The Haywood part twenty - discharge

I had my monthly goal planning meeting.  There would be me, Laura, Mum, Dad, Alice, Barbara and the head of physio.  They were the regulars, others would attend when required.  At my last goal planning meeting in November the head of physio said that unfortunately I wasn’t going to be able to have physiotherapy as regularly as I had been.  I wasn’t showing enough progress to carry on getting treated regularly on the NHS in place of somebody who did show more progress.  She didn’t support this view but her hands were tied.  She said it was important to continue with regular physiotherapy and if possible she recommended I see Lynne Fletcher at Manchester Neurotherapy Centre (MNC).  The other physios backed up this recommendation as well.  Lynne was held in high regard by the physiotherapists at The Haywood.


Manchester Neurotherapy Centre Assessment
I had an assessment with Lynne Fletcher at MNC.  There was me, Mum, Dad, Laura and two physiotherapists from The Haywood Clare Grocott & Claire Evans.  I was at MNC for an hour and a half.  A lot of this time was taken up with Lynne concentrating on my leg – warming it up and stretching it.  I told her about the 4cm difference in length between the two legs.  She wanted to see this for herself as visibly the difference didn’t look that big.  After Lynne had spent a large part of the session stretching the leg, she measured the difference.  I can’t remember what it was but it was nowhere near 4cm.  This original measurement was taken when the hip was broken and without any prior stretching.

To finish I did a walk of a few metres with just Lynne.  I was like a dead weight for Lynne to support, I couldn’t support my own weight.  I would walk with a minimum of two physio’s at The Haywood sometimes three.  I presume Lynne encouraged me to support my own weight (I don’t remember) but inevitably Lynne had to support my weight.

There is a video of this walk and not be too modest, I look M-A-G-N-I-F-I-C-E-N-T.

I’m standing on two wasted legs (I think they could be called legs).  My right big toe is covered in a bandage as I had an in-growing toe nail.  The tube that was inserted through an incision in my stomach to attach to a device at The Haywood to provide me with medication was dangling loose.  I walked without bending my legs – maybe I thought they would fall off if I bent them.  Lynne made the walk look a lot less problematic than I imagine it was.  I don’t know whether this is because Lynne’s strong or she knew how to support me.  I suspect a bit of both.

03.11.08

Worked on standing balance & weight transference.

Worked in kneeling with plinth infront.  This helps with abdominal & hip strength as well as balance.

Worked hard!

Poppy

4/11/08

Completed exercises on the plinth for core stability and hip strength.  Standing balance + posture work.  Walked across the gym with help of 2 people.  Did hip strengthening exercises in standing.

Well done :) keep doing bed exercises on your own.

Physio

Worked in lying on Tom’s core stability trying to activate his deep abdominal muscles.  Tom is going to try an abdominal splint to try & stimulate his abdominal muscles.

Thanks Claire Evans

I don’t remember trying this abdominal splint.  It is something I’ve been thinking of trying – if something existed.

Physio 7|11|08

Worked on sitting balance today, sit -> stand, then stand -> sit.  Tom did very well with this.  I have noticed a marked improvement since last time I did this work with him.  We finished with a short walk between two.  We are still trying the Abdo brace.  Tom will take it off if it hurts or is uncomfortable.

Clare Grocott

This has jogged my memory.  I have a vague memory of having a brace/girdle wrapped around my lower back and abdominals.  I don’t think it was uncomfortable, but I wasn’t experiencing any discomfort so I didn’t see any benefit of wearing this contraption.  I think I tried the Abdo Brace for a couple of days.

11.11.08 Physio

Tom completed exercises on the plinth up in the gym for core stability and hip strength.  Stood between 2 to transfer.

18/11/08 Physio

Walked with help of 2.  Forwards and backwards.  Completed bed exercises and sitting balance work.

Tara

24/11/08 Physio

Sitting balance work.  Bed exercises.  Reaching in sitting.  Standing balance and posture.  Walked with help of 2 people about 3m to chair.

Tara

25|11|08 Physio

In the gym.  We worked on lengthening Tom’s R leg + letting go with L leg.  Then we worked on hip strength.  We progressed to working in side lying -> lengthening and stretching lower back + pelvis.  We then worked in sitting – getting equal hip alignment + stomach strength.

