Blimey, I’ve seen the light. Having a Male Carer, is by far the most sensible thing I’ve done since my injury. I’m not sure i can ever revert to a lady again.

I probably should have known all along that this was a far better idea for me, but despite various people saying it and me even thinking it, the availability of males is not high.

Having someone with loads of energy, with male strength and Male thinking is ( no offence obviously ) just so much better for me. I can’t speak for the rest of the world, but for me it’s brilliant.

Last night we watched The Eurovision Song Contest and laughed the whole way through. He picked the winner as soon as he saw her – the ‘ well proportioned ‘ Israeli, whereas I picked the Hotty that ended up second. Horses for courses, I think that demonstrated, or as the winner said ‘ a victory for diversity ‘ ?!

My new help said ‘ Fat is the future ‘ …. and perhaps he’s right….maybe cake is the answer to everything?

I’ll be sticking to my specific carbohydrate diet though, with no dairy, which definitely does seem to  agree with me. My spasms and my tendency to bloat have definitely decreased.

The other big breaking news is that I finally have a vehicle that makes life fun and ‘ extreme’ – which goes with my nature. I’ll post videos of me and my Off Road Segfree soon!

My new help has started, and  I’m ok, all things considered.

The spasms have been a bit much, I’ve had more mechanical complications with equipment, but hey, I’ve had worse.

Ashley has made a big difference to my life, more than I could have hoped for, I have to say, and I feel a lot of gratitude for the good things that I have. Thanks to my mother for her ongoing words of encouragement, which does help me, as do all positive people in my life. I really have no desire for conflict in my life, and do aim to be free of what there is by the end of the year.

By then a lot ought be resolved for the better, I think.

From a piece by someone who has actually tried the new iBot!

Kim and I made the 90-minute drive from South Portland to Manchester, so I could try out one of their prototypes. The new iBOT is a thing of beauty. After driving it for a couple of hours I made a few suggestions, but they were minor because DEKA has this thing well designed.
When they roll out the next generation iBOT, it won’t have many new functions compared to the old iBOT. It’s just that every function has been improved. The seat is more comfortable. The transitions between modes are quicker and smoother. Stairclimbing, balance, and four-wheel-drive work better. The controller and joystick are more ergonomic. The software is more intuitive. The chair is lighter and smarter. And the batteries? No more deep discharge required. Enhancements, such as tilt, recline, leg elevate, and automobile docking will be considered after the initial rollout.
With the redesigned iBOT, Mobius Mobility, a new company in Manchester, NH, is entirely focused on the manufacturing and distribution. Although they have obtained FDA approval, DEKA and Mobius are still working on a Medicare reimbursement strategy, and have confidence they can achieve a much better result this time around.
I wish I could answer questions like how much is it going to cost and when is it going to be available, but I don’t know those things. I do know that I saw lots of very smart people working on iBOTs last week, and these people are motivated to make the iBOT business permanent this time — permanent and better than ever. I can’t wait.

Note: Look for announcements in the coming

I can cope with a fairly sleepless few days, but not so well when I get really bad spasms as well. Of course it may be the lack of sleep that makes the spasms worse, which then prevents me sleeping ( and so on etc ).

Today and for 36 hours I’ve been spasming all the time, and the whole airport thing wasn’t helpful at all. In any event it’s not exactly fun – more something I sort of quietly dread – but with the added distraction of constant spasms it’s pretty crap to be honest!

As usual the foreign end country’s airport people were better than our own, even at speaking English (?!), and certainly more communicative and smiley- and that does make a real difference.

Tomorrow I’ll have a fasting day again, as that definitely seems to be a positive thing for me – giving ‘ my system ‘ a chance to clear out, and reset itself.

I was thinking about going back to London again in a few weeks, but now I don’t think I will, as I cannot help but push the pace too much and it takes it’s toll. I think I forget that I’m paralysed and take on too much, but anyway I’ll see. I have a skin cancer appointment but I’ll try to see someone here if I can instead. None of the doctors i see in London are British, so I may as well be abroad and see a foreign one, right?

Im travelling back to portugal 🇵🇹 today, this time having engaged a MALE carer. I reckon that’s almost certainly a great thing for me – you know, men are a bit easier, aren’t they…?

This having a carer malarkey is more about me ‘ managing the carer’ than it is about them looking after me, I’ve realised.

I travel back with some off road wheels for the Segfree wheelchair, which in theory make it able to go pretty much anywhere, through anything. I might get a waterproof cover for it so I can go underwater as well.

And guns on the front as well.

