18 November 2010
To top off a fairly medically orientated week we went off today for my quarterly MND assessment at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. We drove there and I tottered, across the car park and up to the third floor, neurological clinic using my gutter frame. To be frank that was about as far as I could manage before my arms began to get tired.
We had the ‘A’ team out. First of all a dietician  Carol, who, thank goodness. thoroughly approved of ‘my lovely’s’ well-balanced diet, which is not surprising as she has some sort of diploma in dietetics. Then, Sally, the physiotherapist who gave the thumbs up to my current minimal exercise routine. At that stage, the boss Dr Chris Allen joined us and went through the various reports from Michael (my Australian doctor friend) and the report from my visit,  10 days ago. to Papworth Hospital. The Papworth Hospital report, which we received yesterday, contained a lot of statistics covering the review of my ventilatory status. Without making a comparison between these figures, and those from the previous visit, they don’t mean a lot to me but summarise, in the letter, as a ‘gradual decline in respiratory status‘. Some concern was expressed concerning my abdominal distension on which an ultrasound scan and an MRI had been carried out. Papworth suggested a referral to a local gastroenterology service if it was felt appropriate, however Dr Alan seem to think that the reason for the distension was the loss of stomach muscles and therefore any further referral or investigation was unlikely to reveal any problem. Nothing else in any of the reports from Papworth, or from Mick, seem to cause Dr Allen any consternation As usual, when pressed for a prognosis as to my rate of deterioration in any particular area, he was really honestly unable to give any realistic forecast. He did say, however, that people with flail arm syndrome, which is what I have, tend generally to deteriorate fairly slowly — whatever that means.
I suppose the only slightly alarming thing, from my point of view, was that he mentioned that the deterioration in my diaphragm marked the beginning of a throat problem but then again that might well be some time distant. I wonder if that’s what the doctors tell all patients so as not to alarm them? I asked him if it was inexorable that all MND patients ultimately suffered from a problem with their throat – swallowing; breathing; speaking -and he agreed that that was the case.
I mentioned to Chris that I was having trouble sleeping at night due to pain developing in my hips and knees joints. This apparently is not unusual due to lack of exercise and the loss of muscle around the joints. He has prescribed some Ibrufen mild painkillers which should help.
Coordinating this whole programme was our dear friend Joanna Sasson, who, I was delighted, has now returned having had her baby son six months or so ago. We are extremely fortunate in having such a good team people to support us.
17 November 2010
In contrast to yesterday the weather today was wet and blustery, certainly in the South West where they had horrendous floods. Here it was just a miserable day weatherwise but hectic for my part. First thing this morning two men came to remove the generators are servicing but had considerable trouble getting it out, from the wood store. However, they succeeded in the end so hopefully will not be too long before we are up and running with our own standby electricity.,
Then, mid-morning, Doreen my secretary. came to catch up with filing and other paperwork.
Just after lunch, my GP, Dr Lort, came to run over a list of the issues raised by Dr Michael Long (my Australian friend) following his observations during our recent trip to Thailand. Also, to follow up on a couple of issues raised by Papworth Hospital following my recent hospitalisation there This was a helpful visit in as much as tomorrow I go to Addenbrooke’s Hospital for my quarterly MND assessment. Dr Lort was extremely helpful and very thorough, Addressing a number of minor physical issues which have been troublesome.
Mid-afternoon an optician arrived for a domiciliary eye test, long overdue, as my reading eyesight has clearly deteriorated. I always knew I had cataracts growing in both eyes but when they’ve been looked at previously it was decided they were not bad enough to operate on. However, as a result of a thorough eye test today the optician was of the opinion that it would be well worthwhile having the cataract on the left eye dealt with and will be contacting Dr Lort to make the referral
What a day! ./
To balance all his medical nonsense I should say that today’s newspapers are full of the engagement of Prince William, our future king, to Kate Middleton, a commoner he met at St Andrews University nine years ago, thus breaking with tradition whereby royalty always marry  royalty or aristocracy. Let us hope that this marriage is a little more successful than his father’s!
16 November 2010
Today  we woke up to a white out. There was a very heavy frost and the garden, lawns and trees were crystalline. I had planned to go to the golf club but fortunately not until mid-morning by which time the weather had transformed the day into one of the most beautiful of autumn. The bluest of blue skies and  an array of beautiful autumnal hues on the trees which had yet to shed their leaves. A perfect day on which to revisit my beloved golf club.