We finished with x2 stands working on leg alignment.  He stood very well and his step transfer between x2 to the chair at the end of the session was very good.

Clare G

so long farewell auf wiedersehen goodbye

I was discharged on the 4th December which was a Thursday. I think my last day was Friday 28th November - I only had to show my face to get discharged so I was allowed to go home before the discharge.  They (The Haywood) wanted me to be home in time for Christmas, so it all happened quite quickly once it was decided I was ready for discharge.

I don’t remember much about the discharge, but I think that’s because there is very little to remember.  I think my Dad drove me back to The Haywood, wheeled me into the hospital and I signed a form to say I had been discharged.  That was it.

Putting my time at The Haywood in writing makes my experience seem much harder than it actually was.  In a way I actually enjoyed it.  I had friends, I knew a lot of people and everybody was in the same boat – in that they had some sort of ailment – I didn’t feel like a freak as I have done at times since.  Most importantly there was no pressure, I was in an environment that shielded me from the stress of real life.

Eyes update

I left my check up appointment on 07/02/12 (see post Hello Again) with the instructions to practice using both eyes again.  I was given a tongue depressor – an ice cream stick – and a normal pair of glasses with a prism stuck on.  I printed out a 36pt letter from Microsoft Word™ and stuck it onto the tongue depressor.  I would put the normal glasses on and stare at the letter.  I could see the letter in almost the correct position.  It appeared slightly to the right and above, the visions would overlap for a split second and then would separate.  The double vision would be constantly moving horizontally and vertically.

I realised I was holding the tongue depressor a lot closer than I normally do because I can’t see very well without my regular glasses.  I moved the tongue depressor further away and the double vision would move even further to the right and higher up.  I stopped this test about a month before my next appointment, as the results were always the same.

Appointment – 19/05/12
First I had the same eye examination I had twice previously (see post Hello Again).  The results now were slightly different and had deteriorated.  There was approximately a five° difference between the visions.  I say approximately because the double vision was constantly moving so couldn’t accurately be measured.

I saw Mr Burden next and he said unfortunately there hadn’t been any evidence that the brain can join the two images.

He feels that doing the other operations still won’t result in the ability to use a prism, requiring a further operation to insert a lense into the eye.

The procedure is reversible if needs must, but not easily.  Mr Burden wants me to attend a workshop held on the fourth Wednesday in the month.

The workshop is when Mr Burden and his colleagues get together to discuss each other’s cases.  Then I will go and pick up a contact lense that will block the eye, allowing me to experience having one blocked out before the operation.

I don’t envisage having second thoughts.  This operation is something I’ve pushed for.  I’ve used one eye since 2007 and the disadvantage of losing some of my peripheral vision is far outweighed by being able to have glasses with two ‘normal’ lenses.

The Haywood part nineteen

Back to the diary

Physiotherapy 10|10|08 

We worked on alignment of legs in sitting.

Then progressed to standing we worked on weight bearing through his R leg and alignment of his R leg in standing.  He then did some mini squats.  He did v.well and we progressed to a standing transfer.  His R hip is v.weak -> we’ll work on this.

Claire G

Physiotherapy

Worked on Toms trunk posture with arm’s reaching up to ceiling reaching fwd with arms onto my shoulders.

Worked on ½ sit -> stand with plinth in front.

Practiced standing & worked on standing balance.

Tom thinks I’m a nag!!

Claire Evans

Snr PT

Physiotherapy 17|10|08

We worked on Tom’s standing balance today – he stood well almost independent but he does still lose his balance.

We walked Tom today with assist of x2.  He managed x2 short walks.  His R hip is still v.weak but overall he didn’t do too badly at all.  Tom was pleased.

Could we have his Velcro trainers to try with his shoe raise – the white trainers are fine but just a little shallow – occasionally his heel was coming out of the trainer in standing.

Thanks

Clare Grocott

Physiotherapy

Worked on sitting balance on the ball & standing balance with the table in front.  Did lots of reaching & posture work working on R hip strength.  Walked width of gym with 2.

Tom said I’ve been nagging again!

Thanks

Claire Evans

27|10|08 Physio

We worked on high level sitting balance both on the plinth and wobble cushion.  Activated Toms right foot to improve his walking.  Walked 5m with assistance of 2, Tom remains very unsteady when walking.  Tom had some cuts behind his right ankle so we swapped the shoe insert to his white trainers to see if this helps.