You may as well be prepared for angry golfers, when you’ve wheeled slowly across the fairway, right ?

Lots of golfers in Portugal, see. And they can get a bit upset about things – especially if I wasn’t dressed appropriately, just to make things even worse.

Right, almost at the airport.

Anita and I. 

I seem to have injured my right arm in the gym, doing too much. This is something I’ve been really careful about avoiding, as once your arms are buggered, you are left with little. I’m sure it’s not that bad, however, although painful at the moment.

Also i managed to yank the catheter that goes into my abdomen( bladder ) and injure that area too. Now THAT makes my spasms awful – which they have been for 2 days. I had to take a sleeping tablet last night just to knock me out enough to be able to sleep through kicking and jerking legs, which did work.

Reef in Hammersmith were so good ! I was very tired by the time I got there, and thought a bit about not going, but the survivor in me makes me go, and then, thankfully, it’s ALWAYS worth it. Not drinking lager/ wine, but instead lots of soda water and lime, is actually much better for waking you up, I’d say – that’s my tip for today…

Reef 8.5/10  in the Russ Gig rating

Gomez – incredible – 10/10

Plan B – 9/10

Tonight Ashley  and I are going to see Reef ( band ) in Hammersmith, after seeing my lovely friends Toby and Cressida first.

Massive thanks again to Lester for today’s iBot batteries work, and to Marky P for his help the other day too.

Blessed to have my friends !

Plan B were definitely worth the effort and the lack of sleep, though it hasn’t been caught up on as yet.

The complexities of engaging a carer for my daily needs are omniprésent wherever I am, and I manage to live as full a life as I’m able, I think. It was lovely to meet lots of a friend’s  family and spend time with 7 children altogether – I enjoy the company of kids a lot ( being one myself ) and I have at least had some compensation for not seeing my own at all, despite my efforts. I can obviously not be a Dad to children that are not my own , but perhaps another adult  presence would  lighten her load a little – I hope so at least, though she is ever so capable by herself. What I’m saying is that I just want to feel useful in a family situation, rather than rejected completely.

It’s now back from Oxford and to London again – having a Motability car with a drive on ramp makes my life easier when it comes to traveling options, as I find it very difficult to get in and out of cars without having someone very strong and alert to assist me. I am so high in the chair that I can’t really see anything out of the window, so it’s not exactly perfect, but I’m looking at the positives, as I do. I’d far rather go shorter distances by road on the Triride when I get the wind in my face.

Last night I had what seemed to be the most realistic dream, where I had recovered enough to walk fairly well and feel sensation most places – i was so happy to be able to use my legs again, it was just amazing. After a while in the dream I asked myself whether I was just dreaming that I could walk again, and cast doubt on the reality of the dream within the dream. I determined that as the walking had gone on all day, that was longer than the possible duration of a dream, so therefore it must be true.

I woke up  then and to my distress it wasn’t true, any of it.

I used to have these kinds of dreams regularly but it’s been a while since the last one. They are lovely for as long as you are asleep – it’s just the waking up part thats thé killer.

Tonight it’s Gomez ( band ) in north London – should be great, and sleep will have to wait i think.

Having made it back to Britain, and said goodbye to Krisztina for the last time, I met Ashley and Luton airport for a romantic night in Luton Central Travelodge – yes, dont tell me that I don’t know how to spoil a girl…

Not having gone to bed til 5am ( digestion kinda complications ), it was a short sleep before we had to check out, but hey, sleep can be recouped another time.
Today has been spent in Chiswick doing a multitude of things that I had to do, and tonight we go to see Plan B in Brixton – should be really brilliant tbh!

Chiswick is full of people that I know, and every 2 Minutes I’m saying hello to an old friend as we go down the street.
It’s 30 years that I lived here, but now I won’t ever again. It’s funny how that chapter seems to have ended, and a new start beckons. It’s not even a month since I moved out, but already it’s home no longer, and I’ve moved on in every way.
Portugal isn’t going to be long term but I am beginning to like it there. I have a new Carer starting when I go back and I think we might even have a blast.

Mike and Monique ran 56 miles each in the desert today- and Mike did that with an injured leg. Endurance extreme events always come down to whether you can suck up the pain and somehow turn it into the pleasure of doing something most people will never do – these things are a weird drug that few get to take. I was lucky enough to take it for a few amazing years, and am so very glad I did, especially now.

I’ve just arrived in Brixton and it’s going to be a great gig. The atmosphere is really alive, and it’s absolutely packed.

Tonight we stay in Chiswick- thanks to Mr White for sorting that for me.

Russ