Dull AM

So we had a quiet morning followed by an early lunch and we are going to pop off in a bit to see Sara Davis, the (beautiful) Physio at her premises in Pil, we go there because she wants to get me wired up to various machines she has there

Good lord, that was hard work but I am so fitter that I didn't mind too much. We practiced loads of "You can nearly move properly" exercises etc

Gym Miles Away

So today because of work at gym here we popped down to San Cler gym and did much cycling

Pool-less Today

So we can't go swimming today because Carmarthen Leisure Center pool has been taken over by some crowd of "doing activity" folk. So we will head off to St Clears leisure center and try to do some exercise bike activity instead.

I am nearly crying as you know how I look forward to swimming every week

Peeing With Ease

Last time I wore these trousers I couldn't work the fly so I would go to t'loo, take my bumbag off, undo belt, undo zip then have a wee. But tonight I have improved my technique so I can manage just to turn bumbag round slightly, out of the way, open zip and pee. I couldn't manage that last time I tried, so there you go

Dinner

And for dinner tonight I had a pasta bake that Timmy made, he knew it would make too much for just him so he offered me some. So he put some uncooked pasta into a bowl, added some sauce from a packet and a packets worth of water. Stuck it into the oven for ages, added grated cheese then baked it more. I rather enjoyed it so I have added "Pasta Bake Sauce" to my shopping list for next week

To Where?

So we we headed out to the shop to put all my too big trousers in the charity pile as I had 5 pairs of enormous fatty trews that no longer fit me.

Tyres

So we have to take the car into Kwikfit in Carmarthen to get some tyres fitted. Oh what fun we had.......

We did it. They replaced 3 of the tyres for free. The other one is the much newer tyre we had to replace a puncture last year

Walkies

Then we popped into town for a walk around (therapy!!). We parked on King St, walked along there then down the enormous hill by the Court Building then across and back up Jackson's Lane to King Street.

Now it was odd, walking back uphill was much easier for me than walking downhill. Strange muscles I have now

Gym Class

So today we are heading to the gym class. I suspect it is cancelled next week as they update all the equipment and move us back into the "proper" gym room.

Once it is settled I will enquire about moving up class

Aargh, no it turns out that was wrong. There is no swimming on Monday, no gym classes rest of week but on Friday she is gonna insist they make room for the class somewhere

Puff Taker

And the postman brought me a new "puff taker" so I can measure my lung capacity twice a day like I am supposed to but haven't been able to for a week and a bit as the last puffer broke

Sam

Then we spoke to Sam, who is trying to arrange a trip for me and 1 MOS to meet him, Emma and hopefully Toby and Freya in the midlands at her parents house so I can meet them too. (In-laws soon????)

But if my 3 kids make it it will be a bit special

"Tell timmy That weekend is fine to visit :) (the 5th of november)..... Emma says there is a travelodge or premier Inn nearby"

What A Day

So first of all today me and Timmy went to gym and I did another 10km cycle. I was f***ing knackered afterwards and thought it must have been the fastest yet but Timmy sez it was roughly the same time as a fortnight ago. It was about 42 minutes, it used to take me an hour to do that distance

Then after we came back I asked Timmy about removing the extra chair from the kitchen, he said "Yes" and headed towards the back door. I said "No" and did it myself, out the door, down 2 steps then across to the garage

Fetching

Then first thing s'morning we had to pop to Iechyd Da to pick up my veg. We didn't need to do the usual first thing as we popped to a Morrison's and got the rest of my weeks shopping last night

'Wimming

So we went to the Aqua
Aerobics class s'afternoon and my reaction is kind of strange. Just every-fsking-thing about my fitness seems better than it was last week. Doing the  "holding onto the side and kicking behind you" I seem much more able to hold on with my right had too. All the flexibility in my right arm (while still rubbish compared with my left arm) just seems so much better/more useful than even last weeks

Joe's Garage

Lordy, I was searching for a song on that interweb and it turned out it was off Frank Zappa's album Joe's Garage which was a bit of a favourite of mine when I was a teenager. Nowadays after I clicked "Play" for one track it is playing the rest one after another

And I know most of the words still.....

Cycling

So me and RoyGBiv headed to gym s'morning and got stuck into a 10km cycle. No idea how long it took as I pressed "Pause" half way thru and took too long(1) before I came back on so it stopped. But I think I  was going faster today, my average speed was more than 50 rpm

(1) OK, I paused and was looking thru my bumbag for the headphones for the radio on my phone so I could listen to summat. Later I found them in my bedside drawer

Walking Properly

After I saw Sara the Physio last week and she said "I am leaning over when I walk" because I have learned to walk once more using my stick in my left hand whereas traditionally it should be in my right hand...... Anyway s'morning I was practicing walking without my stick and properly putting the weight half and half on both feet. Now it is really difficult to do but practice.... etc.....

So walking, my right leg just goes forward properly etc until that step has finished. Then as I move my left leg I need to aim about 10 degrees to the right with my bodyweight so the left leg comes properly forward. I can do it, my left foot just touches down silently, it is no longer kind of rushing in an unbalanced way.

This is so difficult after learning to walk again in the wrong style and continuing to do so for so long, but practice a few steps at a time, like I used to have to practice walking at all. That has become so easy straightforward (link to show how) so just keep practicing every day

Swimless Day

So this week it is a "don't go swimming" week as we are heading to the Headway meeting in Swansea

Which actually wasn't too bad. We had a couple of conversations including one with a chap who was attacked in Neath, someone punched and kicked him while he was down and he suffered his ABI.

Anyway, conversations aside we got stuck into a game of Rummikub. We played 3 games. One each was won by the two ABI sufferers who we were playing and 1 was one by GGtGG. Only one player didn't win a single game....

Oot For A Walk

So s'morning me and RoyGBiv went out for a walk, just stepped out the front door, onto the path that runs down, onto the road and back up and round. It was just the walk that I wouldn't have been able to manage without sitting on a garden wall a few months ago. Now walking is a bit straightforward

No Beer

And I had planned to go to the Carmarthen Drink More Beer festival tonight but cried off as it seems a bit need to pay attention walking about on whatever surface after dark