Clare H

28|10|08 Physio

Started with standing posture and balance.  Walked with 2 people about 10m.  Still unsteady at present – needs R hip strengthening.  Progressing well.

Tara :)

29.10.08

Worked on high sitting balance & standing balance.  Short walk (5m) with assistance of 3.  Unsteady.  Please encourage lots of bed exercises in evening.

Poppy

31/10/08

Happy Halloween :)

Today we worked on some reaching in sitting, standing balance and posture, walking between 2 people and hip strengthening while standing against the gym bars.

Standing is improving :), still unsteady when walking, but some improvement.

(Tara) Physio

Catch22

Alice told us (Laura, my parents and I) that we needed to start thinking about my discharge - from hospital to home - and preparing my home environment to cater for my needs.  I explained that I lived in a house and the only bathroom was upstairs.  The shower was a shower head mounted on the wall above the taps for the bath – connected by a hose/shower tube thing and you had to step over the side of the bath to use the shower.

The front door is about six inches up from the drive.  Requiring the person to step up into the house.

There is a large garage attached to the house which a previous tenant extended.  It’s about thirty feet long.  Alice said she would contact the Social Services to see how we go about getting the garage converted into living quarters.

Alice phoned them and was told the Social Services couldn’t look at doing the conversion because they needed to assess me in the environment to see what needs are required to be catered for.  There is a small problem with this, The Haywood wouldn’t discharge me until they were happy I was going back to an environment that catered for my needs.

I’m sure Alice would have made them aware of the situation and let them know I couldn’t go home until this conversion was done.  Whatever Alice said it had no effect.  They wouldn’t budge.

What difference a home visit would have made I don’t know.  It was a garage! It needed to be converted into living quarters that in no way resembled a garage.  I can understand that they needed to see me to see my capabilities, but surely they could do that anywhere? Why can it only be at my house?

My Dad and my brothers volunteered to do the conversion.  In true Jeremy Clarkson fashion they thought “how hard can it be?” Alice was asked if she could ask the Social Services if they would at least fund the conversion. They wouldn’t.  They said as they’re not doing the work they wouldn’t fund it.

I’m sure the Social Services had been made aware of the situation and that their lack of co-operation would mean I couldn’t be discharged.

The Social Services...sorry let me try and express my annoyance when you can’t hear my tone...THE SOCIAL SERVIES...no, I’ll try again...T-H-E S-O-C-I-A-L S-E-R-V-I-C-E-S had tried their very best to stop me returning home.  I was under the impression the Social Services were supposed to help the ill and disabled?

Fortunately my family took on the financial burden as well as the physical exertion.  

Thanks for nothing Social Services!

We’re going to need a bigger boat

I’m not sure what the original idea was but it quickly evolved into a plan for a bedroom, a separate room for the bathroom and a small garage at the end.  Adam worked in an office next to the office of a bathroom company.  They would donate a brand new sink and toilet.

I can’t remember if the original intention was to create a wet room or this idea came from this kind donation.  Either way a wet room had been added to the spec.

In hindsight Dad, Daniel and Adam would rather wrestle a crocodile than try a build like this again.  They spent every weekend from October to December (I think there was a bank holiday at some point as well) working on this conversion.  They were converting a garage and it was the end of autumn heading into winter.  So it was quite cold.

This was one very large room when they started.  It now has a wall separating the living quarters from a small garage.  A room is built within the conversion for the bathroom.  The bathroom company who donated the sink and toilet (I’m afraid I don’t know their name) were employed to fit them.  They were also told we wanted to create a wet room.  We had a choice of floors to pick from suitable for a wet room and a choice of wall colours.

Having a wet room is a god send.  It saves me a lot of time as I don’t have to worry about water dripping water on the floor.  I now have a shower chair – last year (August 2011) it replaced a commode consisting of metal (organised by Jane Wilby, an occupational therapist for Social Services.  She did a great job of restoring some faith in them.)  My Mum or Dad come over late afternoon to get me into the shower.  I get changed into swimming shorts, transfer into the shower chair and Mum or Dad push me under the shower.  

