Another day closer

To the weekend, but also the upcoming operation I am having on Tuesday.

The big one is just around the corner, knee replacement surgery here I come..I have been wanting this for a while but I swear the closer it get’s the more havoc it plays on my MS!

Yesterday I woke up feeling so ill with vertigo that each time I tried to lie down I felt like I was at the funfair on the merry go round it was that bad.

Medication couldn’t even take that feeling away so I took myself off to bed early last night and woke up about 12 hours later feeling a whole heap better.

I did the banking, ate my breakfast and toddled off to post a thank you card to a friend who had done me a beautiful drawing of a lemon tree and then went to get my nails re-done for the next few weeks.

I am not sure if the was the hour and a half I was in there smelling the nail bar smells or the sitting still but something kicked off a headache and the vertigo so it was back home, eat (even though I was feeling sick) and try to kick the vertigo to the kerb.

I was so restless this afternoon I went up, grabbed a shower, did my hair and got tomorrow’s clothes ready for swimming followed by shopping – it is my last weekend of going out for a while so I am going to make the most of it.

Came down to do my nails and I couldn’t find my buffer anywhere – have searched high and low for it but it’s not to be found so carried on reading my kindle in the hope it would take my mind off things, which it did.

I must of dozed off because I woke up at 4.30am to find everyone else had gone for a nap and I am now sat here at nearly 6pm watching the day light fade and wondering if I can be bothered to move again to get up and put the oven on for some supper or if I will just grab a bowl of cereal.

I have a feeling it will be the cereal that win’s out because right now my knee couldn’t be kicking me any harder than it is – I have oramorph but I don’t want to take it because that brings out dizziness which I have only just got rid of and I want to stay away.

As I am already dressed for bed I can get an early night and try to focus on my last but one swim – I intend on going for a swim Monday at some point, followed up by getting some fresh milk, girls food, cat food and anything else I think we might that I normally get on a tuesday as I will be up at 5.30am that day to shower in the antibacterial wash I have been given and leave out at 6.30am for a 7am arrival on the ward.

I am hoping that the weather stay’s nice Sunday so we can get out for a ride if nothing else, as again it will be my last one for 6 weeks – at least that is what the hospital says but I figure it’s up to me might be more might be less.

Anyway my last lot of blog’s will be coming up this weekend, for a while at least as I have no internet connection in the hospital and I doubt I will be feeling up to much even though  I am taking my iPad, iPod & kindle with me – I will while away the hours whilst I am there!

Stay safe, have fun and have a great weekend until we blog again 😉

Vertgio

Today I woke up dizzy..quite literally dizzy! Vertigo has hit me hard today and every time I lie down and shut my eye’s the room is spinning like a merry go round.

I have managed to lie down but sort of sitting up so it will pass over and I have packed my bag ready for hospital next week so that is all sorted and cleaned out my handbag and swapped it over, got clothes out for tomorrow and packed my swim bag all whilst trying to take my mind off this dizziness that despite medication will NOT go away!

Thankfully it is Thursday so that mean’s Ms A is home and will make the fresh bed up and cook the tea and take the girl’s out despite putting a hard day’s work in and flying home which takes hours from Munich!

This afternoon the weather has changed so I am glad we are indoor’s – the only thing I need to do is move my car later on when I feel up to it so she can get on the drive tonight…I might go do that in a minute so I don’t have to go out in the cold again and I can take more medication!

Have a safe day, and hope that everyone is feeling better than I currently do!

Biting my tongue

Today – well it has been a strange one to say the least, it started out with me having to clean up after the cat and his trip to the toilet in the utility room!

That was not nice to wake up to at just gone 7am I can tell you..all cleaned and disinfected and it was time to eat..Oh yes I still need to eat, so that sorted I thought I might as well go get some cash and the shopping and how I wish I hadn’t bothered to go that early on.

