Well well… Brexit AND The Donald!

Neither were a surprise to me.

Anyway, my diary ( which doesn’t have any guidelines ) isn’t about world politics.

I mentioned Chernobyl in my last post.  It’s a modern day tragedy that that happened, and the effects of radiation poisoning will go on for hundreds more years.

The speaker found something out, whilst on his travels in that part of the world. You are allowed to visit Chernobyl for ONE DAY only – any more and you’ll be permanently radiation contaminated, and die.

Animals however have flourished because they breed before the radiation kills them, and their offspring live on, the circle repeating itself over and over.

What has stuck in my mind, was the fact that the Russians knew that the white hot core of the power station would sink, melting through rock, and eventually reach the water table beneath.  At that point the explosion generated by white hot radiation meeting cold water would have caused an explosion that killed everyone in Europe, and contaminated the water in the whole continent for hundreds of years, killing ALL human life on the continent of Europe.

The Kremlin ordered 100 miners to tunnel beneath the deadly power station ( assuring them that their boiler suits and gas masks were radiation proof )  and pump thousands of tons of quick set concrete in the downward path of the white hot core.

It was enough to stop the core sinking to the water table, thereby saving billions of people.

All 100 miners were dead within 30 days, their heroics never acknowledged or rewarded. The official Kremlin statement said that only 49 people had died altogether…..

The reality is demonstrated by the awful genetic mutations that will continue for countless years  – like those of the boy in this picture.

What an amazing night out.

Fascinating lecture by John Pilkington, who travelled across various countries after the breakdown of the Soviet Union

Met him in the bar afterwards and told him so.

Far from bringing happiness and riches to these newly independent countries, it seems to have brought poverty and infrastructure breakdown.

Once grandiose Cities and economies are crumbling away without the help of the Communist Party.

His revelations about the truth of Chernobyl were absolutely chilling.

Thanks to Dani for helping me once I’d got back fairly late. As I have no late night care plan I’m reliant on goodwill, and am grateful

My first day of District nurse and bowel care plus carer
It was fine
They were all lovely ladies
It’s a whole different world ? tbh but so far so good !

Thanks bigstyle to Anna ( carer, washer, smiler, conversationalist ) and Julie ( professional and very empathetic  ) and to Jeremy Day ( all round nice Geezer )

Anna took me to get a ( non posh £12 ) haircut, and now I’m in an UberWav wheelchair cab on my way to a lecture about:

Russia and Europe: what next? – John Pilkington

‘Passions are running high in Ukraine and the breakaway states of the Caucasus. In 2015 John met people on both sides of the disputed borders, and shares insights from his travels’

i don’t think that pre injury I’d have been going to this, I’d have been canoeing in the dark to prove to myself I was still a tough guy.

So far so good.

I think they’re all a bit taken aback my my redoing mental clarity.

Amber had no idea that I could speak French  – suddenly I’m useful when it comes to homework and pronunciation – well I never.

And she gets to have my iPhone -as I was upgraded to a new one.  So that’s 2 benefits!

Interrupting spousal TV watching routine also went quite well… well I didn’t really want to watch Poldark Episode 11, having seen  none of the others, so an ITV thing on Tutankhamen’s tomb discovery was an uncontroversial choice..

Take away pizza wasn’t really my thing – I can’t really eat fast food, having become used to eating very selectively and healthily in hospital ( as was totally my leaning in any case ) Two slices was more than enough for me.

The hospital bed in my room is a bit strange, but it does sit me up which is good.

I woke and shifted my legs from leaning one way to the other to pressure relieve my skin. Both legs then immediately fell off the bed and I could do absolutely nothing to get them back on.  The third person that I phoned was able to come and assist me – so no harm done .

District nurses come at ten for the Show, I haven’t as yet crapped myself, so that s a recent record ( 2  whole days )

My buddy, Jeremy is coming at 12 to entertain me (?) and I’ll hopefully get out tonight to do something cerebral, which I do have a plan for.

Getting divorced does mean that it’s not a given that I get invited out to ‘ friends ‘ events, and of course vice versa for my soon to be ex wife. So that’ll be interesting …. but for me most definitely humorous.

Missing the hospital staff already. Mario,  Sheku but particularly Pedro and Rahel are all very special people.

After 75 days in hospital ( they had said 21-42 ) I am about to leave.

Thank you to ( nearly all ) the nurses and doctors for their care.

I should never have let my surgeon do what he did.
That’s obvious now.

I need to stay in control, mentally.

I go back to Chiswick tomorrow, by myself with a suitcase and obviously strapped to a wheelchair,  to an uncertain environment.

