Taking control - has worked !!

The new morning regime seems to be panning out quite well !, The carers, and the double ups appear to like the more formal structure put in place by myself. The day begins at 6am, starting with excersises, bowel care and by 7, the double up arrives to assist with hoisting, showering and then dressing - enabling myself to be ready to leave the apartment by 8. Although there is nowhere to be leaving to, if we can achieve this after such short a period, by the end of the month the whole process should be streamlined enough for me to be going to work with as little stress as possible knowing full well that there is plenty time to get there ! I like this, and so do the carers ! Pity it was not summer, but hay-ho, that is the way it is !

At last, my taxi card application was approved, and card arrived in the post. I won't waste time in explaining the benefits thereof surfice to say that it allows me to book cabs suitable to accomodate my chair, am allowed a maximum of 3 guests to travel with me, and I pay £2,50 for the trip, and the council picks up the balance of the fare ! Very, very clever ploy to encourage getting out and about,coz, as Alcatraz said - it is very easy to become a recluse as any outing requires such planning and sorting, that it is easier to just at home. I am determined NOT to be one of those !!!!!! Used the service to go to Physio - Again, pleasantly hoisted into standing position, still a long way to go but inch by inch the progress continues !! Sadly, with extra binding around the mid rift prompted extra pressure to the bowels, and after 20 mins.........they had had enough and discided to make themselves known !!!! - Physio cut short and off to one of the well equiped bathrooms for the nescessary.........

Had the district nurse over this afternoon to change my supbrapubic cathater - a procedure that I have not had since being in Alcatraz, slightly nerve wracking as it entails precise and accurate movements - deflating a balloon inside the bladder in order to pull out the tube, then inserting the new cathater,
and re-inflating a new balloon - all to be done in literally seconds to avoid the site closing.... Which would mean hospitalisation to get sorted ! No need ......... Darling Annabel, the district nurse, now nicknamed ' Darling ' was brilliant ! Done in minutes, perfect fit, no need to worry - all water works
working and tested ! Note to self - Darling will visit every 6 weeks to do the same thing.... No need to worry !!!!!

TOMORROW : ( Thursday )

I had had a call from the Southwark Council, needing to inspect the property as well as doing an appraisal on myself as to weather or not I qualify for a Council tax reduction ! A service offered to the disabled - BUT, with all the cuts in benefits etc, they now seemingly need to inspect and check up on all those claiming to be " disabled ". So with my best cripple look - in chair, both hands and arms in splints, Jeeves opens the door to let the inspector in and escorts him into the lounge where I am. I say " Good morning, I would get up and shake your hand, but it is a tad difficult as I am paralised, and my hands are in splints !! " He takes one look at me and asked if he can look around. This takes exactly 2 minutes and he returns to me in the lounge - " All ok ? " I ask, and he says that all criteria have been met, and he will submit his report suggesting " No tax applicable ". Let's hope he gets that right ! So what was supposed to have been a " 30 minute " appointment was done and dusted in about 5 minutes.

Got to get to signing out now as Jeeves 2 has come through to me to remind me that it is feet therapy time again. Part of the new structure in place is for the double up to do three foot massages per day. He has found me some " guru juice " from the Philopino shop, which claims to have magical power of all sorts - I will experiment with anything, and with the Physio's good order-ahead !, I get to have three soothing massages per day - amazing way to stimulate better blood flow on the left hand side.

As always, be thankful for what we have. Live, love, laugh, and be positive in going forward with life. Don't forget, if you looking at the shadows behind you, you are not going forward !!

Love ya,
G