Energy is something I have been seriously lacking so far this week. It happens every so often I guess, but it is so annoying when it does.
I had an appointment with a nurse on Monday morning, this was to discuss how my medication was helping with one my body’s basic functions, and it sees to me that, due to the injuries that my body has received from the collision with the car, my body was struggling, not coping particularly well, was unable to or was just not even trying to get control of this organ/muscle and get it back to how it should be. This is very frustrating and annoying as it is holding things up for me, it is stopping me from doing things that I really want to do, is putting extra work on to my Wife and preventing me from staying away from home on my own. I took some information away from the appointment and drew the conclusion that it will be something I must get used to and live with it, great. I returned to the bungalow and had a bite to eat with Wifey and `Pickle`.
I had another appointment in the afternoon at the Doctors surgery as did my Wife. We were booked in to get the Flu jab, I had one in hospital last year on the advice of one of the consultants. Immune system is not as strong in people with a spinal cord injury I was told and so I thought it better to have the jab. I had quite enough to try to deal with over the winter without having the flu as well. This year I decided to again have the jab and my Wife thought it would be a good idea also, as she helps me do a lot of things. The jab does not hurt, a little scratch and a `wait five minutes in the waiting area to check you are ok` and that’s it done with. As soon as were both done there it was off to collect the older two kids from school and then finally home. The first thing I did when I got back to the bungalow was to see if my Wife needed any help with anything and when she replied no, I asked if she minded if I went to bed. I had not felt brilliant all day and had just felt more and more drained as the day went on. There is a possibility that the flu jab will make you feel a bit rubbish as a side effect, and if this was true then I was gonna be in for a real good time of it….oh joy.
I was woken by my Wife on Tuesday morning who was a little concerned as my head was running with sweat. I was so tired and had such a severe lack of energy that she bought me a drink and then left me in bed. She woke me a few times during the day to make sure I was taking fluids on board but I went back to sleep immediately after I had had the drink, no energy whatsoever. In the early evening she woke me, got me in to my shower chair and then in to the bath while she put fresh sheets my bed. God only knows what was going on but I felt like crap. I finished my bath, got myself out and dried and then back in to my bedroom. It was decided that there was no point in my getting dressed to go to the front room to watch a film with my Wife and instead we would watch our film in bed, and so she put me back to bed. The challenge now would be for me to manage to stay awake for the film, although I had been asleep all day I still had no energy, which was really beginning to get on my nerves. Never the less, I managed to watch the film which was very good and then it was straight back off to sleep.
When I was woken on Wednesday morning I was feeling much better, not brilliant by any stretch of the imagination but definitely better. I could not spend another day in bed, I had to do something, and in any case, we had some visitors popping in for coffee and a chat. We had not seen them for a while and they are lovely people, if I had been feeling like I had previously then I would have cancelled them. The fact that I was feeling better though meant that we would at last be able to catch up on what they had been up to and what they had planned for the near future and Christmas. After their visit my friend who I “walk” with on Wednesdays came over. I needed to get out in to the fresh air but really did not feel up to taking the manual chair any distance, we did however do the normal Wednesday thing of going to Ilminster via the cycle path which was nice.The air was crisp but still and the sky was a beautiful blue with only a very few small bareley visible clouds, a perfect winters day. Just before we had reached the path that would take us to the Stonemasons where we normally go for a drink or lunch, I had a call from my Wife. The idea was that she would go to the Doctors and then we would collect the kids and meet her at the surgery. The reason for her call was that there appeared to have been an accident on the road to Ilminster as she had been sat in traffic for 20 minutes and had not moved, the fact that 2 Police vehicles had passed her and no traffic was coming towards her was what had drawn her to conclude the accident theory. The concern was that she would not make it to her appointment on time. Also, how would we get the kids to their swimming lessons on time if the road had been closed. As we “walked” to meet my kids at school the sounds of sirens bounced around the streets as an ambulance followed a short time later by the fire brigade headed off in the direction of the accident.
We successfully met with my Wife at the surgery just as she was coming out of the building which was perfect timing, we loaded up in to the Chuklebus and headed back to Chard, we knew my eldest Daughter would miss her lesson so my Wife left the rest of us at the bungalow and took my son to his lesson. My Mother in Law came to collect my Eldest Daughter as she was going to stay over ready for her day out on Thursday. She was off to the theatre to watch the Lion King and she was very excited. My Wife had to cancel her usual swimming with her friend due to the road closure, purely because we did not want Bex having to drive through the lanes to get to us and then potentially back through them for her to get home. So I stayed up for a little while until that bloody jungle show was put on at which point I went to bed, not to sleep, but to lay and think about stuff. Eventually my Wife came in to say goodnight, she was going to seize the opportunity to take over my Daughters bed, which is our old double bed as `Pickle` is enjoying her cuddles with her Mum at the moment, but is not comfortable for my Wife in our bed. This was a good idea, it is not like I can roll over and cuddle my wife so she had just as well be having cuddles with `Pickle` at night. This also proved useful as there was no one in my room to keep awake by watching the television. I had done nothing but sleep and now was not tired, but what to watch? How could I possibly find something that would keep me interested enough that I would not fall asleep? Any ideas?
