Day 46 - Bloody Bureaucracy!!

Today we had a visit from a lady who is from the Stroke Association. Very helpful and extremely knowledgeable regarding one of the most confusing and long winded forms i have ever seen: the application for Disability Living Allowance (DLA). This form runs to some 54 pages with notes and guidance.

Anyway, we downloaded it from the net, and I have spent most of the day putting the whole thing together. DLA is payable from 3 months after the onset of stroke so its due 21st February. We felt it was important that we got this form sorted and the application in, in good time for the decisions and awards to be made before the 3 months is up. This way we can be sure that what is to be paid can be made available from the due date without any hold ups. Hopefully with that all done now this can move forward in good time. For that we are indebted to Ann from the Stroke Association.

As a result of this we cancelled cleos physio with james today, and rescheduled for tomorrow, which will be earlier than usual, as its friday and i have to work again. We also need to organise how cleo will sleep over the weekend, although we have rearranged the lounge which should make it better than last weekend.

Dinner is Served

After Ann left, and the girls had come home from school, cleo really wanted to try and do something constructive, so, I took her into the kitchen, where, by sitting on a dining room chair she managed, with help to cook dinner. I know she was so proud that she had made dinner for us all: sausages, hash browns, cooked tomatoes, and baked beans. Well done cleo, yet another milestone! They seem to be coming thick and fast right now, which is good.

Cleo seems to get tired during the daytime, and Ann suggested that she ought to consider "going continental" and taking a siesta in the afternoon. An hour or two at lunchtime will set cleo up for physio, and mean she wont have to be running up to bed at 7 or 8 pm each night, because at the moment thats the time she is completely drained. Getting up stairs is hard work and if she left it any later it may be too difficult for her when tired, so i think this is a good idea. We will try that I think.

Why do we get tired? Ann explained: after stroke we have to concentrate far harder on the things we do, like standing, balancing, walking etc, the result of which we become tired much quicker than we expect because we are used to being able to do all these things second nature. Makes sense I guess, but often we don't realise why.

Tomorrow we are going shopping, and it is really nice to feel that cleo is starting to get a hold on the things we need at home; her shopping list mind is working again, and so I dont have to go armed with various bits of paper to help me remember what we need, cleo has it all covered!

You're My World

You're my world
You're every breath I take
You're my world
You're every move I make
Other eyes see the stars up in the sky
But for me they shine within your eyes

As the trees reach for the sun above
So my arms reach out to you for love
With your hand resting in mine
I feel a power so divine

You're my world
You are my night and day
You're my world
You're every prayer I pray
If our love ceases to be
That is the end of my world for me

With your hand resting in mine
I feel a power so divine

You're my world
You are my night and day
You're my world
You're every prayer I pray
If our love ceases to be
That is the end of my world
End of my world
End of my world
End of my world for me