Getting Better All The Time...

... in small ways but important ways. They are just a sign that I am improving.

So last night when I was getting ready to do the washing up I realised..... 

That I was walking about the kitchen with no walking stick, GGtGG commented

on how good my technique is getting, but that had to be second in my mind

as first was carrying 2 chopping boards to the washing up pile with them both

held levelly in just my right hand

An Opinion

From Clive

Xmas Pressie

So today I was in bed s'afternoon when I heard a knock on the door. GGtGG answered it and I heard him talking to the neighbours son, who had brought over an Xmas card and a small pressie for me

I Can Stand Up

So s'morning when we were popping into gym I thought "Oh, I'd better try a pee before we get stuck in". Looked around and there was no disabled loo close by so I tried in the proper gents. I stood there holding it, and stood there a bit longer.... no couldn't pee. So I headed into the proper loo, took a deep breath cos it was scarily low, sat down. Pee'ed then just stood up by using just my legs/feet, I wasn't holding onto anything.

As it was so low I tried to take a photo of my knee above the loo so you can kind of tell what a "fit for 5 year old's" loo it was. But no hands, I just stood up like a normal person

What A Morning #4

Then when we were still out GGtGG turned into gym so we went there, asked first if the afternoon class was on but as they said "No" we popped upstairs and went on a couple of arm movement machines (on one of which my right arm is now moving up as far as the other by itself which is a bit incredible considering how fscked it was even last month) and did more Sara speed up/slow down exercises on the other machine then got on the "Power Mill Climber" upstairs machine

What A Morning #2&3

Then we popped down town and had to go to an expensive parking slot as all the free places around town were full. So we parked up in the old Tesco's Back Car Park on Lammas Street and from there first walked to Savers on Merlin's Walk where I picked more "rinse tour teeth and gums" stuff.

Then we walked back down towards the car and popped into Wilko where again I had to walk right to the back to find bleach and more antibac wipes on Petty Cash

What A Morning #1

So then we popped out to town. First of all we drove down King St, found a parking space and went into the Lyric Theatre. There we booked 2 nights at the Comedy Club there, for January and March and we booked a night at the Pantomime, Robinson Crueso, in again "shout at them" seats

Chess Based Witticism

A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel over Christmas and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. After about an hour, the manager came out of the office and asked them to disperse. "But why?" they asked, as they moved off. "Because," he said, "I can't stand chess nuts boasting in an open foyer."

Nicked from Facebook

I Think There's Nowt Happening

And I suspect that there won't be a replacement teacher for Sam's Pulse Gym class tomorrow. I spoke to "them" today and they didn't think a substitute would be involved. But I will just go there at Pulse time tomorrow and either take the class with some other instructor or get stuck into just exercising

Falaffeling

Then tonight I cooked a couple of small baked potatos for myself and a packet of Falaffels, which I haven't cooked for about 20 years. But it was fine, easy and nice (loads in the frying pan, I think next time I will try to use a gripper rather than a stiring tool.

But as it was a Don't Feed Timmy day there are half a frying pan of fallafels for tomorrow now I have drained them

Gym

Then later on we popped to the gym. I said to Timmy "What shall we do?" and he said "Right, Sara The Physio suggested......". Fark, on a bike pedal flap out as fast as you can for 20 seconds, then slow down to a more normal pace for 20 seconds, then back up, then back down etc etc. So I managed 10 minutes today and was panting very heavily which made Timmy happy by the end

Then I got on the rowing machine but it wasn't a scary

Organic Food Crisis

So s'morning I said to Timmy "Head off and pick up the veg then go shopping" then I suddenly got an email from the provider saying "Aargh, the van has left and your veg is still sitting here". So me and Timmy sat down, had a conference and decided to head off to Whitland to collect it. I phoned  to check they would still be there and a chap said "She has just left in the car for Carmarthen, should be dropped off in 20 minutes". So we popped in, fetched it, popped to Morrison's and picked up the rest of the food. So I had to send them an email and say just how grateful it I was. Even tho popping 30 miles in a car with just my veg isn't exactly organic is it? But it will taste nice for me

Smell

So s'morning I was in the loo having a pooh. I squeezed and then thought "????" as I could smell summat, at all. Now I don't know if it was a really smelly pooh or if my sense of smell is getting better.

