I’m on my way ......

 7 weeks since my last post!…Were you wondering where I’d gone or were you just glad of the rest lol 😂  Lots happened since the last blog and so many times we’ve tried to sit down to update you all, but things just get in the way. We always said that one of the aims of the blog was to reflect the reality of being an everyday amputee. Well one of the realities is just how challenging it is to keep on top of everything. Not just for you as the amputee but for your loved ones as well. As you all know, David helps me with the blog and we try to make the time to sit down and log my/ our thoughts. But as we all come blinking out into the light of a Post-Covid “new normal” world, that involves  him being back at work doing 12 hour shifts with an hour commute either side. I’ve already explained our need to dial back the hours we can afford for the Carers to come in , so David picks up the shortfall.  This is by no means a unique situation and is one that’s repeated across c...

 Almost a month since my last update but what a month! It has been full of highs and lows but the overall feeling has been that I’m managing to keep moving forward 🙂 The funding question around my ongoing care continues to rumble on and I have to admit that has left me feeling anxious and angry in almost equal measures. I can totally understand how people must feel like giving up when it seems like you’re constantly being told the equivalent of “Computer says No!” Over and over again.😞 It seems that the system can’t cope with any circumstances that deviate from a prewritten flowchart. That said, I can’t let this demotivate me and, until we get a final outcome, I need to concentrate on doing more for myself so that my need for personal care becomes less over time. ( End of the boring finances moan 🙄) A massive thing for me this month was finally being able to get back to my own Hairdressers @aurum_hair in Knaresborough.  It’s crazy, I know, to travel over 60 miles to get you...

 Another eventful couple of weeks 🙂. We had some lovely reactions to the interview we did with the wonderful Gary Philipson from Radio Tees and one of the recurring comments was how strong a team David and I seem. During the conversation I also realised that , while my initial reaction coming out of the coma last year was one of sheer dread, there really are worse things in life than being a Quad-amputee. Feel free to listen to it on the link below. It starts about 20 minutes in. 🙂 https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p09m8vm2 I’ve also been trying to get myself out and socialising more. I have to get back to feeling comfortable mixing with people so we arranged a meet up with an old friend of David’s and strong supporter and new friend of mine, Julie Munton who was in the area for the first time in a while. It was lovely to finally meet face to face. What Julie didn’t know was that it was the first time I had had dinner with someone outside of the immediate family but she made me f...

 Well after my decision last month that I had to become more independent, I have spent the last four weeks working towards that. I am gradually trying to build my strength and balance, moving from walking with two sticks to walking with one, and just once or twice, a few faltering steps with none!🙂 I received the attachments for my adapted Koalaa mitt and was able to pick up a mug and drink one handed without a straw. It may seem small but it was sooooo satisfying  Following on from that, we had a zoom meeting with Nate and Elena from  https://www.yourkoalaa.com/ to discuss how things were going with the new sleeve. The guys honestly couldn’t be more invested in what works for me and were more than generous in their advice and offer to help me obtain a Mitt for my left arm. Speaking with these two, you simply can’t come away not feeling part of a community.🙂 A left arm Mitt Will hopefully allow me to cut up my own food while eating. Currently, David cuts through it then...

 An extremely busy two weeks packed with lots of firsts, most of which have been prompted by David’s return to work. We finally received the start of the care package, but still no decision on how it’s to be funded. Four meetings now and still no resolution. Hugely frustrating but a great relief to have some help in the meanwhile. The staff who come in are lovely and can’t do enough but it’s a very different situation to having David by my side 24/7.  Overall the first week was a success as we were all just finding our way around it but two things really struck home how dependent I am on the help of others. The timing of the night time visit is 7pm. We always eat late so we have found ourselves having to get dinner prepared, served and eaten in time for the carers arriving. Between David getting home and the night time visit it’s just a flat out race to be done in time. I’m then taken upstairs, washed and put into my pyjamas ready for bed…..at 7.30pm…..I’m 56 years old for goo...

 A very busy and extremely frustrating two weeks since my last post with once again, Social and Health care unable to agree who is responsible to help with my ongoing care. I can’t knock the efforts of the professionals who deal with me personally as I know each of them is doing their utmost and giving their input in order for the panel to come to a decision. Unfortunately it appears my rate of rehabilitation, wound healing and self sufficiency all needs to be quantified. The facts that my skin heals then breaks down again, my pain is worse some days than others and that the fit of my prosthetics varies throughout the day aren’t measurable so can’t be taken into account.  The crux of the matter isn’t whether I need help with my ongoing care, it’s who is going to fund it. In the meantime, David provides my constant 24 hour care on his own. Selfishly, we have been fortunate that David has been furloughed from work but with his return to work being imminent, no matter how much I ...

 Well it’s been quite a while since the last update (“Thank goodness!” I hear some of you cry 😂) ...but it’s been an extremely busy and tiring couple of weeks Early last year, when prosthetics services were suspended in our area, David found a fabulous company  https://www.yourkoalaa.com/  who provide affordable and practical solutions for those with upper limb differences. We were able to sort one of their Mitts for me but I really got very little opportunity to use it while I was in hospital. When I came home, I found it no longer fitted as my arm shape and condition had changed so much. We contacted them and the guys there totally redesigned mine and what a difference it has made! I honestly can’t describe the feeling of being able to do simple things such as brush my own hair and sign my name 😀. I’m using it more and more for mealtimes but have to admit that without having a wrist to rotate it’s a bit of an acquired skill. I also managed to finally have my hair cut....