Charity begins in the chair !

So my ' break all the rules ' Andreas and I head out for a little, let's get outa here time ! He, I think deep down believes that I suffer more from mental health issues rather than tetraplegic transformation from completely abled body to wheelchair bound person with a mind ready to voice any form of opinion !!! Our unique bond is something like the symbiotic relationship between a rhino that has a tick plucking bird that casually sit on the back of the rhino feasting on the blood sucking of parasites annoying the sh/t out of the thick hide of Reggie the rhino. Already ladened with emergency pack attached to the back of the 4 x 4 , his supplies of water and daily intake of food are added. This Italian can eat !!! 5 panini' a day, together with crisps, fruit and snack bars bares testimony of how to keep a nearly 7ft carer happy - food, food, food !. His constant smile, infectious laugh, broken English and total dedication to my well being are admirable. He is a pleasure to be with and a tonic for the soul in embracing anything I might be capable with in dealing with the public whilst out on the road. Today, and in fact this week, I inform him that my mission is to keep him well fed whilst road tripping around London. First stop is Waterloo, where I am to meet Annie, a friend of mine from SA who has limited time in LND, but has earmarked a morning to catch up with me. Thanks Annie - it was great ! And was so cool to catch up with you prior to your ongoing trip to Ireland ! We enter our homestation, make our way to the lift and there stands an elderly lady who snuggles into the lift with us. She is chewing, what I presume is gum ! I casually ask her for some, and she produces a packet of Haribo's, pops a few in my hand. Anndreas is so embarresed, and makes all kinds of thank you speeches to her, all the while giggling and chatting with her whist we descend into the bowels of the earth to platform level. We exit the lift and at full tilt head for out platform. Creating havoc by, jump mounting onto the train has wide eyed passages scattering for cover, fearful of their shins being damaged by my foot plates. Standing right behind us is the ' sweet lady ' who thanks us for creating a path for her to get into the carriage. We get to Waterloo and prep for our exit - as we are backing out the door she pulled out the large packet of Haribo's and pushes it between my legs ! " you guys finish them " what a refreshing start to the day !! It is quite amazing that a smile from the chair, or a simple greeting, joke or banter with people on the underground can change morose, grim faces of the underworld ! So with a new ' game ' now we make it our business to get as many smiles, laughs or greetings out of the people on the trains !! I'm feeling good about myself. Completely over my spaced out days of over dose of Baclofen, which saw me tripping like a giraffe with eight legs, body and mind back to normal, hair finally grown to a length that now needs styling, and the diet showing signs of a little weight loss !!! Time to start grooming myself back into society - so off we go to the local High Street in search of a barber shop. We find one that I barely fit through the door, but, there is no step ! Bonus !! Thankfully the cutting chairs are not bolted to the ground and with much reorganising we manoeuvre my 4 x 4 in front of a mirror. Reggae, my new best barber is Kurdish, cannot speak a word of English apart from " top eend Sid " which I assume meant - short back and sides !, I nod, he smiles and grabs his scissors. We have a very in depth conversation neither of us understanding a word we were saying to one another, but all smiles and nods, and within literally 5 minutes I'm done ! He suggests I have some " solar straaaks " which I assume means high lights ! What the hell, I think, let's just do it. I agree with Reggae, but then realise that he himself does not do them, but the hairdresser across the road is " virrrry guud ". I wheel over and see two rather large steps to gain entry - a no no !, but ask Andreas to look at the price list in the window........ High lights £120 !!! Forget it, and we start off, only to be chased down the road by the hairdresser telling us he is running a special on high lights if you have had your haircut across the road at the barber shop. Guess what ? He is Kurdish as well....... Talk about networking on the High Street ! We agree on a price of £30, but he can only fit me in the following day at 6pm. I return the following evening, conquer the access problem and he does a fantastic job, albeit mixing the potion in a used baked beans tin !!! So the Kurds are in ! My new best friends ! Sunday plans were to get out of the city to avoid the travel disruptions and huge crowds as it was the London Marathon. The route bringing the runners right past my doorstep to cross over Tower Bridge ( the grandest bridge of London ). Mixed emotions watching the athletes and crowds cheering on my way to the station. It brought back memories of myself running two Comrades Marathons in SA in the 80's ! Part of my 'last' life when my legs worked - note to self.... Get out of this chair !!! All those years ago, I would never have thought I would be in this condition today - another note to self..... Be greatful for ones small mercies in life, as life is so fragile and each day should be lived as one's last day coz we just ain't sure of tomorrow's outcome !!! So passing the runners, onto the station we go en-route to Kingston for lunch with G & N, and Stewy & Lynne who are out from SA. Kingston is always an uplifting town to meander through. Age old street markets combined with modern day shopping centres and labeled shops, with hidden alleys linking old and new, complimented by the winding river inhabited with various different duck species and graceful swans all gathering along the side walkways ever hopeful of scraps of food from the people walking by. What an afternoon ! Great catch up, great company and lovely food and wine ! Well worth a mention is The Bishop restaurant, where we ate, completely wheelchair accessible , good food and service, on the river and indoor / outdoor space. Well done Nic & Graaamie for selecting the venue !! As always, I like to believe, that their priority when choosing a place is ' can Gav get in '. Love you two !! And Monday brings us back to a new week again !! Back to the Dragon voice recognition program - a frustrating, yet liberating program ! Just when you think you got it...... Wham, it takes you back to the basics, but hey ! Isn't that what living and learning is about ? As always friends, look after yourselves, tell and treasure the ones you love, mend all broken bridges, and appreciate small things we so often take for granted. Sent with love and ongoing good health wishes !! G.