Hope for the best

Golly

So we went to AquaAerobics today and the usual teacher wasn't there but a substitute did all kinds of good work

My Heart

 So Denyse was here s'morning to check up on GGtGG and see how he was getting on with me etc

Hectic-ness

Then after lunch we headed down past Swansea to see Sara the physio. Now first of all we had brought back the brace thing that I wear at night, talked about it and decided I was to keep it for now, with my staff instructed to tighten one of the straps after I put it on every night. Then I did loadsa stepping backwards and forwards and some work stepping with my right foor raised slightly on a cushion to see how well it is connecting.

Then at the end I walked the whole length of her lab and back without my walking stick and without holding onto anything with my hands, just walking like a proper person

Use Another Programme

So yesterday I was having trouble making the timer on my phone make noise to wake me up after nap when my phone is set to silent to avoid the phone ringing and "waking me up". I asked MM again what he had done last week, he said "Erm....." so we gave up. S'morning I looked online and downloaded to my phone an "Online timer (mobile version)" which lets ne switch my phone off a d still goes "Beep beep beep" after 40 minutes

Different Metabolism

So s'morning MM woke up, went for a pooh and then came out for brekky. Apparently it is traditional with him. Wheras my metabolism is different, I woke up, as traditional got up, went for breakfast and then went to the loo for my daily pooh

Social Care

Well the news says how social care is out of budget but luckily my care is paid for privately so I can still afford my staff

Well

So I don't seem to have done too much today but.....

So tomorrow I have to go see the (beautiful) Physio instead of going gymwards

Headwaying

So today we are heading off to a Headway Brain Injury Survivors type meeting. Which is unbearable fun but it is more fun than going to swimming pool which is the alternative

And yes it was. As every it felt a bit odd kind of "WTF are we all doing here?" but I won a game of Kerplunk and a prize for Xmas in the raffle

Seems Like Weeks Ago

Was it really just s'morning when me and my bruv and GGtGG went out for a walk along King St?

In my head it feels like ages ago.....

Memory

Aha, so after the difficulties last week I decided to try again, no looking for buttons etc, it just worked and putting it alive on webspace just worked too

Said tara

So we all headed into town s'morning, walked from one end of King St to the other and went into a Café and David insisted on buying us a coffee and a bun.

Then we walked back along the length of King St then took him to the railway station where he said we weren't allowed to come in and wave so we said tara and he got on a train back to Bristol where he will catch a flight back to Belfast Aldergrove Airport

Google Maps

Then today I did a quick Google Maps to check out where we are going with the kids and family next weekend and here it is (Excited already)

Fixer

And a couple of days ago when MM was working I said to him "But the alarm has gone quiet on my phone?", he looked at it and said "Do this" which I did but then realised why I had switched it to quiet as it was buzzing every time I pressed a button. He looked and then said "Do this, goto the last item on the list which says 'Extra functions' then switch that off" and now the alarm is properly volumed and I can press buttons without "Click"

Phew

Aargh

So my big brother is flying over for one night tonight, staying in the spare room etc. We have booked a table and are going out for dinner tonight

Napped, creamed by Timmy, dressed, waiting to go now....... (Sad???)

Wow, we went out and had a lovely dinner etc

Timmyless Food

And as Timmy wasn't working tonight(19) I was able to cook my usual weekend treat of na'an bread pizza and chips. It was very nice sitting indoors listening to the rain falling outdoors as we are it tonight

(19) Unlike yesterday, the day before and tomorrow

Gymming

And I went to Sam's class @ gym s'afternoon.

Now I was really nervous before I went but I am more than capable of doing it so dunno why really.

MM said afterwards that *4* folk had independently spoken to him about how I was visibly getting better every week

Mistless

So there is no mist today (unlike yesterday), but....

Right Hand

And I ate my muesli s'morning with my right hand.

