Shopping. On my own two feet

Then afterwards we nipped shopping, I stood up, got in my wheelchair until I was in the shop, walked all the way to the back of the shop, all the way forwards, paid, walked back to the car, walked from the car into the house. All on my own two feet

And I notice, in all the photo's of shopping my right hand/arm is properly straight

When I'm Cleaning Windows....

Well not me but my MOS produced a bottle of Industrial Strength window cleaner from somewhere and what can I say, all the streaks on my windows which I thought were scratches seem to have gone now, just WOW.

OK he had to do the cleaning but still...

What an afternoon

Good lord

Shhh

Hooray

Changed my bed, next we are off to Jim.... :)

Which went well. The new class seem to be accepting me as a "mouthy chap" and all goes well. I am able to show off walking in my Bioness

More Reasons To Shop At....

Then after lunch, when I finished my salad we are going off to get some more and a few other things.

But no blueberries this week

A few other things including some more "mini choc ice on a sticks" and some toffee ice cream cones

Rugger

And we went to the pub about half past two and didn't leave until half way thru the third match some hours later. Firstly Ireland got beat which upset me a bit but then in the next match Wales played England and trounced them by nearly 20 points, an effective victory.

Ed had some of the freeby sausage and mash so I only had to pay for one dinner

He's back

And Ed is back today(1) so I am having to get used to looking up to his eyes, unlike the rest of 'my team'

(1) From the first part of his nurses training

Aardvarking

Then we nipped to Aardvark early and spent far too much on org. tofu and org. apple juice and so on. I went into the shop sitting in my 'chair to give me a chance to browse the shelves slowly and I got everything on my list and some more

Physioing

So this morning the Sara the Physio came to see me, and as we couldn't go out to walk in the rain just did loadsaa checks on my Bioness tool and my splint, and agreed to put next Thursdays patients on hold and come to Daceys with me

Freya

Then later we went to pick up Freya from school. She worked hard on her O-levels the whole time she was here apart from when we were eating dinner

For dinner tonight we had some of the pasta in spicy and tomatoey sauce that I had made t'other week for my parents dinner but it turns out that Mum was allergic to one or two of the ingredients. We weren't sure if it would freeze well, with the pasta in it etc but it was actually rather delicious, according to Freya, Paul and me

Wales Fan

And eventually we found a Wales supporter hat in town even tho I am pulling a face in this photo

Nowt On All Day

So me and Paul nipped into Morrisons where I bought more salad and 2 more packets of pre prepared potatoes.

Bingo

And so we nipped to the school fundraising bingo tonight, which was as much fun as usual.

Tonight, for the first time since my accident I experimented with playing 2 bingo cards at once. It was possible but I still didn't win

BUT tonight after the bingo he called out the raffle results, the very last one called was a bottle of cider that I won.

Jimming

So we are off to gym in a bit with the Bioness functioning on my right leg

And just further WOWness. Today I was able to walk about the gym without my walking stick, just my Bionesses foot. And just good lord. My right foot step isn't quite as long as the left but it's not far off. This Bioness makes such a difference. So next week I might try on a bike with Bioness

Walkies - first time in 10 years

And today I set off with Dicky to do walkies. We set off up the street with my walky stick and my Bioness clicking away, up the street, paused sat in stationary wheelchair got up and started progressing again.

Made it TO THE PUB. It is the first time in 10 years I have been able to walk to my local

(sent from my phone)

Nowt On Today

So I have nowt on my diary for today but I will nip out for another walk up the street later

Just WOW what a difference

So s'morning Paul showed up in his van, not who I was expecting but at least someone showed up. Shortly after we had done the showing him how to fit my new splint and my new Bioness device we set off.

So I was a bit nervous but we tried wearing my Bioness to gym.

What can I say but "WOW" it makes a big difference, a number of people commented on how my walking has changed, looks better etc

Lived & Learned

And tonight I ate (link to yesterdays) burger and backed small new potatoes and tonight I picked up the burgers with the big flat lifter and the spuds with the big spoon device and tonight it worked

Windy Miller

So I was in the bathroom running my bath. I thought I needed a pooh but couldn't make anything come out, squeeze, squeeze, squeeze. So I moved over towards the bath when suddenly an ENORMOUS fart escaped and I didn't need a pooh any more

(sent from my phone)

Walkies

And we went out today with my new electrical device on my leg and someone pushing my wheelchair behind and walked up the street for 15 minutes and back down. I only had 2 rests, stationary, in my 'chair.

