11 May 2011

After Sam had assisted with the washing and the early-morning dressing, Mel, the physiotherapist, arrived to carry out final assessment prior to tomorrow’s meeting of the Continuing Care Committee. As a result of her assessment, which included watching me struggling along on my frame, I believe she will make a positive recommendation to the committee.

Great excitement today as my mother, and her present husband Richard-a splendid ex-naval officer, a saint in every respect-were driven down from Shropshire for lunch. I really cannot remember when they last came here but I suspect it is well over 10 years ago, maybe even longer. They arrived at midday and we had hoped to have lunch in the garden with me in my electric wheelchair.The first problem came after I’d been positioned in the chair by Sally, from Ross Nursing, and ‘my lovely’. Although the wheelchair people had been here yesterday and installed a new charger the chair would not move either forward or back. After half an hour of frustration and ringing the emergency telephone number we gave up and I transferred to the mobile chair.

The other bad news was the weather had taken a turn for the worst and, apart from sitting outside for a short period with Richard smoking a small cigar it was too cold to have lunch outside. In the event, we had a very pleasant lunch in the breakfast room and it was lovely to see them both here after such a long break. Richard with characteristic generosity came laden with gifts. S very good bottle of French champagne and some wonderful handmade chocolates from Church Stretton. As if that was not enough he also bought me a fine cigar and, for both of us a copy of the Royal Wedding DVD, Happy and Glorious. Extremely kind and totally unnecessary as it was a pleasure to have them with us.

After a number of telephone calls to the emergency wheelchair people, who originally told us they could come out next Wednesday. (i.e in one weeks time! Some emergency!!) Frankly, I told them that this was ridiculous. What on earth is the point in having an emergency number it takes almost a week for them to come and attend the problem. What, for example, are we supposed to do if the wheelchair is elevated and I’m stuck up in the air! I persuaded them that it really was an emergency and that I insisted they came today. As a result, a very accommodating technician arrived at 8.00 a.m and very quickly located the cause of the problem. It was quite simply that we had not taken the wheelchair out of gear by pulling up some red handles under the seat.. You would have thought they could have described this over the telephone and save the technician the journey Anyway, all is now well and the chair is ready for use. All we need now are some sunny days will.