Alice very kindly arranged for Barry to take me mid-morning and I met up with Griggsy just as he was completing the first nine. I rode around in the buggy in perfect comfort enjoying being back and playing each shot, in my mind’s eye, never missing a chip or a putt!. For the first time I took the wheelchair which avoided all the fuss about struggling across the gravel and over the entrance steps. on my gutter frame. As it happened, it was just as well as Scott, the secretary, was away  and I would have been at the mercy of kindly, but less competent, members to effect the transfer from the car.. As it was I merely went from the wheelchair to the buggy and back at the end of the round and stayed in it during lunch until it was time to go home with Kit. At which point Richard Beadles, the club professional, and Tony Wheeler managed the transfer without any difficulty, At home we were fortunate that Luke was working on his house opposite so he came over and hauled me to my feet from the car.
I had abandoned my kilt as it was clearly brass monkey weather and therefore far from desirable.. Instead I plumbed myself into a leg-bag attached to the special incontinence pants which Sue, the incontinence lady, had previously provided for me. The leg-bag slotted neatly into the special pouch I had had sewn on the inside of my left trouser leg by the tailor in Thailand. It all worked extremely satisfactorily and meant that I could relax without requiring the intervention, or assistance, of  any of my fellow members if I wished to go to the loo. All in all a very successful outing
15 November 2010
A first for a couple of things today. This was my first day working in my ‘ new office’, my study. It feels a little strange and I certainly miss my real office but looking out of the window, this morning, and seeing the frost on the ground and knowing the temperature to be just above freezing, I suppose we made the switch just about the right time. It worked well enough and I’m surrounded by my equipment and to telephones. However, I am determined not to spend all day in my study chair but to get up, at the least three times, and walk backwards and forwards the length of the house, in order to exercise my legs, otherwise I will quickly find myself permanently in a wheelchair.
The other first was using the stand-up hoist. ’My lovely’ was a little nervous about using this new equipment but she needn’t have been. It worked like a charm. Thank heavens it can fit through the narrow bathroom door and therefore is available to hoist me from the loo. At the moment I go from the standing position onto my frame but when my legs become too weak to stand she will be able to use the hoist to place me in a wheelchair, or from a wheelchair onto my study chair or, onto my bed, so this will be an immensely useful piece of equipment.
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14 November 2010
This being the nearest Sunday to Armistice Day it is the time chosen to hold services throughout the country in remembrance of all those who have lost their lives in defence of this country since the First World War. The first such service was held in 1920.
Last night there was a moving Festival of Remembrance, sponsored by the British Legion and Help the Heroes. This did not follow what we have come to understood as a  Remembrance Service — I think that pageant is probably the best description. It was held at the Albert Hall in front of the Queen, the Prime Minister and many other dignitaries. I say pageant because it was not the normal solemn memorial service. It was a mixture of incredibly schooled military bands; precision marching columns; solemn music and light sentimental songs. Also individuals were featured who had either served in the second Great Wall or were victims of more recent wars such as Afghanistan. So it was a strange mixture but in its way , perhaps, apposite for the 21st century. There is obviously a strong following in this country for this sort of event, remembering those who have given their lives for their Motherland. This is evidenced by the 46 million poppies sold by the British Legion, bearing in mind that the total population of the country, I believe, is not much more than 60 million.
Today two dear friends, Jill and Tony Griggs, came to lunch but with a difference, they bought the food with them. Insisting that it was their time to entertain us and recognising the arduous process of conveying me to their house and perhaps having to negotiate steps etc instead of us going to them they brought the lunch to us – what a lovely idea and how thoughtful of them. I selfishly hope this starts a trend as it is much more difficult now than it was in the past for us to accept lunch or dinner invitations.
After lunch we decided to listen to the program in Philadelphia in which I participating  on 11 October, Voices in the Family on WHYY radio Philadelphia. In fact it was the first time that I’ve actually heard it myself. If you want it to hear it too then click on Voices in the Family and perhaps referring to 11 October entry.
13 November 2010
Today, very sadly, represents the last day I shall work in my beautiful office until the spring and the warmer weather. It is already getting cold and blustery and the journey from the house along the paving and across the lawn is really quite an effort, particularly as it’s getting muddy. Ironically it’s not so much my legs, as the weakness in my arms, leaning on and manoeuvring the frame, that are becoming the problem and, I suspect, that if I survive until the spring, when I return to the office it will then be in a wheelchair.