I didn't quite make it to the pub as I was thinking "I am allowed even on a non drinking day as it is SO impressive"

And it is all uphill that I covered today. And back down obviously...

(sent from my phone)

More Reason's To Shop At...

So we went off to Morrisons and did my weeks shopping today

Live & Learn

So tonight I was cooking scrambled eggs, beans and oven chips. When they were dun I was trying to lift up the egg bowl and fork stuff out. This didn't work, it was too hot to pick up, so I shouted "Help". Then I was trying to pick up the chips with a large spoon like tool, even bigger than a wooden spoon. This didn't work either. I saw my MOS picking up the eggs a spoonful at a time which worked but took a while. I should have lifted the eggs with that spoon device I used for the chips initially

What day/date?

And my new watch arrived s'morning. It was much cheaper to buy it from Amazon rather than a local shop, and I now can tell the date, time and what day it is from glancing at my wrist again.

I used to be able to do this but the strap on my old watch broke

Intimidated

And it felt a bit strange having Timmy tell Dicky about my new splint and my new, really expensive, piece of kit, my Bioness, which electrically impulses my leg. Because on Monday morning Dicky has to tell someone else about it and it is so important, it seems to work.

Walking with it on feels so different, so much better....

And Oh Dear, when we took it off for my bath my leg was well crushed, so we need to put it on much more loosely tomorrow

Shopping

So we nipped into town s'morning with a long shopping list. First of all into Morrison's to get some salad, then into the mobile phone shop to have him look at why it is wonky, which he succeeded, then into Aardvark for loadsa shopping. It seems busy enuf that I don't need to wait til just before closing time, for a delivery, like I used to at Waverley

Ybot

And Toby txted me today and said "I think I have got a job"

Ask It

So Timmy just came and showed me the new app he has on his tablet.

You literally ask it a question, vocally, and it answers vocally

Brief

And Freya came round for a very brief visit, we have arranged a different day's visit next week

And that Freya was telling my about her half way completed O levels. So far she is getting 3 A* with potentially more to come

Blinkin Flip

So today I had to go to Daceys in Cardiff for my "trying again" to see if my right leg was well enuf to need a Bioness Machine. And it was and he gave me a number of thousand pounds worth of machine to try it out. We are back in a fortnight to see if it's ok.

While we were there I walked up and down the room with no splint on to see how it worked. Immediately I was stepping further forward with my right leg, summat I haven't managed in 10 years.

So it is now switched to "train" mode so it feels a bit odd doing stuff to my leg while I am sitting down but it is a start.

So what can I say, just VVVVVVVBG

Blinkin' Flip

Gosh, so we played an excellent song tonight.

Then we played another 80's excellent song

SaraH OT

So Sarah came down and helped me cook a "simple" (as in far too complex) dish which I will eat with Freya and Timmy tomorrow. It's just called Veg Casserole with Herby Dumplins bit it looks OK

And afterwards she explained again what I am supposed to do with my new Weakly Timetable (as I have renamed them)

Hoo flipping ray

Off to Jim in a bit.....

And it seemed knackering but good

Drink in peace

So after the team meeting Denyse told me that they had decided that I would probably be OK to drink on my own as long as I wasn't snacking too and as long as the door was open so they could hear me if I was aspirating(1)

(1) Choking

Team Meeting

And ATM all my staff and Denyse are in't kitchen talking about looking after me

Dinner

And with tonight's dinner we had potatoes which you set in an oven dish then bake. So when I took them out of the oven I set it on a wet t towel (as recommended by a shop assistant last week) and it didn't slide about, sat still while I got stuck into the bits of spud with a lifter

Small Hand Towels

And while I was at gym today "someone" delivered my 2 new small towels to fit on my hangars. I expected them to txt me but they just stuck them in the outside of the letter box. I assume they forged my sig but it was good of them and I think it is posh enuf here to be able to do that

Jim

And then s'morning me and Timmy went to gym, I did loads, I couldn't even speak for a few minutes afterwards as I was so knackered.

Walking everywhere in't gym, and remembering to bend my right knee when it's about to go down etc, so it doesn't hurt as much

Sheets

And before gym today we nipped to the drapers, then had to go to the second one in Carmarthen which did sell fitted sheets that are long enough to go over my matress, normal ones are 5-6 inches long whereas my matress is 8 inches thick

So sheets are a bit pricey but it fits

Shaved

Well s'morning b4 I had my breakfast I had a shave.