Kicked by a Horse and Winded !,,,,,

Many of you would have seen the pics I posted on Facebook showing my beautiful hanging troughs of blooming flowers. Well, as the weather Gods were not on my side this past week, they decided that my area needed some wind ! And I don't mean the wind experienced when the Jeeve's do my pressure relief by doubling me over in my chair to lift my ass off the cushion to gain relief - an excersize performed at least four times a day as prescribed by Alcatraz !! It evolves pulling me forward much like the " brace " position explained on an aircraft prior to take off. As you can imagine, this is not as becoming as loosing cabin pressure - rather an unsightly body being forced downwards, squashing the diaphragm , putting pressure on the stomach and ultimately moving all 'air' downwards ......... The only exit being the ' flu-shoot ' !!!!!. I say no more.

So...... The real wind arrives around my neck of the woods, blasts the Daff buds to burgery, turns the Cyclomin flowers into " up-side-down " butterfly's trying desperately hard to right themselves, blows the crap out of the Barlaria blossoms and petrify's the Petunia's ! The herbs and Ivy plunder on un-fazed ! I give up until next week when I can go to Columbia Road flower market and replace them all.

This past month has seen a change in my meds schedule. The CEO of Alcatraz ( my consultant ) has been weening me off one or two of the drugs, whilst increasing the dosage of another in the ongoing saga of trying to find the ideal cocktail for my condition. As you can appreciate, all SCI patients are different in presentation, and this process of elimination can be quite tricky. So on Monday, as scheduled, my Baclofen dosage ( anti spasmodic ) goes full tilt - max dosage as per NHS standards ! And my Tizanadine stopped completely - WHAM !!!!!.......... Late afternoon on Monday, I start to feel a little odd, I deteriorate to a little disorientated stage, call for the Jeeve's and ask to be put on the bed. Check bladder, catheter , bowels, skin..... All ok ! Put it down to tiredness and drift off la la land.
Tuesday arrives, and as per regime Jeeve comes in to wake me - I ask him what time the taxi is
collecting us to take us to the airport ?, Andreas arrives and I ask him why he is working on a weekend ?........... My body is limp, mouth dry and crusty, and I ask them to please take the spiders off the roof !!! They " shit their cakes ", call the GP, who immediately sends a doctor over. Call for an ambulance they are instructed by the GP. Through my ' drunken ' haze I refuse to go to hospital until I have spoken to the CEO from Alcatraz. She calls, has a giggle with me on the blower and says " calm down people " it is the upped dosage of Baclofen ! Immediately reduce dosage, and the only place I am going is my own journey to wherever until it works its way out of my system. Gotta give her credit for the thrice daily calls to see how my trip was going !

