JB Progress

The arrival of a shower chair has precipitated a change of approach in how I manage transfers. The shower chair is a Freeway T70 Auto, which has 3 functions: to take a shower in, to use the loo, as it slides over it, to use it as a free standing commode. In working out how best to use it, I decided to take a shower. Having stripped off, I attempted to transfer directly to it from my wheelchair. While standing between the two chairs, I dropped my undies, which became entangled in my feet. While trying to untangle them, I lost my balance and ended up on the floor. The mistake was attempting the untangling while standing. I should have sat down first. The last fall was in January, and like then, I was unable to get myself up. My specialist nurse says I shouldn't hesitate to call 999 in such a position. I managed to inch myself along the floor on my back to get to my phone. A call to my neighbours elicited help. She and her teenage daughter were able to haul me on...

Friday 22nd March 2019 marked one year since I was diagnosed with MND. We marked it with 3 days staying in Sidmouth. Here is a video of me rolling through the Byes, which run alongside the River Sid. Here is a selfie of Sandie and me: This blog entry also marks the point at which I started to use the wheelchair for indoor as well as outdoor use. An involuntary giving way of the knees in my bedroom late one evening has triggered this, as I found I was unable to rise from the floor by my own efforts and had to phone a strong neighbour to lift me on to the bed. The wheelchair is safer, as one cannot fall; and now faster than using a rollator. I can't afford to allow myself to slump to the ground if I cannot then pull myself back on to my feet. I started the past year walking without any supports; moving to using one, then two sticks. That period was followed by many months using rollators, which has only just ended.  

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...

Today is our last in Copenhagen before travelling home tomorrow. We managed 6 miles walking today, much as on previous day, at a slow dot and carry pace using a stick for stability. Despite the stick, I fell headlong onto the pavement, having caught my draggy foot on an uneven cobble. Two Danish men came immediately to my aid, hauling me upright after checking I was OK. I would have had considerable difficulty getting to my feet without their help, as there was nothing around to haul myself up on. This follows a number of previous falls, mostly caused by the draggy foot catching on things or simply sticking on a smooth floor. Most falls have been inconsequential, but two were unpleasant and took a day or two to get over. But falls are to be expected with my condition.