Showing posts with label Nimbus 3 mattress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nimbus 3 mattress. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

An Important Job



Kathe Kollowitz.
This morning started off with a rather unpleasant phone call from Ria, an employee of Arjo Huntleigh, the company who supplied me with the Nimbus 3 mattress.

Ria called me yesterday and we agreed that 11.00 was a good time for her to come round to do her important job, as I needed to get up at 11.30.

She called me two months ago to say, that she had to come by and check that the mattress was still ok, she wanted to come round between 10.00 and 11.00 the next day.

When I told her I had an appointment the next day, for 5 hours from 10.00 until 15.00, she said she would call me back the next week.  

Then I never heard a word until yesterday, should have phoned the company when she had not rung back, as she tried to say, that she had to wait ages to check the bed because of me.

As if it were my fault she had not got back to me before, she said that she had previously called me some weeks ago, seemed surprised when I told her it was actually two months ago.  

 This morning I expected her to be here at 11.00, instead she called at 11.05 to say that she would be late, by 20 to 30 minutes.

As I needed to get out of bed at precisely 11.30 to be ready for an appointment at 12.30, I asked if we could reschedule the appointment, but this was absolutely not possible.

All her visit entails is her coming by and asking me if the mattress was still satisfactory and leaving again, she does nothing else, so asked her if she could not do it over the phone.

Ria’s response was to tell me if she could not come by today, I would run the risk of losing the mattress as it was imperative she made the visit.

She finally got here at 11.45 and asked me if the mattress was still satisfactory, when I said yes she ticked a box and left, all that for 2 minutes surely a phone would have been enough.





Sunday, August 22, 2010

My Very Favourite Auntie Sigrid.


Auntie Sigrid, my Dad and her dogs, Senta and Duchess in Trinidad.



Marie Bracquemond.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Bracquemond

My post yesterday was the story of my life and the situation and constrictions of the past two years in bed

It has been very difficult being in one room all day and night; lying down so much has been extremely bad for my torso muscles.

The way it happened is horrible; it is a catch 22 as I had to lie down because the wound could not take the pressure of being sat on.

I have a mattress a Nimbus 3 which constantly adjusts the pressure so I am not lying on a static bed which would also cause pressure sores.

The mattress’s noise is a very low humming noise that does not disturb me at all in fact it often helps me to sleep just by listening to it and not thinking of anything.

Not sitting was bad for my torso muscles which became inactive and no longer hold me up; the adaptation of the wheelchair seat has made a mould for my body which holds me in place.

Richie has to place me in the chair just so otherwise I need lots of adjustments; some days he gets it right first go.

Yesterday it was quite a sticky muggy day with thick clouds and no sun and all day the threat of a downpour.

It was very close and for awhile I thought it was just me but turned out that Richie was also quite wiped out.

Because it was so sticky it meant that I needed constant adjustments in the chair and in bed too, this got to me yesterday.

Richie explained that it was the weather knocking me out not my MS doing nasty things to me.

Once I realised this was all influenced by the weather I felt much better and could enjoy the day and evening sitting in the wheelchair.

Got a call from my auntie Sigrid in Canada, lovely to hear her voice so full of life in her late 80’s.

When I told her that I was out of bed and in the wheelchair she was happy and asked when I would be walking again with a cane.

She just does not want to accept the truth that I can not walk and will never do so again, she knows people with MS that walk so why can’t I ?

Been trying to explain this to her since 2007, sometimes she understands but then the next time she will hopefully ask if I am walking again.

I try to keep patient and sweet with my favourite auntie but its difficult also for her, I am her favourite niece.

She came to Trinidad in 1952 on a goods steamboat, when I was just becoming one to help my mother who had a tough post birth depression.

Auntie Sigrid became my happy mum the one who took me around and helped and encouraged me.

She so wants her favourite niece to be well, I think she is frustrated that she can not do anything to help me.

Because of this my, only option is to answer all her questions gently and carefully and let her know that I love her very much.

My favourite auntie Sigrid is a priceless treasure, she always has brought sun and fun whenever she visited.

Even now it makes my day hearing from her.




The singer Charles Haddon jumped to his death after a concert in Belguim on Friday.