Alex will walk again

Saturday i didn’t do physio.. as i was preparing for it, when my catherdar blocked resulting in an autonomic disreflexic episode, my mum came to my rescue and changed it (without any drugs) my blood pressure went through the roof.. we called an ambulance and they were completely useless! in a situation like that.. i know my bp’s high! i have a drug that will reduce it (but is really dangerous because it can lower it too much) so i need to find out what the bp was…. and the ambulance woman (who had said, she had never come across autonomic disreflexia before) would not listen to me, plus she was the slowest woman to.. i was going to be taken to hospital.. and she then wanted to hoist me (which takes ages) they have a “pat slide” but still wanted the other way!! luckily my physio and a district nurse (thank you Sue) came at this point.. but by now my vision was fading and i was panicing more.. then they took over.. my mum had done the main part.. but they resolved the situation! that ambulance was more like a taxi with blue lights and a moron driving - in a situation like this you need to act fast! and especially if you don’t know - FOLLOW INSTRUCTION!! - here is a LINK to the definition of autonomic disreflexia!

i had 16 different drains/tubes maintaining me while on life support in Miami.. one of which was a chest drain from my left lung…. i’m not sure weather its a bit of scar tissue or it could be a stray stitch left in… but i have a constant ITCH there!! i’m really squimish.. so in rehab while all the scars were still healing i kept the stitches quiet, i had so many, they had missed a load to the point where they would accidentally be pulled out while dressing! so it could well be one.. but it’s unfortunately going to stay

POOR ME!

i’ll be stim’in it again in the morning - legs, arms, core and calf’s (isqueez) then back on the treadmill Saturday!

today i started with my leg and arms on my FES bike ( 9 & 6.3miles) then my core stability - i do feel more “in-control.. more normal.. more human”

The slendertone belt is really proving itself an asset to me - although it eats the batteries.. since i’ve been using it every other day (along with the RTI 300 FES bike) i am gaining a lot more core stability, i followed that session with 9 miles on my FES bike (the bike cost £19,000 - a really good machine.. the slendertone £150 from argos!)

i don’t really know what makes the body work.. but FES has been a real “god send” since my injury it’s been the best and most productive thing for me.. really building muscles and maintaining my physical….. state - electrical stimulant firing pulse’s into my muscles working them for me - i’m back doing legs every other day and arms everyday, plus using the slendertone belt works my core every other day, and where possible using the off road chair to maintain my sanity

the weather has turned.. but as i’ve said before “it can’t rain all the time”

i was brought back.. flat lined 6 times… my heart and lungs stopped altogether Christmas night, they brought me back from the brink of death only to waste each day here at home…. i need to do something with my life (along side physio), i realise i can not do my old job (the only option there is to teach at a collage) i’m not built for that.. in my opinion you have to be a certain type of person for that - i’m more hands on..

who knows… i definitely don’t

my laptop broke about a week ago.. i now have the new one - a dell inspiron - a very good all round computer, i’m still fes-ing each day, the other day i did my legs, arms, stomach then the isqueez - full body stimulant, plus i’m getting out a lot in the boma chair, i now have a transit van to get about in, this has really freed things up for me

yesterday, i did another 9miles on my fes bike, very shortly i will be doing the same again. my Boma off road wheelchair (although over priced… as with all disabled equipment) is the best thing (for now) for my independence.. but…. the down side to it is the tyres, in two months i’ve had two punctures… these were in our field (which is flat and well maintained!) i’m looking at a different type of wheel - run-flat or solid tyres.. as with my injury, i can’t exactly get out and push!!