And for the first time in ages I didn't cut myself, not even one little bit

Chipless

For tonights dinner we had Tofu burgers which were strange but quite nice and tomato and chilli new potatoes.

Which were surprising and really nice

And I continued on my "easy cook potato dishes".....

Peace Perfect Peace

Again I had a lie in, didn't get up to about 9.30. So I was sitting having breakfast with Paul and my brother, thinking "Finish breakfast then text my Dad and say 'Come here'" when their car pulled up outside and they came in.

They have been and gone, now peace again probably 'til the end of April when they will have to come back for another meeting

Dinner Out

So because mum was allergic to summat I cooked "they" had to take me out to dinner again.

I had Cheese&BroccoliBake with chips and it was very nice

And I had to ask my neighbour what his sweatchirt meant

Shopping

Then today we went and did our Aardvark shopping a day late and my mum had to pay loads because I got loads.

Then we went to Wilkinsons and did some more

Eatin' Out

So tonight I presented my parents with the big dish of pastas and veg and cheese bake that me and Paul made s'morning, and my mother said "Oh, I can't eat cheese" so..... eating out

Aargh

So about 4 o'clock my parents and brother arrived here. Ever since then I haven't been on my PC but they have gone to bed now. About an hour ago we took my brother back to his hotel

Iechyd Da

And we are off in a bit to pick up Freya and then we are going to Iechyd Da for their monthly folk night

And it was as excellent as it was last month

And I sat in a different seat than usual because when I walked in Ruth and her tribe were sat downstairs so I joined them. Which I couldn't have managed a few months ago but last night I only pissed after we had left Iechyd Da

They're Here

So today my parents and big brother are in Bristol having a meeting with my barrister and hopefully saying "He deserves loads" etc then tomorrow they are driving a hired car to here where various combinations of them will stay here Friday and Saturday night

And I just spoke to them, they were being really positive about the barrister so hopefully.....

Proper Healthy Eating

So tonight I made our dinner with one of the products I have been a bit paranoid about but from the fridge, prepared mashed spuds was on our plates. For the first 3 mouthfuls I thought "Not as nice as chips" but by mouthful 4 I realised how lovely it was, and how healthy etc etc

Sigh

So it's off to gym in a bit......

And we need to buy some "stuff" for when my folks are here, eg coffee etc, so we will be in't superdoopermarket again

Double sigh, I have had enough of going to gym but I am still getting better so I'd better be quiet

After gym we first of all headed to Aardvark to stock up on coffee and milk before nipping to super-dooper-market but we bought everything we were looking for there, including floor cleaner and antibiotic hand wash. The only thing they didn't have was white loaf with long enuf date on it but we found one of those on the market stall outside so we didn't need to go to a supermarket at all

Shopping

Then we went to the usual supermarket today in search of some carbohydrate that was a) less fattening than oven chips and b) as easy to cook. and in the end we found loads in the fridge section.

Jones Bach

So Sarah Jones the OT came to see me s'morning and we talked about loadsa stuff, 'Neil needs to get a life' etc, how and why

Pudding Tonight

And after my scrambled eggs and beans and chips dinner I had a pudding. I went to the freezer, opened the new packet of cornettos and had one.

Gosh but it was very delicious. I am very tempted to have another pudd....... supper but as I am on a diet I'd better not

Jeroo

And we are off to gym in a bit...

And off we went.

This time I changed my boots in the car park and went in on my wheelchair and didn't sit in it again until the session was over and I had been all over the gym, on my own two feet

WTF?

And today as I was exploring the interweb I realised that driverless trucks exist and are safe and.........

I can now, some

And today I proved that I can cut bread rolls with my right hand. OK, it's a relatively simple task but the fact that I can do anything with my right hand is an improvement

More Reasons To Shop At...

.... Morrisons (noisy - video) today. We will go and do my weekly shop there today

Which we did, bought the usual amount and a pressie and 8 ice cream cones. Dieting isn't.....

Early to bed.....

As I was tired today after not napping in the day I went to bed about a quarter to 11, about an hour and a half earlier than usual

Opening A Bottle

I tried to open the litre and a half of organic apple juice and as usual I couldn't. So as usual I looked for my MOS to ask for help but he had nipped out to the loo. I tried again, no avail, then I tried gripping the lid between my teeth. It opened easily and I was still able to close it afterwards.