In the meantime I must try to sell my three-quarter size modern snooker table which takes up most of the space in the office and obviously makes it more difficult to manipulate a wheelchair, particularly the electrical one. I had this table made, gosh, I should think about 30 years ago, in light oak. It is not a toy, but a triple slate table with full-size snooker balls and is two and three-quarter inches higher than the standard table. This is because I had a 9.0†x 6.0†table tennis table fitted as a top which doubles as a boardroom table for my papers. I just have to find someone with the big house and a large playroom.
The other consideration, of course, about continuing to use the office in the winter, is the weather and the possibility of catching a cold which could turn to pneumonia. Alice has been told quite clearly that she must take great care not to let me catch cold as pneumonia could certainly carry me off, so to speak.
Good old Duncan came round this afternoon – with Clare his girlfriend – and set up all computer equipment and accessories in the study. He made nothing of it and it always seems to fit in very neatly. I can’t say that I’m very happy at the prospect of spending all day in my study chair but, needs must. It’s just the way I felt when I came home one day and found my car had been sold. Another door shuts that will never be opened again!. It is the inexorable diminution in the range of activities that one is capable of doing on a day-to-day basis. The slippery slope down which one is going towards the white light!
We aare determined to work out a new routine where I at least get up and walk around from time to time and, perhaps in the evening, sit in the breakfast room, with a window ajar, muffled up to the gills, to smoke my little cigar and enjoy my evening whisky. I know it’s a habit I could well stop but why bother?
Going back Tim Duncan and Claire I was extremely impressed to learn from her that she has volunteered to spend time with the Salvation Army — my favourite charity — with the homeless over Christmas if the temperatures drop below zero. Add to that the alacrity in which Duncan responds to any calls for help from me, which demonstrates as a kind and caring attitude. It is a heartening sign that such good young people still exist in these times when the newspapers are full of horror stories about the young..
Having reconsidered the reasons for the rejection of my Mitt Wipe, by the three major healthcare companies, all three of which to me, appeared to miss the whole point, after a phone call to Coventry University, it was agreed that there would be nothing lost by me having one further attempt at each of the three firms to point out why I consider this product has a USP (Unique Selling Point). I managed to get through to one of them, who has promised to put it to a different committee. The other two I must try next week.
12 November 2010
I had the two Chrises  here today, Rix the electrician and   Camp the builder. Between them they are going to set up the generator so that we need not worry about power cuts this coming winter. It was fortunate that I bought this Honda generator many years ago and it was a very good model. We are actually going to have it housed in a standard metal garden storage unit outside the house which will avoid all the unpleasant exhaust fumes but it will be able to be started with a key from inside. The last few days we have suffered from very high winds and we have held our breath that our electricity did not go off due to falling trees etc. With any luck by the end of next week the generator will be up and running and then we can relax.
Hot on the heels of the generator men came our new Occupational Therapist (OT) Lynn. She has taken over from Sarah Moss who we found absolutely marvellous and I’m sure, having met Lynn, she will be equally as helpful and pragmatic. Basically, she came to instruct ‘ my lovely’ in the use of the ‘stand up’ hoist. This relatively small and mobile unit is capable of lifting one out of a wheelchair onto a loo or plastic shower chair and back again. Equally well, it can be used to lift me  to a standing position and, as things are at present, onto the gutter frame. I realise that it will  take us a little while to get used to it but I am quite excited about the idea as it means an extension of our total independence. Alice has asked if I minded deferring our first try at this until Monday in case it all goes wrong and I’m left dangling in the air and she needs to ring up social services!
Of course I willingly go along with her as someone who is totally un-mechanical I think she is doing remarkably well with all this electrical equipment and I must do everything I can to support and demonstrate serene patience, which for me is not a natural state of affairs!
We have now had the ‘Nippy’ for a week or so and having typed out a step-by-step guide for ‘ my lovely’, she inserts  her ear plugs -as she cannot stand the sound of the alarm -and plugs me in very successfully every evening.
A nice little piece about the donation of the wheelchair to St John Ambulance, appeared in the MCC Newsletter together with a group photograph showing the handover. Unfortunately, I get all the credit although it was very much a team effort.
11 November 2010 -Armistice Day
This was the day in 1918 that saw the end of the first Great World War -the Armistice was signed at 11 o’clock of the 11th Day of the 11th month. For this reason, every year, on 11 November, services are held throughout the country to commemorate the dead (for both Great World Wars and indeed casualties from any war) and the whole country comes to a standstill for two minutes at 11 o’clock – Â Lest We Forget.