So, it is Wednesday night, I am in bed on my own, I have nothing to do and I am lacking in the need to sleep. I do have a remote control for the television and also a remote control for the sky and on the sky plus box I have saved…….24 episodes of…….. N.C.I.S, oh bugger, guess I may have to watch one of those then, but I didn’t watch one episode or even two, I WATCHED FIVE….GET IN!!! The best bit, I have not seen any of these episodes before which was AMAZING. Many of you may think this sad, that I get so excited about watching an American Drama called N.C.I.S and that is your God given right, I used to get excited about `tabbing` around training areas such as Salisbury Plain and practicing assaults on simulated enemy positions, about being the centre of of simulated enemy attacks in harbour areas or hard accommodation but as I am no longer able to do that, I have a new interest. I enjoy watching the programme and whilst I would like nothing more than to be in the field with my blokes, it is never going to happen so I must move on.
I woke this morning feeling full of life, full of energy and full of the feeling that today was going to be a day whereby I would prove to myself that I was back to being Mr Independent and that my Wife would not have to be doing everything for me. I washed myself, dressed myself and waited for my Wife to bring me my chair and put it next to my bed ready for me to get in to. My wife moved my chair and asked if I needed my slidy board. I did not want to use it as that to me would have been a sign of defeat, so I declined. “Oh, so Mr Independent is back then is he?” she said. I had been out of the normal way of life for a couple of days and that to me, whilst I am desperately trying to get myself back to full strength and then some, is not a good situation to be in. I simply replied “Yes” and transferred in to my manual chair.
So Thursday then. We know I woke up which is always a good sign, well for me anyway! and we know I was feeling better, but what did I get up to today? Well, for the most part nothing. I hoovered so that Wifey did not have to worry about doing it. We spent time playing with `Pickle` until it was time to collect the older kids from school. Before we collected the kids we had a couple of things to do in town, so we parked up and walked in to town. On our return we decided that Wifey would meet the kids and I would pop in to the local supermarket to get some soup for me to have for tea. This was a good plan except for the fact that I had not anticipated the amount of people that wanted to stop and speak to me, mental, I only wanted a tin of soup and it actually took just over 45 minutes. It was however great to talk to the three people I saw. One was a friend I had gone to primary school with, we were talking about lots of things and the subject of going out for a drink one night came up, to which I agreed. Potentially not a clever move as I would probably die if I were to do this, but he is a guy who, whilst we are not in each others pockets, I have known for so long, I would never turn my back on or refuse the occasional pint with. Then there was a friends Mother, she recently lost her Husband, which was devastating to anyone who knew him. She is a strong lady who has two wonderful Daughters that have helped her through it. It was great to talk to her. And finally a lady that was the childminder to my first born, my Son who has now given me a Granddaughter. It was lovely to speak to her and know that she is well, all in all, although buying a tin of soup should not take 45 minutes it was worth it for the people I had spoken to alone.
And so then to tonight. But before we talk about this, let’s ask the question I am sure that many of you are puzzling over, the title of this Blog. Well let me explain.
My Wife’s Uncle invited me out for a pint tonight. He had called earlier in the week but when he found out I was unwell he postponed until today. The idea was that because we had not been out even for a coffee for such a long time, and as I had clearly given up motorcycle riding lately, we go to a local pub for a quick pint. Excellent, we used to go out on the bikes but now things were different, so I contacted him today and the time and location was set. Now a previous time we popped out for a pint I distinctly remember that when I awoke the following morning, I had to call in sick to work, yes because I was quite sick but more importantly, my legs would not work. So what is the difference you may ask? I was not a paraplegic then, just paralytic! Well tonight was great, we had some right laughs and I tried for the first time, playing pool from the wheelchair. I was rubbish before my accident and there has been no change so to that end I don’t think it has affected my game! Fair play bto Alan though, he took his shots whilst sat on a stool to even things up. Unfortunately, when the person you are playing is really quite shite, (that would be me), there is only one outcome. On the plus side though, it was a no win situation for him, how could you ever feel good about winning hands down against someone in a wheelchair! Now as I was saying earlier about the title. It is very probable that I may have had more than a pint, and being as my eyes are not great, especially in the dark, and that I can not stand, I do not know how badly the alcohol has affected me. There is however evidence to support the fact that I may, possibly, probably, more than likely definitely be a tiny bit, although not dismissing the probability of me being quite a bit drunk. To that end, I have had to use the spell checker, hence the title. Until next time.
Goodnight all.