Yes I got parked up in front of the store with my renewed disabled badge but not long after getting out my car I was approached by this man (late 50’s early 60’s) who said nice car, thank you I said thinking that would be the end of it but no he had latched onto me.

He was talking to me about his son getting a new car and how much he is saving on insurance, tax, tyres, MOT etc, I was polite and listened to him and started to walk to the cash point in the hope he would get the message I was busy. BUT oh NO!

He followed me still chatting away, then asked me if he would see me again, No, not next week I am going into hospital for a knee replacement – OMG how I wished I had said nothing, he then leaned into me and gave me a hug. I was slightly taken a back at that point but walked into the shop thinking he will realise I need to get on now – NO he still hadn’t got the message and still kept me talking.

I managed to shake him off because he saw his friend!

Shopping done, get that back home and I think oh I need to see disability envy before I go into hospital next week and Monday will be swimming, shopping and spending time with my girls so I won’t have time to see them.

How I wish I hadn’t bothered wasting my time. First thing she said is my knee is playing up, it’s making me not walk now..what..you are stood ironing!

Oh right, so she must of repeated that 10 times to me – and then she said I have to put my fingers in my knee to move it now..really..so why does the GP not want to send you for an x-ray I wonder. I can’t even get a blue badge she said next – she doesn’t think at all.

You get a blue badge because you have issues with pain and walking not because you are bloody lazy!

Well you need to see a surgeon for a new knee, it’s not the GP that decides I said…well they won’t give me one anyway..So why go on about it I wonder? You won’t know until you see the x-ray results I said to her..well I think I am going to have to get a mobility scooter was the next thing out of her mouth…I am dumb founded right now . The woman has nothing wrong with her (the GP refuses to send her for an x-ray or even listen to her anymore from what she is telling me), yet she studies the way I walk and what I do so she thinks she knows what to do/say to the GP.

I am sorry to inform you that you are looking a prat right now – if there was anything wrong you would see your GP not avoid them and then say oh I don’t think I want one if I have to have a spinal block and be in hospital for 3-5 days. Yes and get out of bed the next day not spend 6 months lying in bed when you come out of hospital after a fractured hip as you did.

My blood was boiling at this point. I was telling them both about a guy that I had to explain to what MS was and her answer was well it’s only your leg’s that don’t work!

Really I said and my bladder, my bowel, my eye’s, my  hand shaking in a morning and the enema’s I use to go toilet..would you like to see them?!

Seriously why can people not think before they open their mouth and speak – is it too difficult for them to engage brain before speaking?

I would rather not have to go next week for this operation and I would rather not have MS but unfortunately I do!

I got home though to the most amazing card from my wobbly friends who had gone to a lot of trouble to do that for me and a beautiful painting by another friend – all of these have been uploaded to my photo blog but it made me realise I do have friends that understand and I don’t need people like the above in my life.

I have just ordered a pink top that say’s “I am only in in for the free parking” with a picture of a wheelchair on it…what fun I am going to have with that one.

People don’t understand that just because I can’t walk it doesn’t mean my life is over – it might take it out of me to do things and it does but I still try my hardest to do it.

This weekend I was able to pillion but it took me about 5 minutes to get off when we stopped….just because I need a wheelchair when we go out doesn’t mean I shouldn’t have a life right!

Well I won’t bore anyone with my rambling’s – enjoy your day, stay safe and be happy 😉

Monday again

So we meet again Monday! Where did the week go? It has flown by so fast you blinked and you missed the weekend!

My weekend went really well, went swimming and managed my best ever time for 48 length’s – 32 minutes!

After swimming we went shopping, got some new work clothes for Ms A and some new underwear for me and a gorgeous new Mulberry bag in pink for my birthday (thank heaven’s for work bonuses).

Back home to take the girls out, watch the rugby, have a take out and relax – we should of gone to friends for our take out but we received a phone call whilst shopping to say the wife had hurt her knee and could we cancel.