The sink is over-sized and I can wheel right up to it which allows me to have a shave.  Not a clean shave as trying to remove hair from my face will probably result in removing bits of my face as well.  I use a beard trimmer. 

At the end of the bedroom are some double doors.  There were double doors here before but they wouldn’t fit properly in the door frame, so they wouldn’t shut.  They looked rotten – they weren’t but almost were.  They were supposed to bolt into the door frame at the bottom.  They kind of did, but they would only be opened if absolutely necessary.  The reason for opening the doors had to be good enough to make wrestling the doors closed again acceptable.

The doors were replaced with PVCu doors by Listers.

Plaster board was erected throughout the conversion, meaning a guy could come in and plaster it.  It took him one day!  The electrics were done by Laura’s Uncle Billy.  He came down from Liverpool a few times at various stages of the build.  Laura’s Uncle George came down from Liverpool on Christmas Eve to lay the floor meaning we could wake up in the new bedroom on Christmas day.  In the New Year Laura’s other Uncle George and his son came down from Liverpool to paint it.

Good to go?
Alice, a psychologist and my social worker – well if you can call her that !I saw her a total of three times and one of those was a thirty second meet and greet on my last day at The Haywood, to tell me she would be at my house the following day to assess my home environment.  They visited the house at the end of November when the job wasn’t finished, but it was taking shape nicely.  They were very happy with what they saw.  The social worker was happy with the temporary situation of me sleeping on a camping bed in the living room.

I had been given the green light and would be allowed to return home.

Yippee!

The Haywood part eighteen

Back to the diary

11.09.08 Physio
We have been keeping an eye on Toms knee this week + have been popping some ice on it.  I have done various tests and it doesn’t seem that there is any ligament damage + I know nothing was picked up on xray.  We tried a stand between two which Tom managed OK. Not too much pain but when we tried to step it was far too painful so we did sitting balance work instead.
Because of the pain I wasn’t sure whether it may be better to re-arrange a joint session for one day next week instead cos still quite limited by pain at the minute? Let me know.
Claire


Thanks – yes, next week seems a good idea.  How about Wednesday?
Jem

Physio (Monday)

Tom’s knee seems slightly better today, we managed 3 stands with assistance of 2.  He was able to put some weight through his knee & straighten it.  He stood for about 1 minute each time.  We also did some bed ex’s for his abdominals + bottom muscles.

We will try & have a couple more stands this afternoon.

Well done Tom!

Claire Evans

Snr PT

Tom managed another 3 stands this PM

Physio 19|09|08

Physio session in gym.

Knee exercises (see sheet) to be done over the weekend.  2x10 in the morning on the bed and 2x10 at night on the bed.

We also worked on abdominal muscle strength.

Sitting balance.  Tom did well with this – and did x1 good stand.  His right knee is quite weak but improving slowly.

Grocott 

(Clare)

23.09.08 Physiotherapy

Toms knee seemed slightly better today, we did quite a bit of work in lying + high sitting first, working on balance + core stability.  We progressed into sit to stand + standing work encouraging Tom over onto R leg + gently straightening it.  Managed better today but still unable to take any steps.  So we used a slide board to transfer which Tom managed well.

Clare G

24|9|08 Physio

We did lots of abdominal work today in lying and strengthening work for his R knee.  His R hip was particularly sore today so we are going to request the Doctors review his hip.

Clare Grocott

I went home for the weekend as I had done for a couple of weeks now.  Laura and I were in the kitchen, I removed my glasses to give the clear lense a wipe, but I held the arm of the glasses between my index finger tip and my thumb tip.  As always happens my hand started to shake - like a cat might squirm when you try to put a collar on it (this is a usual occurrence when holding something between my finger tips) - resulting in me dropping the glasses.

Clunk click every trip

I reached down to pick the glasses up, but I hadn’t put my brakes or my belt on and I fell out of the chair onto the floor (made up of quarry tiles).  I only fell a short distance – maybe a foot and a half – but I didn’t react and put my hands out to try and reduce the impact.  All of my weight suddenly crumpled in a heap on the floor.  I didn’t feel any pain so I assumed all was ok.  I shimmied round into a sitting position with my back leaning against a kitchen cupboard and by putting my hands on Laura’s shoulders (she’s freakishly strong), got up from the floor and sat back down in my wheelchair.