Here in Hosp I’m safe, with help just a press of a button away

God knows what it’ll be like in the flat, trying to slot in. I feel like a square peg about to be shoved into a round hole.

I’m totally physically helpless and that makes me far weaker than I was 10 weeks ago.

I’m definitely going to need my friends, more than ever before.

Went out tonight with some old friends.

I think it was an eye opener for them to see just how much more incapable my surgeon/ surgery has made me – having witnessed me needing 2 people to get me dressed and into my chair.

Anyway…. back to Chiswick on Sunday, by special wheelchair taxi I think.  I have to get even more used to asking for help than I did before, like a push to the front door of where I live.

As advised by Lady Marie, I just have to ask and someone will be compassionate to assist . That won’t be everyone, but there’s always SOMEONE. That might be a total stranger before someone that you know…. and it’s how life is, that there are plenty of special people out there.

I know that already though. Life has been full of surprises, both pleasant and not so pleasant.

My next chapter is about to begin, for sure.

I can’t wait to see my daughters more often.

‘Googled her.

What an incredible lady – and that lovely thing you said about her being so amazingly cheerful – just awesome.

She’d be a great role model / mentor for the entire youth of today, in or out of wheelchairs. Sometimes people are born special.

That was a lovely post my friend.

CX’

And

‘Lady Marie sounds amazing and just the sort of person who can, and obviously has already, make a difference to your life. Maybe the karma pendulum is finally swinging back the other way?
Hope so.
Away again this weekend but will be over to see you early next week.
M’

And

‘Love the latest post about Lady Dawson , amazing progress!’

‘Hurrah!Hurrah!Hurrah! What an life enhancing day! Can’t wait to see all the amazing things you are going to do!’

I had a meeting today with the amazing Lady Marie Dawson-Malcolm.  She has the title as a consequence of having been decorated by the Queen for services to the disabled.

Having met her, I can see why. Google her

A victim of  domestic violence,  24 years ago, that left her a high level quadriplegic, she has no feeling at all below the neck. She can move her arms and her hands, but without any notion of touch, and hardly any grip.

She makes me look very fortunate indeed.

Shes also possibly the most cheerful person I’ve ever met.

And it’s for real.

Amongst other things, when she’s not getting knighted etc, she works for the Spinal Injuries Association, and goes around London educating all sorts about Spinal Cord Injury.  SCI is something that barely anyone knows anything about. If you read this diary, you may have picked up a few things about it?

Today a nurse was washing me. She said ‘ your bottom is red ‘.  I said ‘ where?’

She said ‘ here’ .

I said ‘ I can’t see what you can see, and can’t feel where you’re touching , so where is it red?’

She said ‘ just here’.

I repeated my previous sentence, and tried to look over my shoulder to make eye contact, but I can’t turn my head that far.

She said ‘ just here’ .

If the nurses don’t get it, and they’re in the same room with me, how do the rest of you?

Anyway, Lady M told me so much that I didn’t know, things that in the last 3 years would have made a fair difference to me.

Since our meeting earlier on, I’ve applied for a Freedom Pass for a wheelchairist, that gives me free bus and train travel everywhere in London, a Taxi Card that gets me a wheelchair Black Cab for free for the first £10 of every fare ( subsidised by the council ), joined the SIA, signed up for the London Marathon in my Trike ( with SIA exemption, but previously barred by the Marathon person I contacted ), signed up for free medical supplies that previously my GP had to stump up for,  enrolled for special nurse awareness ( if I ever get admitted to a general hospital – and that happens a lot to me ! ) and volunteered to work for the SIA myself.

Ive also contacted Motability about swapping my car for a Mr Magoo type vehicle that I drive my electric chair into.. which they will do!

All in 4 hours.

As well, I saw Adam Toop, a lovely mate of a long time, and a philanthropist that does an awful lot of good, in a very unassuming way.

I also slept for 10 hours straight last night.

Plus I’m going out tonight, for a change on a Friday, since my hospitalisation.

And that is going to be how it is from now on… just like it used to be.

Oh, plus  I volunteered for to do a skydive on December 4th, obv strapped to someone.

Then I remembered that I’m not allowed to do anything for 5 months.

Doh!

Oh plus plus.. she told me never to give up, when I know I’m being  persecuted or discriminated against.

After all, she’s been there and has the T shirt ?…. and the knighthood.

After an ok day I get the usual – the wheelchair accident and the obligatory nurses clean up.

How the hell witt I manage this in Chiswick, without the guarantee of assistance?

its too disturbing to contemplate really, given how I was managing 3 months ago, compared to how little I can do now.

Answers elude me.