It hurt and it was awkward but my right hand worked

Oops

So I thought to myself s'morning "Why do these webpages have summat describing the width of the photo, surely it just works whatever size of photo is used?" so I did a few pages without ".jpg width=80%" they looked fine on my PC. Until I looked at them on my phone or tablet, it was trying to show the photo realsize, so it would show a corner of the photo instead of the whole pic

So I have added width=80% to those pages, it looks proper again

Post Office

And while we were out today the postman stuck a card through the door saying that he couldn't deliver summat and we can go into town and pick it up tomorrow. I suspect that I know what it is but waiting and seeing

What A Morning

So first of all we went into the Chemist next door to the doctors to fetch my sockings (They phoned me s'morning and said they had arrived) then we popped to gym and I had to demonstrate to Timmy the walking upstairs machine, then I did the chest press machine and a rowing machine (after a rest as the stairs machine is hard work both mentally and physically) then left

From there we popped to Iechyd Da as they were closed s'morning as a MOS was poorly so we fetched my organic veg box

Then we went to More Reasons To Shop At.... and got the rest of the weeks shopping then we came home

So that's a whole days worth of diary entries done in a morning. And I didn't need to stop at the loo until after we were back. That is a piece of my metabolism which is much better these days

Where's My Veg

And Iechyd Da have posted online that they will be closed until lunchtime. So I hope that my veg is hidden away somewhere

Presumably there is someone there fixing whatever is broken so hopefully......

Oh Dear

My brother emailed me a link about his visit.

Oh dear

AquaAerobids

Then after lunch we headed to an AquaAerobics session where again I am astonished at how much fitter I am.

Then

Then we drove straight to the Drs and picked up my new script for sockings, popped into the chemist, and had too leave my phone number as they will phone me when they get them in

But I didn't have to look and tell them my phone number, I just remembered it

Next

Then I went to the dentist for a clean by nurse and a check up by a proper dentist. The cleanup was as dull as...... but my mouth feels slightly cleaner now so......

The dentist came to check me up and didn't have to do any fillings or owt which is to my credit. She did get a mirror to show me some kind of growth on my tongue which I have been instructed to try and remove with my toothbrush after cleaning

S'Morning

So Timmy showed up today dripping with the cold. A)I am scared he will be infectious so should have phoned someone else to take his shift..... and B)We headed to the pool today for AquaAerobics so.........

&Benny's

And we popped out to eat at Frankie and Benny's which I have had a "money off" voucher in my bumbag for ages so we went out to actually spend it tonight.

So we have another tenner off voucher in my bag now, we keep falling for it

Walking

And I have noticed a lot recently that when walking with or without my FES going on even if I am not concentrating on moving my right foot properly that my toes don't hit the ground every time I move my foot. So it seems that the improvement is becoming more "in place", automatic

Getting Better

And today we popped to gym and did another 10km cycle. I wasn't as puffed out afterwards as I was last week. Generally my physical fitness is getting better so quickly

Buying On Petty Cash

Then today we need to pop to that Tesco place (according to MM) and buy a diary for the staffroom for next year etc

Marginal Panic

And I had to ask MM tonight "Right, if my brother is gonna stay here we need to make the bed" to which he replied "I think it is made already", we went and checked and yep, it was.

No bed making is involved

Cutting

And I made 2 veggie burgers for dinner, c/w rolls to eat them out of. I was just able to cut the rolls in half using my right hand. It makes me think "Wow" just how much better at this kind of thing am I now 😃

Second Things Second

Then we popped to the swimming pool and did my usual load of exercises. MM did say that I was a lot less out of breath than the last time he was doing this with me so obviously my general fitness is loads better

First Things First

So first of all I popped into the doctors to fetch my script for Duac ointment and while we were there I said I saw a dermatologist yesterday and she recommended changing my sockings every three months so can I have a 3 new pairs? She said "Yep, be ready Wednesday" so I will have to pay another 50p parking fee on Wednesday

Sudden Plan

So my big bro txted me and said "See you on the 17th?". I had to say "NO" as that is the weekend when my kids are all coming over from England so he txted me again "OK, c u this weekend". Aargh, sudden plans unsettle me etc etc but it will be nice to see him

Cooking

And before my nap I got knives and cutting trays and washing bowls out etc, and fetched 5 small carrots from the garden, so I can go into the kitchen and do the biggest cook of the week, roasted veg.

