Farmers Market with TBSITW - and after

I can't remember much about what I did on Friday This may turn out to be significant. What I particularly remember is going to bed and having a wonderful night's sleep, getting up, showering, getting dressed and finding out it was 11.30 pm!!!!! After that I crawled back into bed.

On Saturday morning I felt better but did not have a shower as I felt too tired.

Later on Saturday morning TBSITW came round and took me to the Farmers Market. I didn't buy much, but I always like to look round. We then went on to Asda and got some shopping. You may not remember that my kind neighbours left some marshmallows, so I bought Thornton's toffees and Rice Krispies. This is to make these wonderful krispie cakes.

We came home and had cheese scone (me) and carrot cake TBSITW) and had a good blether. TBSITW sorted out some things on my laptop for me.

The BEST thing was that she brought me a gift of Molton Brown's Naran ji room spray. Now she knows how much I like Naran ji. I bought her liquid soap and hand cream for Christmas, and - as you do - bought some for myself at the same time.

After she left I felt rather tired and sat down.

Later, I got up to make a cup of tea, and managed to have yet another fall, once again onto my sit-upon. Unlike the other day, I could not get up onto my hands and knees and certainly not up to stand.

This is becoming a bit boring and repetitive, isn't it?

A lovely lady from the County Falls Response Service came and got me up using her wonderful machine.

Still not feeling great so I fell, once more, into bed. A bit of a disturbed night, and did not feel up to having a shower, but I have had a cup of tea and 2 cheese scones.

There is something of an irony about all these falls. The Day Hospital was trying to persuade me to get these special pants with inserts to protect the hips. Two things were off putting: I have never fallen on that part of my anatomy - face, head, shoulder, arm, back, knees, tail end and the other is that the pants are terribly reminiscent of incontinence pants. If they want to protect me from injury from falling, they will have to dress me up as the Michelin man, or put me in a padded cell. I would not mind the latter too much - as long as I could have access to plenty of books!

Falls follow-up

After starting the process to obtain the fall pendant that puts you through to the County Falls Response Service, I have tried on the telephone to terminate the one I currently have. I had thought it connected to the same service as the pull cord system in the flats, but in fact, not only does it not do that but it goes somewhere in England. The holding company may be the same but the services are entirely separate.

I was greeted by the house manager this afternoon asking what I was trying to do. She now understands, but is rather doubtful that I would qualify for the C ounty pendant alarm as there are so many pull cords in the flat.

My argument is that with Careline (or the other pendant alarm that I currently have), if I fall the response is to send out an ambulance with a paramedic and an ambulance technician.

To my mind this is ridiculous and such a waste of resources. By dispatching an ambulance, they could put someone else's life at risk, when all I need is to be helped to my feet.

The house manager is going to take up my case and see what happens, but in the mean time I have told her I do not wish to continue with the pendant as I have always been able to make my way to a pull cord - and subsequently able to release the front door and open the flat door for them.

On a lighter note, this afternoon provided some really good hands, so we shall wait and see.

Physio, Physio, Physio!

This morning I was at my usual physiotherapy exercise classes, designed specifically for people with breathing difficulties. I have really enjoyed them, and feel that, to some extent, I have hi-jacked them to help with my walking difficulties, which are more of a concern.

After my last fall, which required the attendance of an ambulance with a paramedic and an ambulance technician, my GP referred me to the physiotherapist who deals with falls.

She phoned me yesterday. I really must be more careful how I react when caller display shows "number withheld" because I always expect it to be a cold call, but it is not always so.

So, after I returned from my class, she visited me and spent quite some time assessing my walking and balance. My leg muscles are very weak, and some of that predates even the stroke and goes back to spending about 2 weeks in ITU on a ventilator for most of that time.

I was most impressed with her, and she is going to have a chat with the other physiotherapist in charge of the respiratory rehab classes, and get back to me. There are other classes which she runs and the next lot are not due to start until January.

She noticed that my left foot is flat (which was a surprise) and suggested an insole to help.

She is also going to refer to to the County Falls Response Service for a pendant alarm (and I would get rid of the other one). The other one was a mistake - it appeared in advance to go through to the same help desk as our careline pull cords, but it doesn't and so going to a separate service will make no difference to the response, except that I won't waste the time of a paramedic and a technician, who might be needed for a real emergency.