Appropriately the television screened My Son Jack. which we watched with the good Dr It is the poignant story of Rudyard Kipling who, appears in the film as we can  a British Empire fanatic who sits on the government’s propaganda committee trying to put spin on the unbelievably heavy casualties suffered by the Allied troops in the early stages of the war. For example, 11,000 soldiers and 457 officers died in the first day of one of the battles – which, I cannot remember. Knowing all, in the film,  Kipling is shown as being Determined that his much loved son, Jack, should go and do his bit knowing full well that there was a significant possibility he would not return. Despite having been rejected by the army and navy, due to his poor eyesight, his father used his influence to get him into the Irish Guards. The inevitable occurred and the son died but, although totally devastated by his loss,  Kipling was unrepentant. He was immensely proud of his son, he had done his duty.
No doubt if we lost 11,000 troops in one day the Germans suffered similar casualties. A whole generation of young men wiped out, for what? I’m not going to get into the morality of war, as I believe that there. are undoubtedly situations where one has no choice but to take up arms against maniacal tyrants.
The film was shown last night and Michael left Australia today and will be back just after Christmas. I hope he will slow down within the foreseeable future as he is no chicken and I should hate anything to happen to him. He certainly works very hard at present dashing around the world doing these legal medico reports but there must come a time when he can think about putting his feet up. Maybe next year when he becomes a Swedish citizen.g
10 November 2010
A busy day. Late morning bthe domiciliary dentist, Sian, arrived with her assistant Pauline to carry out a further hygienist session. Delightful ladies who certainly seem to know what they’re doing.
Then, mid-afternoon, the good Dr Michael arrived en route to Australia tomorrow evening. Then late afternoon, Christian Hanscomb dropped off my video camera and the film that she took for the 20th Arbitration Club Dinner at Drapers Hall. I’ve been dying to see this film before I send it off to Monti to convert to a DVD.
I think I have at last mastered the method of adding media to this blog so just to satisfy myself and hopefully to give the readers some pleasure I shall add the following:
Anecdotes
Words of wisdom from George were Bernard Shaw
Facts Days of Yore
Puns for Educated Minds.
Jokes
Funny — Giving Back to the Church
Photos
Views from above the Earth
National Geographical — Best Pictures of the Year
Globus -Unusual Air Baloons
9 November 2010
My regular readers may well be wondering what has happened to all those allegedly wonderful inventions I mentioned some months ago. You may recall that the first of five was being developed by HDTI, Coventry University. It was a health care product which they refined and for which they produced a presentational DVD. Up to now I have not been able to disclose the precise nature of this product despite having taken out an intermediate patent on it. Having just received my third rejection, this one from Boots the Chemist, I will now disclose the nature of this idea. It is a Mitt Wipe and I can do no better than reproduce the description sent to the various companies whom we hoped would be interested in producing and marketing it.
The Mitt Wipe
Â
Elderly, disabled and very young people often have difficulty in effectively wiping their bottom. The elderly usually through weakness in their hands and arms and the young through inexperience. Both have difficulty in holding a piece of lavatory paper in their fingers and executing an effective wipe without soiling their hands. The young think nothing of yelling for Mum, the elderly find a third party involvement undignified. I know, I am one of those elderly.
My answer to this problem is my design of what I call a Mitt Wipe. This is quite simply what we all know as a moist baby wipe in the shape of a mitt that completely covers the fingers and half of the palm of the hand, up to the joint of the thumb. With this in place the process of wiping becomes a much less hazardous process, with little or no possibility of soiling one’s hands. Having completed the procedure, the hand can then be shaken over the lavatory bowl, and the wipe released.
My design for this product is illustrated on the attached CD, the illustrations of which, together with the explanatory notes, are self evident. It is very important that this Mitt Wipe is biodegradable, so that it can be either disposed of in the lavatory pan or in a rubbish bin.
I do not have to spell out how potentially huge is this market, both for the elderly, the disabled and the very young learning to lavatory themselves. However, beyond the elderly and the very young there are a great number of fastidious people who are concerned with germs and, if we believe the television advertisements, spend their time wiping up messes but always with the possibility of soiling their own hands in doing so. Witness the latest handwashing steriliser which you no longer have to touch. No doubt, the all-round protection afforded by the wipe, might well appeal to such people. I also wonder perhaps if the main licensee could sublicense this to someone like Dettol, just for their own ‘germ eliminating ‘ product.
The other aspect of this product, which I believe could well be exploitable, is the potential of advertising on the large flat surfaces of the box itself. Perhaps other products produced by the licensee or, other healthcare products which they do not produce themselves, or in the case of the wipes for the “Little Ones”, cartoon characters or advertising the latest collectable craze. For example, in the case of cards, a free gift could be included in every refillable pack. Similarly, a box could be specifically designed for little girls, again perhaps with some sort of gift included. But here I am impinging upon marketing, of which I have little experience, except so far as my own books are concerned and undoubtedly the licensee themselves will have their own ideas.
