British Weather Nov 2010

I could not believe the last two week's I have had. There were two or three things that happened to me. Firstly the weather has been terrible (which you can expect at this time of year), then on top of the snow and ice the lift has been out of order for the same two weeks as when we had the snow. With the lift working I used to manage to get out on my own, but without it I am more or less house bound. I have called the caretaker who has told me the lift should be fixed this Saturday which will make such a difference to my life. I am sure many people have had similar problems recently and my best wishes go out to them.

My trips to Douglas Bader Gym.

After struggling for so long to get my wheelchair I am now trying to improve what mobility I have left. I heard about Douglas Bader gym at Sunberry Day Center which I attend twice a week. I got my keyworker (Dolly) to get me an application form, which I then had to get signed by my doctor and sent it. I then had to go and be assessed at the gym by Lisa Duncan, she got me to do things on different equipment which I would never thought possible. There are thing's to help with upper body strength which I am doing at the moment. There are also machines for the lower body which I am not doing right now, but you never know, I would love to be able to use them one day. So I have made it my target for the new year (2011) to be able to get back to using my walking frame more and my wheelchair less. There is one thing I have forgot to mention, when you are finished in the gym there is a nice restaurant to round off a beautiful day. I am now going to the gym once a week which I am finding very helpful. There is a charge of £2 for using the gym and the meal usually costs about £6, in my opinion that is money well spent.

My trip to a gym

On Monday 8th October I went to the Douglas Bader gym at St. Mary's hospital, Roehampton Lane. Previously I was seen by Physiotherapists from the hospital, but they said they had done all they can and discharged me. They had given me lists of excercises to do at home but I found it very difficult to motivate myself to do them. The whole way things are set up at Douglas Bader suited me. I could not use all the machines but in time who knows. There were people there to offer advice, the two who helped me were Lisa and Paul. The equipment was brilliant, I wished I could use it all. I managed to use 4 different machines which I thought would have been impossible for me. It showed me just what was possible, I just wish I could use all the equipment. So watch this space for updates.

An Old Friend

On Saturday 25th October I saw an old girlfriend who used to be the light of my life 30 years ago. We both had changed a lot but still had so many things to talk about. She still lived in Chelsea and had many stories to tell me. I was born in Chelsea and it used to be like a little village where everyone knew each other.
So when Angie came she told me of some people who had passed away which was sad but also some happier storries.Angie now worked on the post and I was now using a wheelchair.My family was such a big family I had so many aunts uncles and cousins living in Chelsea everyone around knew us.Angie did a lot of jobs around the house for me, she was brilliant. She told me how she had recently lost her parents. They owned a property in Scotland which she had just sold so it had been a problem travelling between London and Edinburgh.
Still it was brilliant seeing her again and nothing was a problem. I thought as she had never seen me in my wheelchair it might be a shock but she wasn't bothered. Then it was time to say goodbye and as Angie gave me a kiss on the cheek she asked me if I would like to go to Las Vegas for four days with her and her friends which was nice but I didn't have the confidence to except which was a shame.

A Week to Forget

The week is the week to forget. The year is 2010. I have been Summoned to the Old Bailey to give evidence in a murder trial. The murder was that of an old neighbour and good friend of mine called Sam Smith. He would never hurt a fly but he got involved with drugs and that led him to get in with the wrong people. Some mr. big in the drug world was owed a lot of money by Sam and he wasn,t going to wait for it. What he did was set a trap for Sam, they knew he went for regular walks at six o'clock every morning to the local park. They sat and waited till he came by their parked car. Then they jumped out and stabbed him, he didn't stand a chance. I told the court what I had seen and they found the gang guilty of Sams murder and gave them life without parole.