That was fine with us, as we got to catch up on the rugby, and relax at home with the girl’s and get an early night so we could get up early on Sunday morning to take the beast and his new handle bar’s out for a spin.

Wow is all I can say about that – the handle bar’s have made a massive difference to the BMW and the way Ms A handles it. I was impressed despite how much they have actually cost to buy and have fitted – they actually took 5 hours to fit but the garage only charged us for 3.5 so can’t complain about that!

Got up to Matlock and met up with father in law for a coffee, it was nice to see the 2 bikes together! He seemed to have a nice time and was looking really well considering we haven’t seen him for about a month or so. The holiday to Scotland has obviously done him wonder’s but a good break is always a welcome relief and it really recharges your batteries – maybe that is what I need to do today!

Got home from Matlock and the temperature had started to drop and the wind get up so we had to come off the dual carriageway’s and go through the back road’s to get home but we were still blown about with the wind!

I got home and it took me 5 minutes to get myself moving as every joint in my body was stiff and sore, my poor neighbour had a shock seeing me sitting on the front of the bike – she must of thought I was riding it!

I can never ride a bike as I have hand controls in my car thanks to my crap MS leg’s not working as they should!

Whilst warming up and recovering last night we caught with the WSB from Australia and got Ms A’s bag sorted out for her early morning flight out to Munich – she has landed so I know everything is alright now there.

I woke up feeling as though I was in a hammock being rocked about but also as though I had been hit by an army truck!

Every part of my body is hurting just for sitting on a bike for maybe 2.5 hours over the day and sitting on a chair having a coffee for a few hours – I can’t believe the pain I am today.

Today I will catch up on the washing, wait for the rain to pass so I can peg this little bit of washing on the line and catch up on sky + and my new kindle novel – this is my final week at home before I go for the big knee replacement.

This time next Monday I will be in the pool hoping that will help me relax and get in the right zone for the hospital and also help the aches and pains I will no doubt have.

Unless it is raining we will take the beast out so I have ordered some cheap headphones so I can put my phone in my pocket and listen to some music whilst I look at the scenery!

Tomorrow I need to tackle the shopping but I know there is still some of last week’s in my car that I need to get in at some point and make a list of what I need next week…most of my hospital bag is packed but I need to put medication in and kindle and iPod and iPad…can’t be without those in hospital! I have charger’s for them all as well in case I am in for 5 day’s but I am hoping to get away with 3 and an early discharge!

I know it will be fine once it is over and done with but I just want it over with now…

Well my girl’s are waiting to go out as the rain has passed over and the sun is trying to come out so I am going to let them go play in the garden, even if I was up to taking them out in the car to the park it is too wet and they would need showering when I got in and I can’t manage that on my own. They don’t mind being with mummy on the sofa though thankfully!

Well fellow blogger’s stay safe, have fun and keep blogging 😉

What is a disability?

Disabilities is an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. An impairment is a problem in body function or structure; an activity limitation is a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action; while a participation restriction is a problem experienced by an individual in involvement in life situations.
Thus disability is a complex phenomenon, reflecting an interaction between features of a person’s body and features of the society in which he or she lives.

6am wake up call and still going strong (only just)

So as my earlier blog stated I was up and awake at 6am – ready and dressed for swimming by 7am and in the pool by 8.03am!

I must be mad but I tell you what I had an amazing half hour and did my best ever – 44 length’s in 32 minutes, now that is a new record for me and I was amazed with myself and I am hoping that 6 week’s post op from the knee replacement I will able to work back up to this standard – I don’t want to let my fitness level drop and although the surgeon is only operating to relieve my pain (MS won’t allow me to walk far) I still want to be able to swim.

After swimming we had a quick dash to the shopping centre to change some top’s and linen trouser’s (I bought the wrong size a couple of week’s ago) but it ended up with us buying some new work shirt’s for Ms A, some underwear for her, and for me, a new white linen top for summer for me and then 2 new pair’s of brogue’s for her.