We went into the living room and put Jurassic Park III on.  I stayed in my wheelchair instead of transferring onto the sofa.  I wasn’t in pain but my leg ‘didn’t feel right’.  I couldn’t explain the discomfort.  After a few minutes I told Laura something wasn’t right and asked her to phone my parents.

They came over and had to calm down a distraught me.  I was worried that I’d done some serious damage and was going to knock my rehabilitation back.  I was close to getting discharged.  My parents and Laura assured me it wasn’t too bad as I wasn’t in pain and a fall like I had isn’t likely to cause a break.  However to be safe we’ll go to A&E.

I think I was seen fairly quickly.  I lay on a bed in a side room and told a doctor- who asked where I was experiencing the discomfort – it was my knee.  I hadn’t thought about where the discomfort was located and being asked where it was rushed me into an answer.  It was more of a guess, I couldn’t tell where the discomfort came from.  It just felt like there was something wrong, I would let the doctor identify the problem, I thought.

I had an x-ray and my knee showed no problems.  I was told a doctor would come and see me so I was assigned a bed and told to wait.  So I/we (Mum, Dad and Laura) waited...and waited.  It was quite late so Laura and Dad went out to get some food and drink, they came back and we waited some more.

After eight hours spent in the hospital and in the early hours of the morning a nurse told us there was still no sign of the doctor. We explained how long we’d been at the hospital and I was considering discharging myself. The nurse said she would put the scans on CD for me. My Dad then had to drive me back to the hospital in Stoke.

Back at The Haywood the physiotherapists would come to my bed to get me but I was finding it quite painful to use the leg.  I would regularly tell them I couldn’t manage it.

Laura’s parents – Bob and Jean – and Laura took me to Chester zoo.  We didn’t take the Turner so to get out of the car and get into the wheelchair I put my hands on Laura’s shoulders, stood up and stepped round.

The physiotherapists were concerned the leg didn’t appear to be getting any better.  I lay on my back on the plinth and my right leg was turned quite dramatically.  Claire House (a physio) measured my legs and found the right leg was 4cm shorter than the left.  She insisted I had another x-ray.

A second x-ray

I had another x-ray, this time at The Haywood with the instruction from the physios to x-ray the hip this time.

Lee (a nurse) took me over to the x-ray department at The Haywood and helped me up on to the x-ray table.  My hip was x-rayed.  I don’t have any memory of how long it took for me to get the results.  I think it was pretty quick.  I had broken the neck of femur in my right leg.

I was transferred to North Staffs hospital, again I don’t remember this happening but I think this happened immediately.

My memory of my time at North Staffs is very sketchy.  I was wheeled to the theatre in my bed – well I presume it was a theatre but I have no memory of it.  I have a memory of stopping in the corridor (in an area to the side of the corridor with a few beds discarded here).  Daniel was with me, he said he’d see me afterwards and I was put to sleep.  My memory may be inaccurate rather than this is how it actually happened.

The hip has got a screw/nail holding the broken bone together, I have a three inch scar on my right hip.  It’s quite obvious there is a screw holding the femur together as it is noticeable under the skin.

I think I was at North Staffs for three maybe four days.  I realise now (present day) why I didn’t mind my stay at The Haywood – I hated my stay at North Staffs, it was incredibly boring.  I was stuck in the bed for the whole duration.  I had a book with me – what it was I don’t know.  I rarely read books now as my concentration isn’t very good and my eye is constantly darting horizontally and vertically, meaning I lose my position on the page.

My parents and Laura visited me every day.  I have a memory of Daniel visiting me but not Adam.  Daniel lives relatively close, Adam doesn’t.  He also has two small children who wouldn’t have sat quietly around a bed.  Actually as I write this it’s just occurred to me that I’m not sure if small children are even allowed in the hospital?

I would clock watch waiting for visiting time.  After anticipating their arrival and looking forward to their arrival, I would spend the entire visiting period clock watching getting more and more depressed as the time for them to leave got closer and closer.

There was a chance I could go back to The Haywood – a couple of days into my stay - providing a doctor had come to see me.  He didn’t and a nurse told me I would be staying for another night.  I was gutted.  I wanted to go back to The Haywood where I was comfortable, I felt confident talking as everybody knew about my speech difficulties and I was familiar with everyone.

