervous I asked for my wheelchair to accompany us, but at Tesco's I got out of the car and walked in, found (miles back) what we were looking for, still standing up, paid and walked back out of the store. My wheelchair was just used to carry the shopping in

Chairless

So after a quiet start today me and Gareth went into Wilkinson's to but some bird feeder stuff, then after that we nipped to the gym where I did my exercises again.

The point is we left my house without the wheelchair, it was still sitting in my bedroom. So I walked, on my own two feet, from the carpark outside Wilkinson's, around the shop, back to the car, rested for 2 minutes while he drove then walked from the far away spot at gym, into gym, along the corridor there, up in the lift, along another corridor then into the exercise room, in, from one machine to the other then back , corridor, lift, corridor, out and across the car park then finally reached the car where I got in and sat down with a sigh of relief. But I did it. Leaving my chair behind, going shopping, then gymming then home again

Gymming

Then instead of coming home for lunch we went to gym and did another workout. Again I walked in and out so didn't need to go on that machine and once more I found the weight lifting machine much easier than last time

Off

So we are off in a bit to see my old friend Lucy in her post grad photography exhibition. The last time I saw her she wasn't at college at all so it is a bit unsettling. But her photography I do approve of...

Very impressive. Many students were displaying and Lucy's photo's were the ones that most resembled mine, simply in terms of "What's in it". I was rather impressed and it was lovely to catch up with Lucy again

Out For A Brew

So because I was bored tonight we drove to St Clears to have a cuppa tea.

It was a bit strange, because I am now sitting in a proper chair half the time I was a bit more confident, so we left my wheelchair in the car and I walked in, sat in a traditional chair, stood up again and walked back out after my brew

Restful Day

And I don't have much to do today, a go at gym later is about it.....

Wow. Well we went to gym earlier than my timetable said and it was good. First of all I walked in from the car excusing myself from treadmill, and after the cycling I went off to do another 3 smaller exercises. This is where I was most impressed, my muscles and my bones (and my flexibility) seem to have got so much better in the couple of weeks since I have done these particular exercises

Fark

So I thought I had lost about 1/3 of a bottle of milk, I asked Gareth if he knew where it was, he looked in the bin and said "No, it's here". Then tonight when I went to get my cereal out for the morning what was that sitting on the shelf in the cupboard next to my muesli. A bottle containing about 1/3 milk, slightly warmer but it hasn't gone off yet

Yes, it tasted fine s'morning, there is less than 1 days muesli milk left so hopefully it will be fine tomorrow too

Afternoon Out

Then we (me and Gareth) went out exploring, looking for an ice cream shop. Eventually we ended up half a country away in Aberporth which was in the midst of beautiful countryside but I couldn't sit in the car for half that time. But it was nice

Sockingless

So s'morning because we are going swimming in half an hour I am wearing no sockings. My feet are covered in just socks and sandals. Walking is harder than with sockings but it is well possible.

Lets hear it for muscle memory

And I swam, four lengths on my back with float, and did loads of exercises. When we got out someone had beaten us to the big disabled changing room but I managed in the smaller one. So because we were in the smaller room Gareth had to not shower but I smell nice

They Work

And as we were going out tonight I walked from the front door to the car in my new trainers and they feel really good and helped me keep my ankle straight etc

With My Right Hand

And today I managed summat with my right hand that I haven't managed for a dozen years.

So yes, I am getting better but also thanks to Denyse for getting me a new improved tool, I wouldn't have been able to do it with my right hand in a more traditional tool

AND I carried both plates to the table at dinner time at the same time, one held outwards and the right handed one was resting against my belly, but I carried both with both hands

Busy Sunday

Right after our relaxing morning we headed into town. First of all we went to a sports shop to look for some more trainers. We spent a bit more cash this time because the last ones broke relatively quickly, and the new ones are a bit more comfortable too.

Then we nipped off and did our "rest of food" shopping in Morrison's 

Lazy Sunday

Well I have managed to have one of them so far, but that SmallPaul chap is gonna cum and change my sockings then we will be busy again, shopping for food, new trainers etc etc