It so reminded me of years ago when recreational drugs were so in ! We partied on " E ", tried coccain, were care free and untouchable ( or at least we thought so ), life was a laugh, and weekends were decadent fun with dancing in the clubs until sunrise, then heading to the beachfront for an oily breakfast to try come down off the absurd chemicals ingested the previous evening, only to start the following weekend with the same routine. Looking back on it today, I cannot believe how empty and in-fulfilling my life was then. There are a number of good friends of mine who knew what I was up to in those days, and today, I thank them for their constant efforts to keep me out of the gutter - Di, Dee, Rob, Greg............. To name a few ! ( Funny, I have never admitted this, and now I am on my blog ! )

So, back to real time - the insomnia, spiders, trips to far and wide continued for the next 72 hours. Doctor visits daily, district nurse visits, and very, very, very edgy Jeeve's ! The OD passed which saw me up in my chair again by Thursday ! And completely healed by Friday. That is why, friends, that I posted that clip of the horse kicking the shit outa that guy on FB - I felt just like I hade been hoofed by a mare !!!
In going forward, and slowly getting to grips with more realisation of where I am at in life, I decided that I need more control. Control of my destiny, control of my being, control of my half working body, but more so control of my confidence ! All shattered by some unsuspecting bleed from brain to spinal cavity which has altered my lifestyle to beyond the extreme, played havoc with my emotions and questioned my belief in any higher being ! BUT, still I honestly believe that it is all for a reason, as unfair as I may believe, is irrelevant ! This, for some reason is NOT my call.

Again, back on track and ready to hit London rolling, I make a decision to be taken by Rameez yesterday to Kings Cross /St Pancreas station to confront the Eurostar offices about travelling abroad being in the 4 x 4. We opted for the bus mode as apposed to the underground - thankfully. All plain sailing and pleasantly surprised how well equiped they are for chair users !

Our trip back was far more interesting ! Choosing to alight the bus and wheel / walk across London Bridge brought a new meaning of freedom and havoc to the tourists now flooding in to London for the spring / summer. I take no enemies !!! Apart from hooting and full tilting with Rameez screaming and shouting " ' scuz mee " we do the bridge having disrupted umpteen photographs of tourists having their pics taken with Tower Bridge in the background.

We get to Tooley Street where we have to connect with the 381, and a short ride back home. Having knocked a few shins, almost run over a Chiuawa dog......... Rameez asks me if we can catch our breath at the bus stop and have a cig. I am only to pleased but inform him that my hand is to cold to remove the glove ! No problem, we line up for my entry up the bus ramp - waiting for the bus, he lights us each a lung laxative, holds both, one in each hand and casually pops mine between my lips when I need to draw on some fumes !!! Now that's what I call a Jeeves !!!!!

As always my friends, sent with love and ongoing good health wishes !!

Remember the shadows to remain behind you if you are to be moving forward.

G

As the Season Turns !

So, it's 7 weeks since my catheter has been changed. A small semi-sterile procedure done by the district nurse, which requires hoisting, prep and a pipe inserted directly into the bladder. Relatively painless, and an ongoing procedure for life - or, that's is what they think !!!. I am clamping, testing, and trying desperately hard to maintain spasticity in order to ditch all this ONCE I find my legs again !! Against all odds, I firmly believe that the mind can, and will, overcome these hurdles dished out in life ! My usual nurse, Angela, is on leave - she is amazing, takes my sense of humour and we always have a laugh. Today, though, two substitute nurses arrive ! They were blown away with my attitude towards life, could not believe how un-fazed I was about the procedure, and were shocked at the organisation of medical supplies - all thanks to Eugene, who runs the place with military precision !! DONT mess with his drawers of supplies ! NOT EVER !!!!

Working backwards and forwards over these past two weeks, has seen this cripple attacking London with a vengeance ! A short bus ride away, Easter Monday night at my old digs for diner with Jacs !,  The usual No 97 salad and an amazing salmon and pasta dish. Eugene was the assigned companion to see my safe journey there and back. As always, totally committed to my well being, and pleasant bus ride to our destination. New dish now added to the weekly menus for home - Fresh pasta, salmon and capers written on the blackboard shopping list !