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The Haywood part seventeen

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07.08.08 Physio
Worked on Toms bed mobility initially - rolling side to side ‘with min supp’, then onto his front for a stretch to his back.  Able to do this really well.  Then went to gym + worked in standing between two plinths + stepping forwards + backwards, keeping a strong stance leg.  Progressed to mob between 2.  Better today.  Worked v.hard!
Claire G

7.-8-08 OT

Hello!  Tom has been to supper club this afternoon/evening! Made beans on toast – pretty well except for setting fire to the grill and shoving his hand on the hot grill pan! Aiming to make home made burgers within the next 4 weeks (if we manage not to burn the place down in the meantime!)

N.B No injuries apparent!

Alice

Supper club was intended to get you back in the habit of preparing your meal yourself.  At meal times I would wheel into the lounge, sit at a table, call out to a nurse what I wanted and a nurse would bring it over.  

I was aware that once a week people wouldn’t go to the lounge for their tea, they welcomed the chance to make it themselves, allowing them to have what they desired (well, what they could make) and not choose from what was on the menu in the lounge.

I was aware of supper club, but as I was fairly sure I’d be no good at cooking.  I hadn’t considered attending supper club, I would be as much use as water wings on a toaster.  My disabilities was a convenient cover for the fact that I can’t cook.  Laura does the cooking at home.  I did make tea once – well I put chips and mini pizzas in the oven.  They had to go on different temperatures for different lengths of time.  This was like rocket science to me and it was my first and final attempt as biting into a chip almost broke a tooth.

Alice asked me to try it.

“I’ll be no good at it” I said

“How do you know if you haven’t tried?” came the response.

“Fair point” I thought with a feeling of déjà vu.  It would have been a good idea to say “no thanks, I don’t like cooking” it would have made it harder for Alice to broach the subject again, and again, and again.  Until I decided it would be easier to relent. 

 “OK! I’LL GO!”

Told Ya

Alice asked me what I’d like to make.  I said burgers.  It would have been more achievable to say “I fancy a bowl of Rice Krispies”.  As it was my first time attending Alice said we’d work towards the goal of homemade burgers, but first she suggested beans on toast.  I don’t remember cooking the beans.  I think that’s because I was going to cook the beans after I’d put the toast on.  Unfortunately I didn’t get that far.

I like toast...a lot.  I like toast with Marmite, toast with Primula cream cheese with chives, or both toppings on the same piece of toast.  Om om om.

My toast cooking experience included with a toaster and a grill.  I was pretty confident I could make the toast on whatever apparatus they had.  The Haywood kitchen had a cooker with a grill.

I put the bread under the grill and turned the grill on.  The bread was turning golden so I reached in to turn the bread.  Unfortunately forgetting that my right arm is no more reliable than I am a Michelin rated chef.  I reached in to turn the bread over, my arm waved around reaching for the bread, including upwards onto the burning hot grill pan.  I have limited feeling on the right hand side of my body, but I would imagine putting my hand onto a red hot grill pan would still smart a bit.  Even if it didn’t hurt straight away, I was watching where I was putting my hand so I would have pulled my hand away immediately.

I had intended to make beans on toast and monumentally failed.  In fact I’d only managed to make toast...well I’d managed to make warm bread.

Back to the diary

11-8-08 OT

Hey.  Tom virtually showered himself this morning.  Did well with dressing and step transfers.  Managed to step transfer with no prompting over where to put his feet!

Alice

12/8/08 Physio

Tom worked up a sweat on the bike for 20 minutes, he cycled over 3 miles.  Tom had some massage to his feet and did some toe exercises Tom had a short walk with 3 physio’s, good control.

15/8/08 Physio

Tom’s been to breakfast club this morning where he made his own breakfast.  Straight after Tom went upto the gym where we worked on his bed exercises, also rolling on to his front to stretch his back.  Tom also walked approx 20 metres with 2 physio’s.  Good session today Tom, well done.  Vicky.

Breakfast club

Breakfast club had the same intention as supper club.  You made your own breakfast and then washed the dishes up.  I went along quite a few times, I think it was to get better at using my right arm rather than getting to the point I could prepare my own breakfast.