Mmmm, yum yum

And "NO feck off"

And this morning for the first time since I saw that Dr type yesterday after Roy put the cream on my legs I didn't have to take my t-shirt off to let him put cream on my armpits. Hoo-flippin'-ray, a victory for that getting better

OK, I will have to let him do it s'afternoon (and check to make sure my 'pits still look healthy) but just once a day now, not twice. Hopefully a long term approach 

Make Folk Cross

Vegetarian cafe refuses to accept £5 note made with animal byproduct


The Guardian

The Docs

So s'afternoon we had to pop over to see a dermatologist at t'hospital re my skin. Basically the appt was made ages ago when my skin was in a lot worse state and now it is all looking good etc. She read the note from Denyse, asked me some queries, looked at my shins and back and basically said "Keep up the good work..."

..And Chips

Then we had the delicious Neil-made Pizza and Chips for dinner.

Yum yum yum

Pulse

So again I was in the busier, more hectic, more advanced class. And it went OK. Some of the class commented on how they remember seeing me in a wheelchair.......

And one chap asked if he could take a picture of my t shirt...

Oops

And we need to pop to Morrison's before today's early lunch(1) to buy a salad pack as that was the only thing they didn't provide on the organic order. Usually we pop to Morrison's after we pick up the veg box but as we were playing Boccia yesterday we went shopping a day early

(1) As we are going to Pulse Fitness Session s'afternoon

First Of All

First of all we popped down to the hotel where we are having Xmas dinner to pay them the rest of the cash we owe them

Fark, I was loads fatter then

And tonight I was looking through some links to older pages and I saw one and I immediately thought "You fat barstewart", I am much thinner now, like much.

Boccia

Then s'afternoon we popped down to a very posh, newish, amusement place in Swansea. As well as what we were doing there were chase your kids thru kind of things, a swimming pool, lots of tennis/badminton courts and some boccia aisles. As I had never been before I didn't know what to expect. Basically a target ball is thrown out by one of the players then each team has 8 coloured balls to throw as close as poss. So each team can consist of 1, 2, 3 or 4 members, ours were 4 so we each had 2 balls to throw. Strangely enough the whole team has to sit down to bowl, which as we had a few wheelchair bound players made it work for them.

So I decided to use my right arm for bowling. The first ball I threw landed about 2 inches away from the target and was winning until the opponents last bowl hit it away. We did lose big style but...... So when we were leaving someone said "Tea and cake?" but I had to say no, if I stayed I would have a cake and I am on a diet

And incidentally me & Timmy had lunch there before the others arrived and it was a bit nice, just had a cheese and pickle sandwich but it was thick and lovely. The other players ate @ home before coming but we had to travel so far......

Mouseover

And I wanted to copy a feature off a photographers website where pics automatically get bigger when you wave your mouse over them and I couldn't do it, then Stupot sent me a link to instructions and I managed. There is still a bit more work to be done but as I am going bowling in a minute that will have to wait for later

Aqua Aerobics

So it's an early lunch today so I have time to digest my lunch before swimming s'afternoon

Well it went as well as can be expected. I do seem to be more able to stand on my right foot and lift the left foot off the floor to do various exercises than I was previously

Shaving

So I had a shave s'morning. Then half an hour later I stroked my face and realised that I had shaved each side, the bottom, around my mouth but I had forgotten to do my upper lip

No Neil, you are not to grow a moustache.

Shaved it off now

Deliverer

And a chap in a van came to the door s'morning with an enormous box of gloves for the staff to wear while creaming me etc

Shhhh

So an article about criminal investigator made me think "Oh, I can do that but a bit more uncriminaly" hence taking these, to figure it out etc

Last Of All

Then when I was half way thru my nap the phone rang. I answered and it was Glangwili  Hospital saying they have a special clinic on Saturday for my skin and I have been on their list needing it for ages so I will go along. So Saturday afternoon we have to go see some kind of a Dermatology Expert

Phew

Then today we took my forms and passport etc to Carmarthen County Council and they hummed and ha'd then eventually said "Yes, you are entitled" and said that that will post me a new parking certificate in the next couple of weeks.

And they gave me an envelope to post the old one back to them when it runs out

No Gymming

Then after lunchtime we headed off to Swansea to Sara the Physio. First of all we were exercising with my right foot on a cushion and stepping back and forward with my left leg. Amd just wow, my right leg is so much better every fscking day ATM. It is just wow.