Well worth mentioning to anyone in London, or visiting, was an absolute treat, hosted by Jen and Tess, an authentic Indian restaurant called Dishoom. An eclectic mix of Indian, Moroccan, Turkish decor, housed in a semi warehouse atmosphere with exposed aircon ducts, exposed chandelier wiring, open viewable kitchen, and spacious layout of tables, with a menue almost " to hard " to choose from ! Tessa took control, and ordered various starters and mains which we all shared. An excellent call !! There are four franchises ( I think ), and we chose the Shorditch one. Shorditch being a buzzy part of London known for its hidden gems tucked away in the tiny cobbled streets off the High Street. Also home to the famous " Brick Lane ". What, for me should have been a seemingly stress free commute turned into a nightmare !!! First train change over.... To be informed that the overground had engineering works and no direct line to Shorditch ! Rameez finds the info button on the platform and asks the station supervisor what they are gonna do about getting us to our destination. We are asked to go to the control room. We oblige, and they call for a suitable cab for my chair and 10 minutes later one arrives - costs courteous of London Overground !! Traffic hectic and we arrive 45 minutes late ! Completely chair friendly, with a short cobbled pathway on entry, so if one is prone to spasms, it is advisable to top up on the Baclofen prior to arriving !! - that was Easter Sunday !

The day before, we caused untold havoc on the train line en route to a BBQ at Rob and Daves place. Having researched the route, checked the Transport for London's website, double checked with station staff, to be assured that our route was step free, we arrive at Sydenham Station to be confronted with a gap from coach to platform far to great for exiting !!! Doors close and I " loose my shit "...... We pull the emergency button ! Train stops, whistles blow, doors open and next thing driver, supervisor, controller etc etc, are at our carriage. I express my feelings as to the " false info " of website, station staff and maps, and demand that I need to get off at this station. Problem is, they don't have a ramp for the weight of a power chair !! Not my problem - sort it out. So after loads of radio to'ing and fro'ing, a ramp is going to be Brough from the next station by the train travelling in the opposite direction to us. I apologise to the few commutes in our carriage, who all take my side and totally agree with my actions - note to self - take this up with TFL !

The week prior to Easter, I was fortunate to have spent two nights with one of my best friends from Durban days. We seldom speak, seldom email, and if we do it is " one liners ". But when we do meet, it's like we saw one another last week! Not many people are privileged to have that kind of friendship. Stayed up till early hours of the morning, sipped on too many PG's and laughter until even my paralised side ached !! Thank you, thank you, thank you my friend - you know who you are !

This past week has been relatively uneventful apart from the usual paperwork, computer studies, and continual excersizing regime to encourage further function in the ongoing quest to find full function of the body. Some would envy the attention given to my morning foot massages with peppermint oil, full body daily muscle massage with cream, foot spa treatments etc etc, slowly, and I mean SLOWLY, but surely the improvement is evident, and the truth is there is no quick fix - it is a long haul ! Somebody asked me recently " how do you manage to maintain a positive outlook ? You have one arm and a head ". My answer..... " I have to concentrate on what I can do and achieve now,  rather than concentrate onwhat I could do and achieve then ". In doing so, I am learning, and growing from the inside out again. Don't question, don't hold grudges against fate - embrace ones situations and allow life's hurdles to feed the soul rather than waste the energy on trying to figure out the reasoning !

I have spent many hours, days, if not weeks arguing with the Higher Powers about my situation, and as yet, no clear answer has been forthcoming. Apart from the realisation that this has happened for a reason. I now embrace that, live it, and understand that in order to make a difference in life, I need to use this hurdle as a tool to make a difference ! I was fortunate enough to have experienced 50 years of life as" normal " life, prior to my injury. Hopefully I do not have another 50 to go ! But, I was privy to seeing young kids as young as 6 or 7 who had injuries far worse than me....... And they still have a lifetime ahead of them!!! It is now my mission to make a difference for them. Have a plan up my sleeve which I will divulge once in place !

As always, tell the ones you love, treasure, and look after your health, and don't let the shadows overtake you.

Ongoing good health wishes. With love.

G.