I can't believe it's been so long since I wrote my blog! Lots has happened since then. I had another meeting for the Stroke Association. That went well even though there's only a few of us. But it will get better. My car's had to go for a service and I've also had to get the hand controls serviced too. The garage were good and came to collect and drop it back off after the service but I had to take it for the hand control service. That was more difficult as I had to go somewhere I didn't know and then find it. I should have more confidence in myself as I found it ok.

My daughter's exams have finished, phew, thank goodness and she's had her prom too. Whsch all went really well. My friend's car was great and looked great in the pics. Her boyfriend looked really smart and wore a tie that matched her dress colour, royal blue, his suit was lovely and matched too but was a darker shade of blue. My only dissappointment is that her Dad didn't come to see them both go, I know she'd have loved him to be there. He kindly fetched her at 11.30pm for me though. so he got to see her in her dress but at the end of the evening when she looked bedragled.

On June 16th the DWP were to come and reassess me for my PIP, Personal Independance Payment. My sister in law came oer from Huddersfield specially for it. They were to arrive between 09.00 and 11.00am but never showed. When we rang them they said they had rung on th 14th. They left no message on my answerphone as iremember checking it about 5/6 times that day as I'd had several calls. They said a letter had been sent out as a new appointment had been made for the 28th. I asked if I could change it if it wasn't convenient but was told no as I'd changed it once and wasn't allowed to do that againle! ut this was them changing it! Luckily we were able to do it. Well I've had the assessment now which will hopefully turn out ok. Honestly I don't know what they expect - that you'll suddenly be ok - I wish!

Well my daughter is doing the NCS Programme which starts in August. She won't find a job so she can do something worthwhile. For those that dont know it is the National Citizen Service which the government sponsors. They do a 5 day stint of team building excercises, then  days at a university in halls where they do varius activities and learn about dealing with money and finances etc then 2 weeksdoing a community project or a fund raiser. At the end of it she hopes to get some references for her cv etc. It is recognised by Uni's and employers too so hopefully worthwhile.

I've also done the Race4Life again for a 3rd time. It gets better each time, hopeully one day I'll walk all of it but don't hold your breathe! The weather was dry and warm and we had a great day. It was lovely to see my 2 Friends again! My daughter was able to do it with us this time and then we had a great lunch.

Well bye for now I hope it doesn't take this long to update it next time! 

Hi I hope everyone hope you are all well. First I must tell you aboout a fantastic book I've read. It's by Peter Coghlan and is called 'In the Blink of an Eye'. He suffered a brain stem stroke much like my second one and could only blink his eyes to communicate. He had locked in syndrome. If you need encouragement to get off the sofa then this is it! Inspirational! Or it makes you realise how much better you are. Result! I seriously couldn't put it down!

Why, when you are improving or trying to, does something always go wrong to set you back. Last Tuesday I'd been to my Stroke meeting got home and thought it's such a nice day I'll go for a walk with my walker. I'd walked round the corner and the dustbin men were on their round and went passed me, I sat on my walker for a while then started walking back, gone a few yards when I fell backwards on the pavement. I lay like an upturned beetle or tortoise on my back totally helpless! Goodness knows what had made me lose my balance, distraction, loss of concentration, knee or ankle giving way. All I know is it's such a hindrance! What makes me so mad and frustrated is that you have to concentrate on something that was so automatic before. Well luckily the dustbin men drove round the corner and 3 burly dustbin me got out and proceede to pick me up. Dreadfully embarassing.

Thought I should qualify my last entry to the blog about having a cleaner. They come once a fortnight and as I get soooo tired it actually allows me to go to the bank and cash till for money and £2 coins for my daughter's busfare etc. It allows me to do ordinary parent stuff that I couldn't otherwise do cos I'd be too tired. It also allows me to meet up with friends occassionally. The reason we get so tired is due to all the stimulation our brains are getting like sight, sound, concentration, talking etc. I find it difficult to walk and talk at the same time as I need to concentrate on walking and also the conversation too. I wish my legs would soon feel like mine instead of feeling like I'd had 15 pints. I used to love real ale, only the odd, now I daren't have a glass at all as I don't want to deal with the consequeces of even worse legs.

A week ago we had another meeting of stroke survivors and the stroke association. It was a good meeting. One man who attends has great improvements in his voice after just 9 weeks. Whwn we first met him it was difficult to understand his words without looking at him. Now his words are much clearer. Practice talking by reading allowed and singing too, it helps punctuation etc. Whatever you do keep it up.

 This last weekend has seen a reunion of my first ever job. The Soil Survey of England and Wales. But as my daughter was doing her GCSE's I wasn't able to go, much to my disappointment. It would've been so good to see everyone I worked with or knew. One big pproblem I'd probably have cried with embarrasment that they had to see me this way. My crying has got loads better, for oinstance I'd normally have cried when the dustbin men had to pick me up, but I didn't this time and recently my cousin and her husband called in at Mum and Dad's and I usually cry when I see them but I didn't. Probabl because I went to see them this time.

Well have to go now keep up the excercises whether for your voice or legs and arms and your memory.

Back at last! Hope you are going ok. I'm fine. What's happened? Well next Monday my daughter's exams start. So good luck to her! My PIP renewal form has come and is 40 pages long! Do they think you'll miraculously get better in 3 yrs?! I wish! Any stroke survivor I know would love to get their disabilities to vanish! I know I'd pay for it just to get my legs back to normal! I am able to do more in a day but still have to pace myself and everything takes soooo much longer so that limits how much you can get done. I'm so grateful to my cleaners as this allows me to get out and about and still do some jobs around the home. If I had to clean aswell I'd never get out at all!

The NCS programme whilst looking good is becoming a comlete nightmare! None of my daughter's friends are on the same programme as her and the social events are to take place during her exams and we have to be there for 5pm, totally impossible considering rush hour traffic! This means she won'tmake friends with the rest of her team and I suspect if they are with their friends they're less likely to speak to her. I've spoken several times to them and it seems they are spread between several groups! She'll move them she said! But that means moving 3 or 4 teenagers so we said leave them and she'lll just not go! They said they'd ring over the weekend, so far one txt msg on Sunday saying they'd ring before 4pm on Monday and so far no phone call. If this was arranged by school it would be alot better organised. This sends great messages to a parent that if something happened they'd ring. So I really don't feel at all confident about it.

Transport orgnised for prom, yahoo! A friend has agreed to take her in hisvintage American car. I think it's a Chevrolet or a Cadillac. She's thrilled! Now she's panicking she won't fit in her dress! Booked her hair appointment and her nails too. So what else?

The following books are great:- Holidays in the British Isles A guide for disabled people from Disability Rights UK 12 City Forum, 250 City Road, London, EC1V 8AF Tel:- 020 7250 3222 www.disabilityrightsuk.org. 3 years ago I'd never consider a holiday so the fact I've bought the book is a positive improvement! The next is called Spring Chicken and is full of bright ideas to make life easier. Call free on 0800 980 3961 or www.springchicken.co.uk. 

See you again soon.