I had toast with butter, I asked for Marmite but they looked at me as if I’d just unleashed a series of profanities at them.  Cereal wasn’t an option as it might have choked me/initiated a coughing fit.  Actually thinking about it surely toast would have had the same perils?  I don’t remember eating the toast.

I made my breakfast and along with the other two patients we did the washing up.  Somebody washed up, somebody dried up and the other put away.  I would either do the washing up or the drying up – with a tea towel across my lap and another tea towel in my hands to dry the item the OT’s had given me.  

This time I did the washing up.

I wheeled close enough to the sink so I could reach the taps and the plug.  The sink was fairly low and fortunately was at the perfect height so I didn’t have to reach up.  I ran the hot tap until it was hot enough to fill the basin.  I put the plug in.

“The waters coming out quite quickly” I thought “I’ll just turn it off”.  I turned the tap with my right hand anti-clockwise.  The tap needed a further rotation to turn it off.  Now for this action you would move your hand away from the tap, put your hand on a different part of the tap/knob that would leave you enough room to rotate the tap further.

Unfortunately I didn’t remove my hand from the tap and re-position it.  Instead I turned the tap anti-clockwise, realised it needed rotating further and instead of moving my hand away I rotated the tap clockwise instead – releasing the water back to the flow to the same level it was before.

As the water gushed out of the tap I thought “well that’s not good, I’ll try again and this time move my hand away”.

I did the same again.

The water was edging closer to the top so I thought with some urgency “JUST TURN THE BLOODY TAP OFF!”

I tried turning it off again, it worked! The water gushing over the lip was enough motivation, oddly not thinking about it and just doing it in a blind panic made it much simpler.

I did the equivalent of walking away, looking up at the ceiling, putting my hands behind my back and whistling.

I looked at the OT, smiled and said “oops”.

18th August 2008:Physio

Tom was resting on his bed this afternoon said he had a headache, still went through all his bed exercises.  Also rolled onto his tummy to lift his arms up to help stretch his back.  Massaged Tom’s right foot, had a good chat about music!!

Sarah

19th August 08. Physio:-

Tom went up to the gym this afternoon, worked on his balance in standing resting his hands on a raised plinth.

Also practiced side stepping and mini squats with hands on the plinth.  Walked between two people about 10m, some good steps taken, encouraging Tom to tuck his bottom in and bring his chest & tummy up.

Sarah

21st August 2008 Physio:-

Tom went into the hydro pool this morning.  Working on his abdominal muscle strength and other exercises.

Sarah

20th August – (written on 22nd July – sorry!)

In gym – worked on standing infront of high physio bed – stressed his balance today a lot + encouraged Tom to clap his hands in standing releasing hands from the plinth.

Progressed to short walk with assist of x2 some nice controlled steps but Tom still needs to transfer his weight over his wt bearing leg

Clare Grocott

22|8|08

Hello! Tom showered this am – did well again.  Also worked on feeding at lunchtime – did really well again – used normal cutlery and didn’t drop much.  Just to let you know – turner + commode ordered for home, so local store in your area should be getting in touch with you to arrange delivery.

Alice

Physiotherapy 26|8|08

Worked on abdominal core strength initially then worked on sitting balance with Tom perched on the edge of the plinth.  He did well with this.

We then worked in standing on his balance -> he was a little wobbly today.

We then walked Tom with assist of x2.  Initially his steps were v.good nice + controlled.  He then fatigued so we left it there.  He said he was “shattered” after physio!

He did well.

Clare Grocott

Physiotherapy 27|8|08

Worked in standing with a high plinth in front -> Tom practiced finding his own standing balance.  This was better today and he only needed minimal help.

We walked Tom with a zimmer frame today -> Just to give it a go but it didn’t work for Tom.  We walked then between 2.  His walking was then much better.  Much more upright – controlled steps so we will definitely not try the frame again.

Clare Grocott

Physio 28.08

Worked on Tom’s sensation and perception in his feet, with a good stretch to his calf muscles.  Then worked on sit to stand push off + controlling movement.  Further work in standing – work on transferring his weight onto each leg + lifting alternate hands off plinth.  Did very well – only requiring min assistance.  We finished by walking between 2 15m – improved control + positioning of feet.

