JB Progress

We took the wheelchair down to Beale Park, which has a network of tarmac paths in pleasant surroundings. I managed to scoot around the place reasonably well in the wheelchair. Cambers are a problem, so it pays to keep to the crown of the path. I propelled myself most of the way, but Sandie took over pushing for a while, so as to get the feel of being in charge. It was a successful experiment and helped to normalise the experience of one us being in a wheelchair. There were plenty of Mums wheeling their charges around in push chairs. https://www.bealepark.org.uk/

The bathroom is at the halfway stage of being converted, after a week's work by Absolute Mobility of Henley. Last Monday they completely gutted it. Since then they've been strengthening the floor, redoing the plumbing and electrics and plastering walls and ceiling. They've covered the floorboards with thin plywood. You can see from the photo that they've left it clean and tidy, as they do at the end of each day. I'm very pleased with their whole approach to tackling this job. They know what they are doing, get on with it with a will and do so cheerfully. Martin and Errol say that they are looking forward to making it pretty during next week.

The new lift is installed and working. It glides quietly between the two floors and won't squash anything that gets in its way. It took two chaps two days to assemble it in situ and get it working.  It works hydraulically and there's a box on the wall outside that contains the pump. The wheelchair fits neatly inside. 

Preparatory works for the wheelchair lift were completed this morning.   Last Wednesday, two very hard working chaps did the main work, lifting floorboards upstairs, cutting away joists, fitting a long metal plate to strengthen a remaining joist and rerouting pipework.  They also installed a new electric circuit from the main distribution box to power the lift. They opened all doors and windows and made a big racket. I didn't get home until midday, so only witnessed the final hour or so. Today a specialist asbestos removal firm removed the final layer of plaster. It seemed overkill, but at least all the dust was well contained and didn't spread around the house. The chap had to cut through the lath and plaster ceiling, together with its artex paint which contained asbestos.

I had my first wheelchair training session this morning, from a chap who has been in a wheelchair since his teens, owing to a car crash.  I made quite a bit of progress in this new skill. The most important aspect is being able to get over obstacles, like kerbs, thresholds, gravel and so on. I arranged it myself, as the NHS no longer provides such training. I need to do plenty of practice before venturing into the world of pavements and shops. Most people you see in wheelchairs are being pushed by someone else, whereas I would like to be able to propel myself. His ability to get around in an ordinary saloon, with hand controls, stowing his wheelchair on and around the passenger seat in bits, was impressive. His chair was lighter and stronger than mine, rigid rather than folding. Sandie looked on and stood behind me for safety as I made the front wheels rear up in order to mount a kerb.  My NHS wheelchair is set up for stability, so it's quite hard to get the front...

I had a bad fall on Sunday, banging my head hard on a parquet floor, cutting an eyebrow in two places and giving me a shiner of a black eye.  I have been aware for some time that my left leg, although fully functional, has lost strength, while the weak right leg continues slowly to get weaker. The right leg can hold my weight and still has some push for walking, but very little lift. In the last few days it has become obvious that the left foot is starting to drop, mirroring what happened with the right foot a year ago. As the loss of left foot function develops, it will stop me driving using foot pedals. This also brings nearer the time when I'll have to start using a wheelchair. In the meantime, use of rollators, now well established, is getting more essential. We have been researching Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs) and have visited a couple of companies, one in Newbury, one in Dorset. We'd like one that we could both drive, me with hand controls. But these vi...