.DMC
7/06/10
You can see a visualisation of this product by clicking Mitt Wipe DVD
The product was first offered to Proctor and Gamble who have worldwide interests in such things and would have been the ideal partner. They turned it down, so we then tried Lloyds Pharmacy, not such a large company but  one which would certainly have been able to have distributed it fairly widely. Finally, after receiving a rejection from them we tried Boots, who initially seemed very interested, but in the end, like the other two turned it down. As a matter of interest I give the reasons for the rejections.
Procter & Gamble
I do not bring good news.
The relevant panel at P&G has reviewed the opportunity and concluded that it is not of interest.
They report having reviewed several similar concepts recently.
Sorry I don’t have better newsÂ
Lloyds pharmacy
Initially, it looked encouraging when Lloyds Pharmacy came back with the following;
The buying team and the Independent living team raised the following queries and concerns.
- Firstly, the wipe sector is very keenly priced and whilst there is a USP to this product, if it is too far out from the standard wipe market, it would seriously limit the mass appeal. So first query concern was price related… this product needs to have a good cost and retail price
-       In the baby sector retails should be around the £3 price bracket.
-       In the inco market, retailers could be slightly higher, between £3 & £5.Â
Secondly, it seems this is quite a crowded market with a number of wash mitts and wipe mitts available. Granted these are not exactly the same but it does highlight that it will be competitive and a clear USP with a good retail price is needed.
-For example in our Independent living range we already stock “bath in bed wipes “&. “wash mitts” that are disposable and can be treated for “maximum freshness” and “wash. gloves” that are used with soap and water but are also disposable.
So we still want to explore butt wanted some feedback as to whether you think our price expectations are realistic and I wanted to raise questions that have come up internally.
A week or so later the following comments were received.
‘I have canvassed the category managers responsible for baby and independent living in the business and received their feedback which I have summarised below.
- This is a nice concept
- But in a competitive market we don’t see it is unique enough to stand out or command a price premium.
- It is also likely to be more of a niche product. It commands a price premium, and the future market size doesn’t feel large enough given the time we would need to invest to get to market …
           … baby wipes market is mass and price dependent
           … Independent living market is smaller and already has wash mitts and wash gloves,
So I’m sorry to say that it doesn’t feel right for us at the moment..’..
Boots the Chemist
‘The Mitt Wipe opportunity was reviewed by the Innovation Board and unfortunately the value was not sufficiently large to take this forwards. The idea was considered from a baby and also an assisted living perspective.
From a baby product point of view, mothers were more concerned about being able to get the wipe out of the packet quickly when they were trying to hold a squirming baby, gentle formulation, good cleaning power and reasonably strong material properties, rather than considerations of contact with a faecal matter. They were happy with the existing formats.
From an Assisted Living perspective the comments were that we had a number of devices that helped in the use of toilet tissue is and the market was not large enough to introduce another product.
Sorry this is not better news.’.
Well I cannot complain that this idea was not given a fair run.(I read USP as unique selling point.) It was not quite unique enough though, it seems, I certainly had no idea that there were other similar sort of products available in the shops. I certainly have never seen them. So I suppose it’s the end of the line for the Mitt Wipe and the money I speculated on having it patented is now lost. Still,’ nothing ventured, nothing gained’.
Having said that, with the greatest respect, I wonder if all three missed the point. I saw the two big attractions as one, youngsters learning to toilet themselves,- the box decorated, perhaps, with popular cartoons – and two, the elderly, lacking the dexterity to wipe their bottoms effectively, not the Assisted Living market. All three firms seem to have concentrated on the baby market and that for the assisted living ie third-party attending the elderly..This was neatly summed up by the director of HDTI, Coventry University, when he first presented this, and repeated in the description sent to these various firms. I reiterate::
‘... the Mitt Wipe……. is designed for older, disabled and very young people who often have difficulty in effectively cleaning themselves after going to the toilet. Older people find this difficult usually through weakness in their hands and arms, and a young through inexperience. Both have difficulty in holding a piece of lavatory paper in their fingers and executing an effective wipe without soiling their hands. The young think nothing of yelling from Mum; older people find a third party involvement and dignified’.
I now have to decide what to do about the other ideas, in particular my favourite The Feeding Frame.for the elderly.
D. Mark Cato
D. Mark Cato