Clare G

Physio 29.08

Worked on core stability exs + pelvic movements.  Then worked on sitting balance from a high plinth, then standing balance, then walked between 2.  Better stepping today but still a little wobbly.

Clare G

01.9.08

Worked on bed exercises – very slow & controlled.

Sitting work and standing balance, had a short walk.

Poppy

1.9.08 Physio:-

This afternoon helped Tom onto a peanut ball (a bit like a gym ball Tom shall show you!) to work on his balance and to give his hips a good stretch.  Bouncing up and down.  Also holding a small ball with both hands.

Sarah

02.09.08 Physio:-

This morning Tom had a really good gym session working on high sitting balance + postural control, worked on sit to stand with control.  Lots of standing balance work + then a walk.  Better more controlled steps.

Clare G

4/9/08 Physio

You have done a really good job with Tom’s right foot as it is now far more supple.  We worked on Tom’s feet to start with.  Tom did some core stability exercises on the bed.  We worked on high sitting balance, worked on sit-to-stand with minimal use of hands.  Standing balance training.  Walked approx 4m between 2 with good control.   Tom remains very wobbly trying to put on his shoes.

Clare H

5|9|08 Physio

Tom went up to the gym this morning.  Standing with a raised plinth in front of him with assistance of 2 to keep while he threw a ball with another person.  Also worked on core stability and bed exercises - Sarah

The Haywood part sixteen

Mum, Dad, Laura, my Uncle and his partner came to see me. We went into the conservatory, closed the doors and sat around the table. Dad said “it’s Granddad” I feared the worst and responded with the question “he hasn’t died?” Dad nodded and I broke down. I’d only seen him once – fairly recently - since I’d been in hospital. I wasn’t really in a state for visitors in the early days, only in the last month or so had I become independently mobile and able to hold a conversation.

I don’t really remember anything else about this visit, but I think that’s probably because it was quite a short visit. It was a Wednesday which only had visiting hours in the evening, it should have rang alarm bells that they’d come to see me outside of the visiting time. It didn't though.

I was taken back to my bed and they left. My mind was allowed to wander. I was hit by a feeling of guilt. At first I felt guilty that I hadn’t seen him in the past year, but I quickly reasoned that I had no reason to feel guilty for that. I did however feel guilt because I hadn’t gone over to see him much while I was able to – he only lived thirty minutes drive away.

I’d never thought about the fact that inevitably this day would come. I’d only lost one grandparent, my other granddad in the year 2000. I was only seventeen, plenty old enough for it to have an effect on me, but too young to have any independence – I was still living at home and was dependant on my parents. I was twenty five now, old enough for it to have a profound effect on me but again I still didn’t have any independence. In fact it was eight years later but I was much more dependent now. At least back in 2000 I was able to go where I wanted, be around people and talk to people. This time though I was completely alone. I couldn’t talk to anyone - actually scratch that, I could have if I wanted to. I was in the best place if I wanted to talk, there were several people to talk to. I was completely removed from the reality of the situation, so I blocked it out and tried to carry on as normal. I can’t remember what I did – I either played Football Manager on the laptop or got on to the bed with the help of a nurse. I don’t have any memory of this time. The only memory I have from this period is Sue coming to see me the following day and saying she was sorry to hear about my Granddad. It was probably to give me a shoulder to cry on and somebody to talk to. My response however was “thanks, have you seen Cloverfield?” Probably not the reaction she expected but she accepted my obvious deflection of her sympathy.

I’ve never spoken about this time, mostly because there isn’t much to say as I don’t have much memory of this point. Although writing this has brought back some feelings of sadness. My only other memories are from the day of the funeral. Mum bought me a suit for the occasion. I worked from home previously so I didn’t have a suit. I have a memory of the suit being quite baggy on me and not fitting properly. Although I think that memory comes from an occasion more recent that I had to wear a suit for. I’m much lighter and ‘wasted away’ than back in 2008.

I have a memory of waiting outside the church before the funeral for people to arrive, but no memory of how I got to the church. I remember coming back from the church in a funeral car. Was I picked up from the hospital and taken straight to the church? Was I picked up from the hospital and taken to somebody’s house before? I have no idea.

I have a memory that my cousin Luke was going to be a pall bearer, I don’t remember who the others were however. I presume they were my Dad, Uncle, Daniel, Adam and my cousin Joe.