Author: RogerMerriman

Coming back from Headway meeting, the train went no further than Teddington so thought since it was getting dark at this point and no easy bus route home, I’d walk though Bushy Park, only 2 miles, but certainly by end fully dark. Be a good test of how my dark balance/vestibular system was doing, from having the Physio ie improbable things by young women at StGeorges.

Lots of floaty/world is spinning and a bit of wandering off line. But no Zombie walk nor falling, few minor missteps, really chuffed! Don’t get me wrong I’m exhausted I had to focus on my walking the full hr or so it took me, but I couldn’t even do this a few months back so I’m very pleased!

Last night when to Hampton Pool with Lee and Dave, to watch T-Rex and David Bowie or rather cover bands of them! Sara had a great time, as it was the music of her youth! For myself the can’t balance in the dark or even gloom, and certainly not with the stimulation/confusion of folks dancing in the dark/music/light show etc. So we’d tried taking a chair so I could sit, which worked, but was frankly a bit pointless! I had tried shortly after my Bump, don’t get me wrong I’m so much better than before but it’s just too much!

No matter today I went to do something I can do and fairly well ie ride a bike, went on my 2nd Club Run with Dittons Velo again went places I hadn’t been for years. Really enjoyed it, was fair bit slower which is fine by me! And more hills which equally is fine by me!

Went for a bike ride with Mum today, from Llanfoist home, mostly via the old railway line, Mum seemed to enjoy it, didn’t much like the one steep point, just after Govilon though her E-bike was far easier than my gravel bike! Was a lovely ride up the valley!Was only a few miles but quite a lot of feet climbing, not to be sniffed at!As ever been to two hospitals few days ago, West Mid Hospital for a MRI which wasn’t very pleasant it has to be said, staff where lovely but it’s still not terribly nice, and it triggered a Vertigo attack which wasn’t unexpected.And then in the afternoon went to see the Wobbly head woman, ie the Vestibular Physio, I also heard that the Physio that had seen me in the Wolfson had been knocked off her bike out side StGeorges hospital. And has lost some teeth and broken nose? Wobbly Head wants to look at idea may have fairly permanent Migraine re my sound sensitivity.Today also is the NHS 70th birthday inspired by Tredegar, which is local to where I grew up, and also realised my parents span it, in that my father is just before and my mother just after!

I went again to The Way Ahead which is Headway’s annual conference lots of talks and of course Birds! This time not on ones head though!

This time around I deliberately didn’t go for every talk but spread it out and even took my bike so I could go for short spins. The noise and stimulation was too much last year, this year I was mostly human most of the time!

The talks I saw where oN Health and Rehabilitation which was a bit weak to be honest, but quite interesting ever the less, on the Friday.

And on Saturday I saw a great talk by Mark Bowra about his story, and his Bowra Bags, as ever Sporty/military folks have a huge drive to succeed which I’m sure helps hugely. And after Lunch a talk by Dr David Lee about sleep and Brain Injury which is quite pertinent for myself!

Was also nice and social I had worried that I’d be bored, but I was recognised by various Headway Staff, even if I didn’t myself! And chatted to various others over food/drinks, though one young woman claimed i was Respectable! Which I think may be a compliment of sorts!

Was a lovely if exhausting weekend.

Been for my first club run for 10 years at least, since i’d stopped going/been interested I guess and then been recovering I guess, from that Injury, I had ridden with David for a few years but that all stopped.

He has been involved in a small bike club called Dittons Velo For a few years I’ve been thinking about it for a while, met David to have a chat a week or so ago, and today went on the first Club Run with them, they meet in a local Cafe Rouge, rather too loud for my delicate little grey cells! But great once out, busy roads and close riding but lovely to be sociable again. Watch this space I guess! And yes that’s not the Surrey Hills but is the road bike.

Last night, we went to Headway South West London fundraising’s ball, in Richmond Hill Hotel, was fun to see folk scrubbed up, always more fun later in the evening when you can mingle/chat.

We are both suffering today! Sa because she is a early riser/to bed and my self because well just because that’s how it works now! But we both managed it, still standing (just) in the early morning, we got in after 12!

One of the things, that Sa has said in the past, is how Headway SW London has helped relationships, and ours in the after the accident, in how we adjusted after the accident, since it does change, and in many ways the voice and story of the partners/family gets lost since understandably the focus is on the injured person.

We have just been to see Killer Joe in London, was amazing theatre, the play it’s self is funny, intelligent, and dark to point of being uncomfortable.

As ever I’m shattered! I did notice both last night, and today how much I’m having to think around crowds, and loose my point in space. Which is what the Vestibular Physio is trying to correct.

And I’ve started supporting someone I used to pre the accident which is nice, and a lot closer! For a sad reason sadly as the young staff who had taken over, died a few weeks ago, for unknown reasons.

Talking of death, we found a very thin, cat with a lump on its face, looked very ropy so took it to the vet, which has a Dalek why? But sadly they rang next to say it had cancer, and had put it down.

When to the National Computer Museum yesterday Sara loves the very old bits of kit, Such Colossus and she also found some Telex Machines similar to ones she had used when 16/17 years old. And ended up telling the staff about them!

For myself I found the BBC Micro which was the computer that various Dyslexic teachers gave me spelling tests dressed up as games! Rather soured my view of computers for quite some time! And the Commodore 64/128 which is the computer I played games on and my Mum wrote her first books on.

Amazing how far this stuff has developed, loved the old phones/tablets which has always been the tech I’ve used the most. Had a number of tablet computers before frankly they where called that!

Luckily? I already used iPad/iPhone to organise/remember pre accident, so for a lot of it, I’ve coped by using the both much more.

Down at my parents, and gone down to see Dads yacht, in Cardiff, he’s had it for a getting on for twenty years, used to use it more at that time, and meet up with family down there, see the scary teen above!

As been a real blast from the past to help clean and have a quick potter around the bay, and even better that I can’t get seasick any more!

My condition is sadly often invisible in that most people at some point, struggle to understand be that denial ie they don’t want to think it? Or what ever, get a lot of “0h I do that, or just getting old!” Headway did a good Video on this.

I do get that it’s not possible to see my injury, and that I’m high functioning, so I’m not expecting strangers to notice, but equally I’ve had a huge battery of tests over a month in hospital, which they found that well defects both cognitive and physical ie balance or vestibular to be precise. Hence a lot of the quite often odd things that Physio’s have and continued do or ask me to do!

In other words it really has changed me, even if I do my best to show a passable human facade I do have to work at this!

Which is why it’s so annoying when someone attempts to brush it away, I know I shouldn’t let it bother me, but I do at times find it really well hurtful I guess? Last one was one of the others at last nights Headway South West London who I was very dismissive I am if we’re play Disablity Bingo clearly far less, but that isn’t the point is it!

Any way rant over, in happen news had my folks down for Celia’s party and we saw the Book of Mormon, so life is generally good, see Dad above!