When we were walking to another shop for me to look at a pink bag we got a phone call to say that we couldn’t go out as planned for our take out as her friend’s wife had fallen yesterday and hurt her knee – so that was our planned evening over with.

Never mind I said we can watch the rugby (Italy v Scotland) to start with and have a take out still all in the comfort of our home.

We found me a lovely Mulberry bag in pale pink so whilst I decided if I wanted to get it I went to look at the shoes and I stumbled across a lovely pair of Tommy Hilfger loafer’s in navy blue for the summer – so yes I bought them and then went back and bought the new bag I had seen.

OMG the bag came in a box in a bag…I have never seen anything like it in my life – my handbag’s are an investment piece and I take a long time deciding if I want to pay the money for them before I buy them (Ms A get’s her 6 month bonus on Friday so that was paying for my birthday present).

Next we went to get hair dye for me (Oh now come on you didn’t really think I was a natural blonde right)! But whilst there I found some gorgeous perfume, decided it would be lovely for summer so took it to the till and pulled out my advantage card to pay for it and a voucher I had to go with it, now this perfume came with a free gift, so the woman went off to get the gift, spent five minutes gaffing about before chatting to her friend on the way back and came back with nothing.

We don’t have any gift’s in so do you want it or not! Sorry where are your manner’s…honestly some shop assistant’s can be so rude, I said that’s fine and she just seemed to ignore me and then ask Ms A what I wanted to do..well I saw red at that point, snatched my advantage card out the reader and told her to stuff it…put the other item’s we had down and swapped with Ms A for her to pay.

I don’t want to be treated like a 2nd class citizen because I am disabled, I am a human being with a brain and an opinion…whilst she was being rude to me other customer’s were waiting to be dealt with and staff were ignoring them as well.

I wheeled away and stopped what I thought was an assistant but turned out to be an assistant manager and vented like no other…I was so cross.

She apologised and was going to speak to them all but as I said in the age of social media shop’s get a bad name very quickly so she needed to nip it in the bud. She was in total agreement with me and was going to speak to them.

After that I remembered I needed a new lipstick but somehow managed to buy a new perfume as well..I do love my make up, perfume, shoes & bags – I guess because the remain static and they make me feel good about myself even on a down day. Bit like music can lift a mood so can my make up and perfume.

Home to empty the car, put the shopping away and get the swim suit’s and towel’s into wash and out on the line for a dry, and put a load of washing in as tomorrow we are going out to Matlock for a few hours and I hate starting the week with a big basket of washing.

Plus Ms A is in Munich for the last time for 3 weeks, as she has 2 week’s holiday and 1 week working from home to help me out when I come out of hospital. I have arranged with my father in law to come in on a Tuesday when she goes back to work to take the girl’s out round the block for half an hour so they get out as well and are not climbing the wall’s like I will be doing!

Well for now we will continue to watch the rugby and tomorrow at some point we will catch up with world super bike’s.

Stay safe, have fun & keep blogging 😉

6am wake up call

Wow so I slept reasonably well but was wide awake at 6am so decided not to wait for my alarm but to get up and get some breakfast and a cup of tea and get ready for my 8am swim!

I must be mad but am hoping that it will help with my spasm’s that I am having in my arm & shaking hand’s!

I love my Saturday swim because it helps me stretch take time out (I have my waterproof iPod cover & headphones) and relax for a bit.

It can get rather choppy in there though but it’s so worth it and seeing as I have 3 swim’s left including this before the knee replacement I am looking forward to even more.

After that it’s a quick jot to town to get some food, the fridge is bare, some fruit and look for a handbag before a dash home and get ready to go out this evening to see friend’s and have a take out.

The weather is going to be nice tomorrow as well so we might go out on the Beast now he has had his new handlebar’s fitted and they are apparently really good – I should bloody well hope so at nearly £700 later!

That is more than the price of my ramp that I need built outside to get the power chair in and out the house safely!

