3 July 2012
Another week, which I suspect will be like any other , except I will have to accept that having to use this new hoist combined with my worsening breathlessness, my physically active life is visibly shrinks. I’m beginning to assume the role of a genuine invalid – no trousers, until we can resolve the problem with the sling hoist; a comfortable-rug – purchased from the shop at Addenbrooke’s Hospital for £2.99. How can the Chinese, or anybody else for that matter, make a profit at that price? I’m not feeling sorry for myself just acknowledging the reality of my diminishing life. Whether I will manage to get to the golf club, on Tuesday, as regularly as I had hoped will depend on how I manage the next time I go. Certainly my days at Lord’s, are numbered. I just pray I make my birthday on 18 August. I suppose I still have the possibility of the odd lunch at The Cricketers next door . Otherwise, my daily routine will be predictably as follows. An early session with ‘my lovely’; breakfast and shaving before the carers come in to get me up, then hoisted onto the commode for my morning shower and to attend to any other urgent business! Dried, dressed and medicated I am then dumped into my study chair where I will be wired up on both hands and there I will remain until hoisted onto the commode at midday, should I require it. otherwise left seated in this chair until 6.30.
How do I pass the day.? Most of the morning, until midday, is taken up with this blog, answering e-mails and attending to other business matters. Then, after an early lunch. I have the choice of reading; listening to some uplifting music from my 6000 odd tracks transferred from my iPod or watching a film or documentary on my laptop. At six o’clock the carers appear once again to get me ready for bed after which I have my supper and what’s left of the evening will be spent chatting to ‘my lovely’ or watching something on the box until the 8.30 carer comes in to wheel me through to bed.
I suppose I shouldn’t complain as, unlike other invalids I don’t feel ill (except for the last two or three days when I have felt sick at suppertime.) Apart from anything else, my laptop opens a window onto the world from which I am able to find sufficiently interested entertainment for me not to get too bored., Last week and this, for example, I have had wall-to-wall tennis from Wimbledon. Thank heavens I do not get depressed. So that leaves me when I started, almost 5 years ago, determined to live for the day. (Carpe diem).
I hear from my Darling daughter Chloe about the achievements of my three lovely grandchildren and cannot help feeling a tiny bit envious of the 80 or 90 years ahead of them. I would love to know what scientific , technological and physical changes , what inventions and discoveries , will be made over this period of time .