Hoo-flipping-ray

Sport

And we are going to the Pub up the street s'afternoon to watch the Wales v Italy rugby match

So we nipped to the pub at the end of the street to watch the rugby. Wales won and then we talked about whether I needed a nap etc and stayed to watch England flipping win too, but only just in their case

While I was there I got a freebie

3D cinema

After I posted a link on my website re: a film that I wanna see, Timmy was researching times of showing etc and it is only showing in 3D. Arse, wait 'til a DVD is available

Dull Friday

And I did nowt today, I refused to go swimming.

Later we nipped out to Aardvark and spent loadsa cash again and bought some extra organic veggie burgers

Brief Visit

Then we nipped to a school and picked up Freya. She was on a deadline tonight, going to see someone in a play so we got here, turned the oven on, cooked, ate food then took her straight away.

After we came back Timmy had to wash up

And Freya has agreed to come back and see me in a more relaxed fashion on Sunday

New Tyres

Then after Timmy phoned and asked permission we had to take the car into Kwikfit and have 2 new tryes fitted to the front. They said "That size we only have expensive tyres, we will have to phone and ask permission to fit them" and did.

They said it would take an hour so we nipped next door and had a cuppa and a lovely bun

Little Old Lady

So s'morning Sarah Bailey, the speech and language therapist came to see me. She listened to my throat as I was drinking a cuppa etc. She did say that the doctor hasn't got back to us about the appointment to have my swallowing assessed so she will have to phone him again!

Habits of a lifetime

So after my bath today I was getting dresses. Talk about changing the habits of a lifetime? Today I...... I didn't put my pants on first. Radical, habits of a lifetime etc

(sent from my phone)

Jim-jim-jeroo

And I had a good session at the gym today. Paul who hasn't been there for a few weeks took me today and he was commenting on how straight up my back is, not leaning over so much.

I think todays lesson was don't drink quite so much the night before a gym session, I had loads last night

The Sea

So as the rest of the day was empty me and Dicky went out exploring, looking for the sea. We ended up at Burryport, and I was pushed along the harbour, it was well cool

Poorly Kids

And the member of staff who was supposed to be coming to see me today, Sarah the OT, emailed me first thing and said "My kid is poorly, can I come next week instead?"

Out&About

So we went out to a pub in Carmarthen tonight. It was nice if a bit quiet. We went to The Drovers Arms in Carmarthen

Jiminy

Sigh. So I am back off to gym in a bit

And it fills me with such joy every time I go but I got stuck in again. More "other clients" were commenting on how much better I seem, which was nice, and today again I parked my 'chair at one side and walked to everywhere else in't gym

Cabbage and Potatoes

Well today, for the first time in nearly 10 years I used my couple of day old grill pan to make some Cheese On Toast for lunch and it was delicious

Shopping

So today, after my cheese on toast for lunch we are nipping to More Reasons To Shop... (noisy) to get my weeks shopping

Then we are coming back for my too early haircut as Ed is Going Away To Start His Training for 4 weeks next week and he won't be commuting here just to cut my hair in a couple of weeks

Dullness

I have had such an exciting Saturday......

Mistletoe and Wine

And for dinner tonight we had the now usual Friday dinner of naan-bread pizza's.

And it was yum

Aardvarking

Then we nipped out to Aardvark to do the weeks shopping, I was a bit more stuck in my wheelchair as I felt so exhausted after s'morning but I did walk some

Clarkin' Bell

This afternoon SmallPaul told me that his neice had sold her story to the BBC and was a)in their TOTP mag and was b) gonna be in a TV program about her. Basically she is 14 now and 7 years ago caught from god knows where a swelling of the brain and while she has pretty much got better she now suffers from "face blindness" so she can't recognise people, even her Mum, it's only when she speaks that she knows who she is. She is working with some charity, perhaps this one, and the payment from the BBC will go to them, helping sufferers

Teatowel

So we went up and down the aisles in Tesco looking to no avail. So we went to the desk and said "My right hand doesn't work so I take a pot out of the oven, try to lift the goods with my left hand, but I need some way of keeping the pan still". She said "Ah, follow me" went out to where we had been looking but couldn't find 'it' whatever she had been looking for. She saw another member of staff and said "Where is the...". The other member of staff said "Put on the side a tea towel COVERED IN WATER and your pot won't move". I thanked her for saving money and knowing that

(sent from my phone)

Physio-ing

So Sara with no H, the physio came to see me. First of all she booked an appointment for me to have my Bioness appointment which hopefully will be the day they fit me with extra electrical stimulation so that hopefully I will eventually be able to ditch my wheelchair. Hopefully.