At the end of the appt she gave me a splint thing for my right arm, it is just to be worn when I go to bed but it is to stretch the wrist and fingers, to make my hand move properly. She also said about did I want another jab in my right wrist. I said "Yes, yes, yes" as the last jab made such a difference and hopefully if she thinks I am ready this one might make such a difference too

Then

Then later we drove to Swansea for a Headway meeting. It wasn't bad and we arranged to meet up with them on Thursday at the variously able bowling thing

And as we were coming back Timmy commented on how much better I am getting at just randomly having conversations with passers by

CCC

So we headed into town and went to CCC office to give them the forms for my reapply for a new blue badge. They said tick, tick, tick.... ah this letter is out of date. So we explained how all my letters get sent to Anthony in Bristol and Timmy emailed an Anthony assistant and asked for a copy. My blue badge doesn't run out til the end of the tear so we are OK, just waiting now

Monday Morning Again

So it is Monday again. Today we have to head over to Headway Swansea instead of going swimming. I think "Oh no" about going to HW, but "Hoo-flipping-ray" about not going swimming so I shouldn't complain too much

Walkies

So tonight I stood up in the kitchen, picked up my walking stick and tucked it beneath my arm, not touching the ground, and walked all the way to the bathroom. Put my 'stick next to the door and walked the rest of the way to the loo. Pee'd and walked back with my 'stick under my arm

Hah

And luckily the poor sod liked it last night as we have to eat it again tonight

Memory Strangeness

And I just remembered to change my bed s'morning. Just remembered, like any normal person. I used to have to leave myself notes etc, but now I just recall

Tea For Seven or so

And I cooked another pan of veg and lentil with tomato and pasta and it was fscking delicious. GGtGG agreed. There was the sauce and garlic and loadsa herbs etc that I added s'morning, it cooked all day

And while I was cooking this I found, in front of the pasta, a packet containing about half the amount of pasta I needed. As it was boil for 4 minutes as opposed to the new pasta which was boil for 8 minutes I thought "Oh just throw it away" so I did. THEN it occurred to me that Timmy is here early next week, when I will be eating pasta and he doesn't eat my food so half the amount I will need then

Lentils

And I was making food early today and used the last of the red split lentils so we popped into Aardvark to pick up some organic version. When we were in there we saw the owner/boss and said hi. She immediately said how thin I was looking

Pubwards

And later on we headed up to the local pub. It was a bit busier as they had Welsh rugger on't telly but as soon as the match finished we were neark=ly alone in the drinking area. There were some folk in the dining area but........

Unbearably Proud

So s'afternoon my and RoyGBiv headed into The Range to just buy some superglue which I am sure was in all the supermarkets but we fancied somewhere different. So we got there, asked a MOS whereabouts to look, she said "Upstairs...... or there is a lift around the back" as she caught site of me looking at the escalator. Roy headed off towards the lift then came back most quickly as I was looking at the escalator. I looked some more then just thought "Do it" and went and climbed on. That was fine but by the time I got to half way I was panicking about the other end but when it came it was no problem. Step and immediately let go which felt all wrong but as I no longer need to hold anything it is actually right

When we found what we were looking for we came back down and this time I had handed my camera to Roy to catch the important event

UberGymming

Then today it was my day in Sam's advanced gym class and it went well enough. Several folk said "I remember u when you were first coming to classes" and "You were in a wheelchair" etc

Technology These Days

So I received an email advert today and the picture has steam coming out of the cuppa. So it's a video, not a photo.

Lordy computers have got a bit cleverer while I was iller

First Of All

So first thing s'morning first of all we popped down to cafe Iechyd Da and fetched my batch of organics which was delivered there (And I had to say to the boss "Can you employ some uglier staff, I just can't cope with this lot") then we shot off to Morrisons and bought the small amount of shopping that's the rest

So we are back home now but we will be back in Iechyd Da s'evening for the monthly folk night

Yes, a good time was had.... it was well busy, loadsa musicians and loadsa customers. Again we sat down the 2 steps from the loo but I can manage that now, no issue.

And next months folk night will be a week earlier to avoid the christmas nonsense

Jim Nasty

So s'morning me and Timmy and a bottle of water went and did loads of gymnastics. We did various arm exercises then got on a rowing machine and rowed for over a mile

Out Shopping

And we popped out tonight to Farmfoods to pick up more sweet potato oven chips, more baguette pizzas and more generally frozen food.

