2 September 2011
Another milestone today I have finally had to give up trying to clean my teeth using the electric toothbrush. It is simply too heavy and difficult for me to turn it round to the back and front of each row of teeth This follows giving up trying to feed myself some two or three weeks ago-it was all becoming a messy process I know my arms have been getting weaker, week by week and I particularly notice it in bed last night when my right arm was ridges I could not bend it and suddenly realise that I would not be able to move it to press the alarm needed to do so. We must think up an alternative is a matter of urgency in the same strain trying to do. I do have armrests on both sides but neither of them work terribly satisfactory. It is for that reason it has now become imperative that we sort out the voice activation so that I can carry out everything by voice once the microphone is up and running which should be at start-up.
The biggest problem at the moment is when the microphone freezes of course there’s no way I can save my work will give it any other commands. I had another session with Ruben yesterday morning and he now has sufficient information to go back and have a video conference with the software manufacturers to see if they can get to the bottom of my problem. One little tip for other Dragon users. If you find yourself in this position where your computer is not correctly responding to your commands it is usually a conflict between Word and Dragon. In which case you can temporarily use DragonPad which is not part of Word but of Dragon. Then when you fix a problem you can copy and paste the template file into your main document. This is what I’m having to do at present from my blog. I do hope I do not get to the position when I am physically unable to do the blog. I shall find a way round it somehow.
I read an interesting article that good Dr Michael sent to me, concerning the diaphragmatic pacemakers. I think the bottom line in my case is that my lungs of gone too far leave a high percentage success rate for patients with ALS as being when there Forced Vital Capacity is in excess of 50%. Mine certainly was when I started seeing the MND team so I wonder why this was not mentioned to me at that time. Now I am almost certain it is too late.
I had my tax return today showing that I own a substantial sum of money to the Inland Revenue.
This is precisely what happened last year but when the good Edward Oliver checked over the calculation for me we noticed that they have made no allowance for declared losses and in the end instead of me and their money I received a welcome refund. I suspect the same as happened this year. With so much reliance upon computers I always check such calculations by hand as well is my monthly bank statements as they can very easily make a mistake or to mis- posting.
On a more cheerful note it was another lovely warm summers day so I spent a couple of hours sunning myself in the afternoon.. Not only is it building up my vitamin de defences for the winter to come, which I have a horrible feeling is not far away but I always feel good with the sun on my bare skin.