Ive actually got my carer to tie my ankle to the bottom of the bed ( soft cuff ) to see if that will work. I can certainly feel the jerks of the omnipresent spasms less, as a consequence.

Its bondage Jim, but not as we know it…

Ive experienced a massively increased amount of spasming over the last 2 weeks.  My left leg seems to jump all day and night.

At the lecture i went to earlier it was very hard to concentrate through the constant jerking. Somewhat at my wits end I came back, was helped into bed and changed my own catheter ( with carer Hanna ‘ s help ) Thé one I pulled out did seem at least partially blocked with sediment, that would be enough to make me spasm. I’m still jerking like crazy, after having done it all, but that could just be the trauma caused to the area by the procedure I carried out.

Now feeling slightly confident about my medical ability with orifices, I’m available to have for piercings – happy to do nips and Prince Alberts, but not yet ready for ears….

Russ

With a month to go before I’m homeless, I started sorting and packing with Krisztina today. Lots of stuff will go to charity. Any tramps reading this, please pop round – though Marino wool not on offer.

I have a lot of stuff and it’s a case of thinking laterally about how I might be able to use things that were from my old life, in my new. I really don’t want to ditch stuff and then in 2 months time regret doing so!

Krisztina has been brilliant – so glad I have her – a girl who can’t do enough for me, to help, and always with a smile.

Jesus, I have a lot of underpants and hats?!??

♠Just read your recent post re carer, sorry it went so wrong but sounds best that she is outta your life for ever.

I only have a tiny percent of understanding how vulnerable these situations must make you feel. Years ago I was in hospital and was on bed rest for a pregnancy. I recall this one weird nurse (I had already felt uneasy around her). Anyway one eve at around 10.0pm at night she came to my isolated room in the hospital and started speaking to me about religion (which they are not allowed to do), after 10 mins she put the red light on in the room meaning she was busy looking after me medically….NOT! I lay there not wanting to unbalance her anymore whilst she started reeling off bible scriptures after bible scriptures, she did this for 2 hours in a trance like psychic way. I still think about it as I felt trapped but realising she wasn’t the full quid, I didn’t want her to turn on me either. I still wish to this day I had reported her. She didn’t physically hurt me but made me feel like the weaker one. I hope you are okay and your new carer stays a while. Have you ever thought of a male carer? xx

B x

♦Thé Stereophonics were brilliant, as expected.

Getting back wasn’t so easy, but by 12.30 I was back safely. Thanks to the amazing Pia, yet again.

After about half an hour of the gig, a bloke came on stage and had the mike. He then proposed to a blonde in the audience… very romantic and unexpected?

They resumed their act, but then stopped again when another bloke came on stage. I did think that one proposal was probably enough, but it wasn’t that. A gentleman had just had a heart attack in the audience, just in front of the band ( perhaps he was the husband of said blonde ? )

While the paramedics went to work, we all held our breath. They stretchered him out, and it carried on again. Thankfully, they announced that this chap was alive and well ( ish ).

One wedding, one divorce (?) and nearly a funeral… it all happens, doesn’t it….?

Russ gig rating – 8/10

So… Pia and i go to a gig. It’s an extremely cold night ( its one of the coldest nights in recent UK history ). I have 3 layers on – my gig t shirt, my loose fleece, and ( the one that actually keeps me warm ) the Icebreaker merino wool ‘ no stink however many times you wear it’ thermal black sweater – this garment is basically the single most important item that I ever wear. I’ve had it since just before my injury and used it in lots of ‘ extreme weather environments’ pre and post injury. It’s my default cold weather wear – GUARANTEED TO KEEP ME WARM – and when it’s cold, I literally don’t ever leave the flat without it.

Anyway.. after half an hour at the venue, with the thermal radiation of thousands of others, I feel warm enough to take it off and put it over the rail in front of me. There it rests until Erasure have done their last song, and we leave, just ahead of the throng.
As Pia is going elsewhere we briefly say our goodbyes and head in different directions, me towards Chiswick in the iBot, and her in search of a tube/ Uber.

I concentrate on getting back, and my default setting of ‘ look after No 1 ‘ kicks in. I don’t spare the time I have to think how cold I am, and don’t think about my sweater until the next evening when I’m going out in the cold again. Myself and my carer are both looking for it, but can’t find it anywhere? I call Pia and I mention that I think I’ve somehow lost it.

She says ‘ the black one ?’
I said ‘ Yes, I think I left it in the venue, or dropped it ?’
She said ‘ no, I was carrying it for you ‘

Relieved, I said ‘ brilliant, when will I see you to get it back? I use it all the time’.

Pia ‘ er, i dont have it ‘

Me ‘ you just said you did?’

Pia ‘ well I did have it, but I don’t anymore ‘
Me ‘ what, you lost it somewhere ?’

Pia ‘ no, not exactly ‘

Me ‘ what do you mean, not exactly ?’

Pia ‘ well I gave it to someone ‘

Me ‘ well can you get it back please ‘

Pia ‘ no, i dont think so ‘

Me ‘why not??’

Pia ‘ i gave it to a tramp’

Me ‘ what? Can you stop messing around ?’

Pia ‘ no…. i saw a tramp… and he looked really cold, so I gave him your jumper ‘

Me ‘ ha ha, that’s Hilarious…

Pia – silence .

Me ‘ Pia? Pia? Pia…?!’

( Written with a resigned smile, obviously )

Steer clear of women who-

1.Meditate  – but  get extrêmely stressy if you dare to inadvertently interrupt in any way – surely that shows that the meditation really isn’t working..
2.Take max dose antidepressants
3.Actually believe seriously in Feng Shui
4. Believe in Meta Physics
5.Are single and have more than 2 cats
6.Are always too busy to exercise, but are clearly not too busy to eat too much
7.Keep repeating the same slightly pathetic excuse for not ‘ coping with my wheelchair ‘
8.Don’t wash – as in thinking that ‘ cave woman aroma’ when naked is what men want.

9. Who are married
10. Who think walking anywhere  is a chore, rather than a wonderful physical ability
11. Who can’t exercise without ‘ a personal trainer ‘
12.Who talk about how tired they are, a lot.
13.Whose default is to see the negative in an overall positive situation.
14.Who are very quick to ‘ offer advice and life coaching ‘ despite not appearing to have made any real success of their own lives ( and are patently unhappy ).

And the main one –

16.🔔🔔🔔 Side very quickly with any female at all, in all hypothetical scenarios! ❎💥💣

Whilst most of London stay indoors / fret about an inch of snow/ talk about how dreadful it all is, ive caught a train and then a bus to Wembley to see my countrymen, the incomparable Stereophonics. 

Paralysed Guy with attitude 1 – 0 The Able Bodiedbuttooscaredmajority.

PIA made it ( all the way from where she works – a mile away ) so I do have her company, which is always brilliant ( obviously )

The way back challenge is yet to come, but we’ll cross that slippery lil bridge later on.

Thanks to Krisztina for coming with me, and pushing me up slopes where the Triride wheel was just slipping on the ice and snow. The down hills were very much a leap of faith !

I had a date the other night. She complained quite a lot about having to walk the ten minutes to meet me. 

As you can imagine ( perhaps ) that line of complaint doesn’t go down that well with me …