We got loads so I was able to score frozen food and stuff off tomorrows More Reasons To Shot At list

Daylight

And night before last I was a bit worried that all the charging things in my garden had failed to charge. Last night they were all fine.

????

Oh yes, of course, they got almost no sunlight yesterday, the rain was so heavy

My New Sig

Is quoted from her

'Wimming

Oh dear, so we are going to the Aqua Aerobics (advanced) class in mid digesting after lunch time today so lunch will have to be an hour earlier

And it went as well as can be expected. With the traditional teacher back this week, she was off last week. Afterwards I was telling her how much better I am getting at standing on my right foot and doing various movements with the left, I used to fall over etc and she did say that from observing she can tell how much better my general balance is

UnFacebooking

So I clicked a link using my phone, it opened a Facebook page but tried to open it using the version I had to replace with a different one, a different email address so it got confused and said "Naah". So I paniced and tried to change my password etc but it still wouldn't work. Luckily Timmy was working for the first time in 3 weeks and was able to tell me what was going wrong. So when it said "This email address, what's your password" I had to change the email address ∴ my old password still worked

Not Physioing

So Sara emailed me last night and said "Sorry" about today's appointment, so we arranged another app for next Tuesday and instead we popped to the gym and did a 10km cycle. Yes it was hard work but it is done now

D'uh, he fixed it

And Timmy came back, looked at my screen being half a mm off centered and pressed the buttons below the screen that you can't see the labels for without a torch. (Pic of where that pic is taken) Menu, Image Setup, V Position(*), it's done now. So ATM he is off doing staff wages for last month that has to be done by today but I will see him later

(*) With the + and - symbols to move your choice to the left or right

He's Back

And tomorrow after weeks off Timmy, my second in command team leader type, is actually going to come and grace us with his presence

It *IS* Easy

Aaah, I worked out how to record summat on my phone and transfer it and play it, it's actually easy. It may be a bit noisy when you click it but it was just my practice really

Jingle Balls

Jingle Balls

What A Nooneraft

And we are sat indoors watching the rain run down the windows

What A Morning

So s'morning we had to pop into the Drs for an appointment. They said "Someone had written to them" but on asking Anthony had said "Check that Neil is still alive" so we were there for about 2 minutes but they will still send my funds or summat

So then, as we hadn't gone swimming because of the appt GGtGG said "So we better pop to the gym" which we did. 4 machines then 5 minutes on the upstairs machine

All Round Town

Then s'afternoon we popped into town and went walking. We walked round town, then up by Iechyd Da and back down by the old Town Hall. It is strange again about how it's easier to walk uphill but it was easier than last week walking downhill. Still much harder than uphill but easier

How Does It Work?

Again.

So I got my headphones out of my bumbag and tried to switch them on with my phone device. Tried again and again and the sound was still coming out of the speakers. Luckily MM said "Switch on Bluetooth"

And I must remember to switch it back off when The Hobbit has finished

Out Today

And the weather seems better today, so I hope that after lunch we will head into town for a walk-about

Clean Razor

So it was marked in my diary that I need to clean out my electric razor device s'morning. So I was thinking "I can't do it over the bin, bits will fall off and in there, I wonder if there is an old newspaper anywhere?" which there wasn't but then it occurred to me, take a tissue out of the box, lay it flat and open the razor over it, then fold it up with all the bits in and throw it away, no mess, nowt needs wiping etc.

And hopefully writing about it here will make it stick in my memory 

Off Out

So me and MM said s'morning that we would go out for a walk s'afternoon but while we were eating lunch the weather changed a bit, so at a guess we will be stuck in

So, in the evening we headed to t'pub and there were actually some other customers there last night. OK, not loads but some..... I walked in and stood next to a bar stool, but as I was so enjoying being able to stand up without any struggle I just carried on standing, for this pint, the next, the third etc, just standing at the bar. Then afterwards I just turned round and walked up and down the steps so I could go straight to the car park without needing to walk out on the road, like I used to have to

Hobbiting

Lordy, so s'morning I am listening to summat that I have only read with my eyes many moons ago

I am enjoying it *very*much*, The Hobbit 

I Recall

And I used to stick notes to the back of the door from my room etc but I just remembered s'morning, do the washing. I no longer leave notes for myself, my functional memory is so much better these days