Yes I managed to get hold of my OT yesterday and spoke to him about funding and being self funded for the ramp so he is sending me details of 2 builder’s that do this sort of work and that they recommend – I am more than grateful to him for that because I had no idea where to start!

So although my hand is shaking this morning, and I am tired and grouchy I will manage a 30 minute swim!

Have a good day, stay safe and have fun – life is for living remember 😉

It’s my birthday tomorrow so I will cry if I want to..

Well tomorrow I think I hit middle age (?) although I don’t actually feel, (look) or act that sort of age…age is just a number right and if I want to be 4 (minus the other 4) then I can be, it’s my shoe size in some shoes although in general I am a 5!

But I digress, today 2 of my neighbour’s came up with birthday card’s for me and my lovely next door neighbour bought me a present as well – now I have another card that I have no idea who it is from that arrived today so I guess when I get up in the morning I will find out.

I have had my main present from Ms A – we have ticket’s to the executive box in the only British round of World Superbikes – oh yes how I can’t wait until May to come for that because not only do we get the best vantage point on the circuit for the start & finish point of the race we get pit and paddock pass each and food and drinks (they are going a GF lunch for me) as well, so camera at the ready, hat and sun cream and I will be sorted to take 1000’s of photo’s that take day’s to edit and I bore everyone to death with.

I was asked if I wanted to go out tomorrow night but not really, I know we are due to go to friend’s Saturday night for a take out so I am quite happy doing that – I have my OT coming tomorrow (he obviously doesn’t know it’s my birthday) to see how I am, and to talk about power chair’s with me and check if I am going for the operation in less than 2 week’s time.

Saturday is a good excuse for me to put make up and dress up and not get home too late as I want to go out Sunday if I am up to it.

For this evening I will continue to listen to Matthew Bourne’s swan lake and speak via FaceTime to Ms A in Munich, who I am pleased to say is home tomorrow evening, both me and the girl’s will be happy when she is home…4 more day’s away and then she is off for 3 week’s to look after me and the girl’s and help me recover.

Stay safe, have fun and keep blogging 😉

I don’t like Monday’s

In the word’s o the Boomtown Rat’s – I don’t like Monday’s…it’s quite simple really.

For various reason’s in the winter time I really do not like the start of the week, and neither do my girl’s…It’s the first day of the week that other mummy has to get up at some obscene hour to get to the airport for 6am for her flight to Munich and it’s an awfully long day for us all.

It’s the first day we start the week with our own little routine again and the we are usually worn out from doing thing’s over the weekend, or in the girl’s case from being out on Sunday evening for their walk and then getting up at 4am for the toilet before coming back to bed.

It’s far worst in the winter because the day’s are dreary and normally quite wet – so even though we don’t have a lot of housework to do as it’s been done the day before the day still drag’s on and on and it’s far worst when you have a major operation in 2 week’s time and keep debating even going in for it!

One minute I am quite upbeat about the knee replacement the next I am wanting to pick the phone up and ring the consultant’s secretary to take me off the list – although if I did this I am not sure where that would leave me as there is nothing else left for me with this left knee (the right one is pretty much going the same way).

Although today hasn’t dragged on as much as previous monday’s – mainly because it’s lighter in an evening now so the day’s are feeling brighter, which can mean spring isn’t far away it’s still been a long painful day.

Monday night television is normally pretty naff as well and despite hundred’s of channel’s to watch I can never find anything or if I can I can’t concentrate – so I am in no doubt that we will be in bed early with my beloved kindle. That is reminder that I need to charge that before tonight! I can do without that dying because I forgot to charge my battery as I did on my iPad over the weekend.

I have about 3 hours left on a book that I started last week after seeing it advertised in the front window of Waterstone’s…I know they say never judge a book by it’s cover but it is the one thing I am drawn to and it will make the difference between me even looking at it or passing on by – you might save I have missed out on some interesting book’s but it has also led me to new book’s that I  probably wouldn’t of even looked at in the past!

