Saturday, January 23, 2010

Wet Grey And Rainy Saturday.














A very dark overcast day with wet snow that is melting right away, Richie has switched on the TV and gone off to clean the kitchen.

Not really watching the football treating the telly as a radio, suits fine while I am writing my post.

Slept well last night, Spike left the room without protesting; guess he just decided he wanted a biscuit more last night.

Been thinking alot about my first assessment visit, how I told the assessor I could get down the steps with someone moving my right leg down step by step.

Did say that once I was at the front door that was as far as I could go that I could not walk any further.

My mistake was not loaning the wheelchair right away from Thuiszorg (Home Help) and sitting in it during the entire interview.

Should not have done the talking should have let her do that, and just answered the questions.

I even showed her how I could still get around indoors, which was by holding on to everything around me including doors, walls and furniture.

Instead of this telling her, that I had big problems she took this to mean that all my problems would be solved by a downstairs apartment.

I saw a few, none of which were adapted, some I could not get in the door in a wheelchair, one place, I had to get out of the wheelchair and Richie got it in somehow.

The hall was a claustrophobic horror, think this could have triggered off panic attacks, it certainly did that day.

Shame I did not know all this at the start, then I would have had a better chance of getting the things that I needed maybe even when I needed them.

Oh well that was then and this is now, the wet snow has been replaced with lots of rain and it is getting dark early.

Intend to relax and enjoy the late afternoon and evening, life is better now that the course of antibiotics is finished and my bladder infection has cleared up.

Who cares what the weather is like outside this Saturday in January, when we are happy indoors.


13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Herrad! I probably would have done the same, I'm very proud. I hope you have a pleasant Saturday evening! :)

Herrad said...

Hi Rain,
Thanks for your visit and comment.
Pride is good but not if it costs are too painful.
Have a good day.
Love,
Herrad

Anonymous said...

I agree with you! Unfortunately I tend to learn the hard way!!
:)

Herrad said...

Hi Rain,
Me to.
Love,
Herrad

soulful sepulcher said...

Sending a BIG HUG

Herrad said...

Hi Stephany,
Big hug to you too.
Love,
Herrad

Ana said...

I thought I was the master in learning the harder way.
Guess we can start a club!
I'm glad you are indoors. It's so hot here at Rio that we are forced to go outdoors.
Can you believe that?
I'm sweating the whole day. I take a cold shower and if I do any tiny effort like cleaning the table... there I am sweating again. Ar-conditioner is not working and I don't have the money to pay the repairman.
Nell is sleeping the whole day and she stays at the kitchen because it's the coolest place for her.
Yesterday it started raining while I was doing the physiotherapy for my back pain.
When I got outside it was pouring rain and the street started to be full of water making it impossible to walk and I was lucky to find a couple that gave me a ride to cross the street and get a cab to go home although I was 5 minutes away from home.
We call it "summer rain".
Wolf! Wolf! arf, arf, arf arf arf, arf, arf arf arf...
Nell is telling it to Spike.
Love you Herrad!
Ana

Herrad said...

Hi Ana,
Seems we are all experts in learning the hard way.
Hope your fysio helps your back pain.
Have a good day.
Woof woof back to Nell from Spike and Marleen.
Love,
Herrad

awb said...

Enjoy your evening Herrad, snow that melts as soon as it hits the ground is my favorite1

Andy

Herrad said...

Hi Andy,
Thanks for coming by, after nearly a month of snow and ice I think wet snow that melts instantly is alot of people's favourite now.
Keep warm.
Hope your evening is good, my mine is.
Love,
Herrad

Herrad said...

Hi Andy,
The snow started falling late last night and it was very thick and it is still on the ground know about 3 inches which for Amsterdm where it usually falls and is gone the next day could mean there is another big freeze.
It is a winter wonderland here.
Brrrrrrr.
Keep warm.
Have a good day.
Love,
Herrad
Herrad

Travelogue for the Universe said...

Hi Herrad,
What a great post about being honest with the assessor. We are such proud humans and I dread the day when I need a hand. I assess others as well and feel my 30 years of compassionate listening as a nurse melds with my status of having MS, and creates my imagination when I look at a client's dis-ability (so negative sounding to us), I try to correlate with what I see and know. I try to find what adversity they had faced before and apply that to what I see. People who have faced maximum stress and survived are stronger and more resistant to help. How do we train young or new nurses to see beyond what the client states "I can do" to what is real "She cannot do" and not force the client to admit their defeat. Why take something more away from the client(someday me).
Have a great week. Love, Mary

Herrad said...

Hi Mary,
Thanks for your visit and comment.
You are right about us being proud people and it being difficult to assess people and to see what they can really do.
And indeed why take even more away, we all need self belief and confidence which are sometimes difficult to have when you are severely handicapped.
Have a good week.
Love,
Herrad