Day 30 - Making Plans

Today, the hospital sort of came to me.

We had what is known as an access visit by members of the care team, along with cleo, and a technician. The purpose of this was to look at the inherent problems (if any) that may be encountered when cleo comes home for 4 days at Christmas.

They duly arrived, and as we found last week, it is nigh on impossible to get the chair, with cleo sitting on it, through the front door, and into our lounge. But, things are different from last week, and cleo can stand now, so....out the chair she pops, and steps through the door, with help, but she did it.

We then went through the best way to get her into the bathroom, which means negotiating a step, but of course because she can actually take a few steps now, as long as she is careful, and someone is there to help, she can do that.

The progress she has made is remarkable: and while her paralysis is still fairly evident, she is beginning to get a little control of her leg, and whereas I could see many problems with being in the house at Christmas after she came home last week, now I don't. We will manage very well.

So, to help her negotiation of the front door, and the bathroom, the attending technician fitted grabrails to the front door frame, and the bathroom door. We don't want to make too many alterations of course because otherwise one becomes too dependant on these, and our aim is for cleo not to need them, eventually.

Hannah has 'flu, and is quite poorly tonight, tucked up in bed with a temperature, and feeling very sorry for herself. I hope that is all gone by Christmas. Being eleven and sick at Christmas doesn't really work does it? I am sure she will be fine. Presents are good medicine.

This afternoon after cleo had gone back with the access team, we visited as usual; although because hannah wasn't feeling too well, i brought the girls home early, and returned to spend the last couple of hours with cleo on my own. Yet again, it was good just to be in each other's company, and I put her to bed before I left, getting her settled comfortably, and not needing to wait for the ward staff to do this.

Tomorrow I am taking cleo to the hairdresser, and she is going to get pampered a bit; hair, nails etc, which I hope will do her a power of good before Christmas.

I Want To Hold Your Hand
(Lennon/McCartney)

Oh yeah, I'll tell you something,
I think you'll understand.
When I'll say that something
I want to hold your hand,
I want to hold your hand,
I want to hold your hand.

Oh please, say to me
You'll let me be your man
And please, say to me
You'll let me hold your hand.
Now let me hold your hand,
I want to hold your hand.

And when I touch you I feel happy inside.
It's such a feeling that my love
I can't hide, I can't hide, I can't hide.

Yeah, you've got that something,
I think you'll understand.
When I'll say that something
I want to hold your hand,
I want to hold your hand,
I want to hold your hand.

And when I touch you I feel happy inside.
It's such a feeling that my love
I can't hide, I can't hide, I can't hide.

Yeh, you've got that something,
I think you'll understand.
When I'll feel that something
I want to hold your hand,
I want to hold your hand,
I want to hold your hand.