So it’s nearly 17.30pm and the street light’s aren’t on – that is a great sign 😉 But what isn’t a good sign is Sasha the youngest of the 2 collies is convinced that other mummy will be home tonight and is currently looking out the window at every noise she hear’s – she will be fine when fact time starts up on my iPad but until then I will have down turned mouth’s and lot’s of dirty look’s.

Ah well tomorrow is Tuesday which mean’s shopping and magazine’s, even though I am still reading last week’s purchases as I didn’t have the inclination to read them – it also mean’s one day closer to Ms A coming home and one day closer to getting this operation over and done and one day closer to the weekend, and my new shoes arriving, new laptop table arriving and my birthday…Oh yes its my birthday Thursday but I will have to wait until May for my present – my present this year was ticket’s to the executive box at Donington Park to see World super bikes.

I will get my fix of six nations rugby and WSB this weekend so I have something to look forward to 😉

Well that’s me done for the day, so stay safe, have fun and keep blogging 😉

 

Saturday shoe’s

This morning started at 6.35am for my early morning swim. It was dark when I got up but I don’t mind that so much after a good night’s sleep which I certainly had last night 😉

That was my first surprise of the day, a good night’s sleep on a  Friday – normally I am wide awake about 2am for a few hours, but not last night!

The sun was shinning by 7.30am and it was lovely to drive down to the pool in the sunshine – not that it lasted long. Swimming was good today as well.

2nd surprise of the day with my best ever time of 1000M’s in 31 minutes – it normally takes me a couple of minutes more even on a good day but today was an Amazing day!

Because we were on a tight schedule today we popped to town, quick stop for a drink then on with some food & fruit shopping!

I popped into Marks & Spencer’s and bought a lovely size 12 grey cashmere V neck jumper, some white linen crops and a new pyjama set. I also popped into River Island and got a new black and white cherub tee shirt so am set for summer I think now apart from maybe a couple of more top’s and another pair of linen’s.

I can’t do Saturday without going into a shoe shop and we are rather limed in town with shoe shop’s but I did manage to find some lovely new Birkenstock’s in Schuh – I normally go with a size 5 but they were huge on me so down the next size, which fit perfect but will need to have some extra holes in the ankle strap still but they will be lovely when the better weather comes.

Back into M&S for food and fruit and what do you know, they have some new GF fish product’s in so it’s time to stock the freezer with them for when I am home from hospital – I also got some GF fish fillet’s which I tried for the first time this week and were quite partial to, and some GF ginger biscuit’s!

Fruit is also stocked up for the week ahead so I am sorted food wise for a week or so – I will pop out Tuesday for some  bit’s but mainly milk and treat’s for the girl’s.

I came home and tried my new jumper on and thought wow should of gone to a 10..but upon checking the label found it was actually a 14 that had been put on a 12 hangar but even so I think the 12 would be huge on me so that went back in the bag to take back next week, putting my linen’s away I discover I have purchased the white linen’s twice so have to take them back next week as I don’t need 2 pair’s in 2 different sizes!

Back home in the wind and the rain (what a surprise there), shopping all away, clothes away, new PJ’s on, new dressing gown for hospital put away in hospital bag and I have a card from the post office saying they tried to deliver 2 parcel’s today – one being a V shaped pillow and one being a laptop table for my recovery from the operation!

I re-arrange delivery for Wednesday as I will be shopping as early as possible Tuesday due to it being half term next week and kid’s running about screaming they are bored to death after a day!

I have had my eye on a pink pair of summer sandal’s from Office shoes, so decide that as I am not keeping my new jumper I will order my sandal’s instead – so that is what I have done 😉

Talk about feeling pleased, I now need to hope the prediction for the hottest summer on record comes true so I get to wear my new shoes…

This evening I will watch some tv, have some chocolate and rest up as tomorrow we are supposed to be going out for a few hours but we will see what the weather is like first.

Until we blog again, stay safe and have fun 😉