20 February 2012

I have a new problem and I hate mentioning it as I feel as though I’m always complaining about something, however this one is getting a little serious. It’s all to do with the cushion in my NHS lounger. I think the flesh on my backside has virtually disappeared and I find myself sitting on two bones from eight o’clock in the morning until nine o’clock at night. Although we have taken to relieving this pressure by hoisting up at lunchtime and briefly at six o’clock, there are still a number of hours in between when this can be extremely uncomfortable. Accordingly, I have chased my Occupational Therapist to see if I could get one of those Roho cushions which are customised, through a computer reading, to an individual’s backside. I have one fitted on my wheelchair and I must say it is very successful.

The soft rubber cushion I have on the chair at present is fine for a few hours but towards the evening I find myself getting very uncomfortable and there is no excuse for that with all the wonderful equipment they have today to make patients feel as comfortable as possible. I telephoned my occupational therapist and from the conversation you might get the impression that I’m the first person who sits all day in one of these NHS loungers. In other words, she was not very conversant with alternative cushions and when I told her I thought I needed something like the one in my wheelchair, which I do find comfortable, she suggested that I perhaps spend a couple of hours a day in that. With the greatest respect, not a very useful suggestion. Apart from anything else, although the cushion is comfortable, you certainly cannot relax in a wheelchair and it would mean being hoisted out of my normal chair into the wheelchair and then back again at the end of the two-hour session. Who did she expect to do this.? Not a very practical suggestion. Anyway, she’s agreed to look into the Roho cushion. for me.

Yesterday, I discovered amongst all of my papers, that I had an envelope containing book tokens. One with a credit card at Waterstones’ and another one for £40 at Amazon. I went onto the Waterstones’ site and bought four books. I got onto the customer services division and explained that I was severely disabled and, in particular he could not write and add no use of my hands and they were very helpful and talked me through the whole process. I must say I find the business and reading books on my laptop, easy and enjoyable. I use the Kindle software which is free, and this enables me to change the font size and to turn over the pages orally.

Harriet, the head of Ross Nursing popped in this morning for a cup of coffee and a chat. It’s her new thing. She has decided to spend more time going around chatting to her clients to ensure that they are getting the service they want rather than spending her time doing the administration. I think this is a very good idea as one can diplomatically then sort out any little wrinkles in the service. Lovely though most of the girls are ,there certainly are one or two who are a bit dithering and nervous. – I expect it’s me who makes them so – but I suggested to Harrietit would be better for the clients if we could stick pretty well to the same people, at least, for the two key calls, the one first thing in the morning and the six call in the evening when I’m prepared for bed. Apart from the early morning call the other three seem to be serendipity, sometimes someone turning up who has never been here before, or perhaps only once, which means we have to take them through the process. Harriet took that on board and I believe will do something about it.

After that catalogue of misery, click here for some classical British humour.

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19 February 2012

I’m sorry to say I had a really bad night last night. The pain in my shoulder and my hip were excruciating. Thank goodness I have an appointment with the pain clinic towards the end of the week and hopefully day will be able to ameliorate this situation. The other medical condition which I have […]

18 February 2012

I’m pleased to report that my blog appears to be working perfectly well after the fright. I had a couple of days ago when the whole thing was wiped out. Richard did a great job in recovering all the data. Regular readers will notice that it is in a slightly different template from before, but […]

17. February 2012

Not a brilliant night. I had a painful hip and shoulder both of which were relieved only when’ my ‘lovely’ came down to turn me over. I have stopped the cortisone tablets, given to me by the good Dr Michael, which may have something to do with it. In any case, I’m going to the […]

16. February 2012

I am mystified. Believing that my Webmaster, Richard Morris, had cleverly recovered my blog that had been hacked, when I went into it today. I was only able to see the first few lines of each entry. I checked) yesterday entry with the same result. But then when I logged in again . the whole […]

15 February 2012

I am a very happy man. today. Working through the night. good old Richard managed to recover the entire blog using a slightly different templates to the original but nevertheless it is still there. I am so relieved. For although I have the actual blog diary, as I said yesterday, the actual blog itself with […]

14. February 2012

For my overseas readers who may not celebrate St Valentines Day. I should explain that it is dedicated to love and is often observed by exchange of greeting cards, flowers and chocolates. I’m sorry to say that this was the first time in our 49 years of marriage that I have failed to produce something […]

13 February 2012

I had a relatively pain-free night despite having reduced the cortisone down to one tablet, as recommended by the good doctor. In fact, after tonight I shall stop this additional painkiller altogether. for, as Michael says, he doesn’t want to trespass on other people’s territory. Getting back to our usual routine with a flurry of […]

12 February 2012

I heard from Alice late last evening that the whole memorial service and reception afterwards and gone extremely well. She was particularly proud of son Smiler, .who endeared himself to much of the congregation by speaking some Welsh. He has been having lessons for two or three years now and I gather is making good […]

11 February 2012

I want to dedicate this entry to my dear mother-in-law without any other trivia, personal or otherwise. I never knew either of my grandmothers, so Sprig as she was known to her friends, or Mums to my generation of the family, was the nearest thing I had to the real thing. She was always kind […]