Monday 29-3-2010

So as the world outside of Shenton Park keeps going, I have to keep going too.

I find driving to and from seeing Simon is time to myself. No matter how good or how loud a song is on the radio, it doesn't drown out my thoughts so I drive in silence. Most of the time, I get in the car at home and get to Shents, and I know I drove, but cant remember driving. Unless the girls are in the car and then it is half an hour of explaining the rules of eyespy to Georgia.

We started off last week with a bang, quite literally, with the girls and I about to park the car at Shents, without warning, the hail came crashing down. With the girls screaming bloody murder inside the car and me repeating that everything will be okay, all the while thinking a sun roof at this time is not cool ! So, after 20 minutes of wondering if it will be the hail or the high pitched screams that will break the windows, we braved the storm to run into the Ward...and then the hail stopped...

Simon has been up to a whole lot of learning in the past week. One lesson being that some of the people checking this blog, dont approve of his Dockers shorts. You will be happy to know that, based on medical advice only, he had to give them the heave-ho (insert laugh here) as he was sliding in his chair when trying to sit up and they were cramping his style. He has learnt a few special techniques like putting on his shorts and shoes and different sitting techniques.

On Thursday, Simon was offered to be tested to check if he was suitable for a research trial for FES (Functional Electric Stimulation). It was an experience to say the least, watching Simon react to the electric shock basically...lets say disturbingly entertaining, for everyone else. I have posted a few of the photos from that test, and see if you can make out what Simon is trying to say.

After a plethira of visitors on Saturday morning (there were 12 people in Simons room at one stage) we enjoyed a quiet afternoon together. Then Sunday we had more visitors and Simon got out and about in his wheelchair in the sun, you could see he was enjoying the change of scenery. Although Georgia was testing my patience, she was exhausted from sleepovers and in that tired little voice, kept saying, 'I'm tired and I wanna go hooommmmmmeeeeee'. She is still catching up on her zzz's.

Simon has pins that go through the halo and into the side of the head. He has four, two at the front and two at the back of his head. There is a white tip much like a golf tee, this is screwed into the head and is tightened every Tuesday to 7mm from the skins surface to grip to the skull. They had to replace one of the pins, as the resistance from the skull and the tightening, caused the pin to bow.

So another week of hard work, determination, and less chocolates and Simon will be able to cross out the calander.