My Week in Hell. (In The Countryside)

One Monday in 1915 I awoke to find myself laying in the countryside. But how could this be,I thought? The previous day I could remember I had gone to my job at Peter Jones store as usual and done my job. I was an assistant in the dispatch departmentand lived nearby in Sloane Square so I could not think how I got to the countryside.
The next thing I heard were people shouting and yelling Attention On your Feet. Quick the train is coming. I did not know at the time but the train they were talking about was to the frontline. I can now recall why I was here, it was the first world war and I had been called up to fight. The place where I was called Ypres and we had been there for two weeks. Yes it is all coming back to me now, how I was called up and been trained for many weeks, then sent to France with many others. As I moved to get to my feet a shell burst alongside me knocking me off my feet and injuring many others. There were bullets flying everywhere,I was sure the next one would have my name on it.
The same day we managed to survive, there had been about a thousand men killed or lost.The ones who were missing probably had been blown to pieces or lost in the mud or drowned in a waterfilled shellhole. As the day proceeded it was starting to get dark again, another night where I could imagine I was in the English countryside.

Consultation at Sunberry I.L.S.

The day is Thursday 30th September 2010. A representative of H&F council came to ask our opinions if the council was to close Sunberry. They said the moves they had in mind were to move some people to Imperial Wharf and some to Elgin Close Resource Centre. The council wanted to know what people's opinions were. For me it wouldn't pose a problem but for several others it might. They were bothered whether the care and assistance they receive now would be continued at Imperial Wharf or Elgin. The lady from the council said they had every intention of doing most of the things being done at the moment at Sunberry,which for myself was very reassuring. We had all been given forms asking if we would agree or disagree to the move and the council said nothing will be decided until they had been returned and counted, which should be in about four weeks time. So even though they couldn't give a sure answer, I still found it helpful.

Short story: A day in my life?

To-day began like any other day,I got up at 4.00am as usual. You see I have to start work at 6.ooam at the bus garage, which is a mile walk from me. This usually takes me just over one hour. Anyway as I got myself washed and dressed I noticed something strange out of my window. There were shattered parts of what looked like a crashed plane, I could tell this by the shape of the tailplane. There was wreckage every where but no sign of survivors or bodies. I phoned the emergency services who told me nothing had been reported.
I went out of my front door,I wondered why I had heard nothing, eventually I reached the wreck,there was no sign of life the people on board didn't stand a chance. I phoned my bus company who told me I had left 10 years ago due to mental health problems and that I had turned up every day since. It's not a bad place where I live they let me out now and again to relive my fantasies. Please don't think this is a madman writing this. Do You ?

My trip on the buses

This is the continuing story about my wheelchair.I was very worried about going out on my own but last Friday I took my chance and got a computer-cab to take me to the barbers. Then I pushed myself around the corner and caught a bus to Putney.The people on the bus were very helpful. When I got to Putney I went to McDonalds,it was lovely. Then I had to catch two more buses to get home. I found the people and staff on the bus a big help and will do it again soon.

My trip to seaside

The other day I was taken to Brighton for the day,which was great. I was taken by mini-bus with someone to push my wheelchair. We went to a Harvester for dinner and the staff there were really helpful.There were ten of us (four wheelchair users) and four staff from the Sunberry I.L.S . The assistants sorted everything out, what a brilliant day.

Since getting my wheelchair I can't believe how helpful people have been.Even strangers have offered to assist me.

Hello it’s me again just to tell you that I have finally got my wheelchair. The only problem I am having is a couple of ridges I have to go over in my building. There is one on my front door and one in the lift I have tried phoning the caretaker and my landlord but both numbers were unavailable. I contacted my occupational therapist and she said she would be in touch with the landlord. I am getting there apart from that and do use my chair when I can. I have used both dial-a-ride and computer cab and have found that both companies were very helpful.

Waiting for a wheelchair

After six months of waiting the day has almost arrived.

Yes it is the day I will get my wheelchair.

I did not realise it would be such a difficult thing to ask for. What I thought would happen was that I would get a chair straight away but no, it depends on your needs. I know someone who has more needs than me and he was made to wait one year for his new chair. Surely this cannot be right.

Last year I decided along with my key worker and occupational therapist to get a wheelchair to work alongside my walker. The chair I looked at on Wednesday needed some alterations so they said they would deliver it next week.

I do appreciate the position wheelchair services are in but I do think they need to realise that they are dealing with real people who are disabled by having to wait.