Then she acupunctured me in my now nearly healed fully left arm.

THEN we went for a walk up and down the street with no wheelchair

I think I am much to nervous to head out without my 'chair but I managed it today

But gord I feel knackered now, soon to nap

Dinner-ing

And we had a veggie lasagne and oven chips for tea tonight and it was lovely. But I baked it, lifted it out of the oven and Ed had to portion it and lift it. I could lift it with one hand but not keep the tray still with the other.

I will have to ask Denyse if there is summat available to hold the dishes while I lift the food out of them

Thinnest

And as they measure my leg twice a day to check if it is getting much bigger thru infections, they measured it s'afternoon and it was the narrowest it has been since they started this measuring

Dentist

And I had an appointment with the dental hygenist s'afternoon and she was quite impressed with how clean my teeth and gums look, she said there were no "crisis bits" this visit

Sarah Bailey

And I am awaiting a therapist who is coming to see me s'morning . Her name is Sarah Bailey and every time I think that I think "Sarah Bailey, little old lady".

Sorry, she isn't but I think this anyway

Still waiting, she is ¾ of an hour late....

Double Sigh. She had changed this to a next week appointment last week, I had the new appt in my diary but still with the old one too

Network Crisis

And I nipped to bed for my nap today, I thought "Oh, I'll listen to that podcast", turned on my back bedroom laptop, clicked "Connect" and it said "No, connection dead". I panicked but when I came out of there I had to press "Reset" on the router and it all works again

Jiminy

The only "going out" thing on my diary for today was gym. We went along and it is shocking to me how much better I am now than I was 6 months ago

Dinner

And Ed brought in some "make pancakes" stuff which we had for a dinner that he made tonight. It was rather lovely but I couldn't remember what I used to like on my pancakes

Honey, sugar and lemon, according to Julia.

And blackcurrant jam! Apparently

It's too dangerous

Having seen Stu on his motorised bicycle and talked a bit about my accident all I can say is it's much too dangerous

Visitor

Then just as I was gonna go to the kitchen and make lunch there was a really big noise outside and that Stuart chap appeared on his motorbike. He is now one of my neighbours

Emptying The Garage

So I asked Ed if he could help me load up the car with old cardboard boxes from the garage and take them to t'tip but he said "No, I will take them there on my way home tomorrow"

Grill Pan

And Amazon txted me s'morning and said "Your delivery will be here between xxx and yyy" which it was and now I have a grill pan in my cooker.

Cheese on toast is calling me...

Yesterday

And we had very little on s'afternoon as we went shopping yesterday.

Just 15 minute windows of various therapys etc

Jeroo

So as we did my weekly shop yesterday I have nowt to do but go too gym s'morning

Hoo-flippin'-ray

Gosh, I am getting noticeably better at gym

Program

And I am watching the second episode in this, and rather enjoying it.

I watched the first episode last night

Rugby

Ooooh, England v Ireland now......

Oh dear, the English won...

More Reason's To Shop At....

And I went and did my weekly shop at Morrisons on the new day for once a week, I now do my shopping on a Sunday as Monday has got a bit busy what with gym etc etc etc

Wonders Of Life

I saw summat that was talking about an ex-Boy Band member, Professor Brian Cox, who is now a science teacher and a TV presenter, presenter of science programs.

I am watching one of his programs and rather enjoying it

Wales Are The Greatest

Watched the rugby today :)

And I watched the first third of the scotland match, then went for my daily nap, the score was in their favour too

Memory Coming Back

And today for no apparent reason I said a poem which did give me great pleasure, remembering stuff from the past

Out&About

Then we nipped up to our local late last night and got talking to (I think it was...) Veronica and her chap from no 40 or so. We talked for ages about loadsa stuff, it was well worth it

Davising

Then immediately afterwards Sara Davis, the physio, came. At first we were talking about how my walking has changed as we tried on my new splint today then we nipped out walking without my wheelchair. I walked up the street a long way, down and back up the kerb then back again without my wheelchair to rest in. Later we were talking about electrical stimulation and she is going to enquire again in Cardiff tio see iof they will do me now

And I had to ask her her surname too...

Jones Bach

And Sarah the OT came to see me first and I had to ask her second name, it was Jones, she is from England but married a welshman, hence the well Welsh name. We talked about Mindfulmess which was well good, we downloaded an mp3 to play, played it to all of us and I just feel wow