Back at last! Hope you are all doing ok! Keep doing the excercises as it's been shown been repetition is important to build those pathways and for the brain to learn. Eventually it will get better. For instance, since January I've been having to go to the bank in a nearby town to get my daughter's busfare for the following week and I noticed that last week and this week it was so much easier to do. The whole thing was easier, opening the boot, lifting the walker, walking and getting in and out of the car. Yippee! At last! I have to pick my daughter up from school each night as she has revision classes, the up shot of that is having to drive regularly and so improving my technique.

We picked up her prom dress after it had the hem shortened and changes made. It looks gorgeous. Shoes bought, bag bought and hair sorted. Just need a wrap now. Tansport organised. She's going in a vintage cadillac owned by my friend. We asked him if he'd do it and there were whoops of excitement when he said Yes.

Enrolled my daughter on the NCS scheme sounds great.  She spends 5 days in Wales team building etc then a week in university halls learning all about finance etc and budgeting and then 2 weeks doing a community project. Great experience for her. Not long til her exams. I hope it goes ok or her.

My CRB came for the stoke association last week and yesterday my ID card and lanyard came. We had a good meeting last Tuesday with 2 more attendees. I think they found it useful.  They knew nothing about the disabled railcard so I was able to explain that. Next meeting I will take my info for them to look at. Just sent away for a brilliant book from disabilityrights.co.uk about holidays in this country. It document areas and hotels or cottages etc and indicates their accessibility, brilliant great adverts in the book too. 

Keep going and trying and doing the excercises you will get there, stay positive, remember repetition, repetition to get those pathways.

Back again. Hope you're all fine and striving to get better. I know I am! My daughter got back from her holiday in Majorca with her Dad..........peace and quiet no more lol and masses of washing! She's worked hard since being home and I know has done alot of work whilst away too. Saturday saw us pick up her prom dress after she'd tried it to make sure the alterations were fine. She was worried as she's put weight on whilst on holiday......don't we all! It was fine and she didn't forget her shoes either, thank goodness. Now all we need is transport and her hair sorted! Today we've been shoppping. Everything I said was nice and she'd look good in, she thought was horrible lol. I swear it was because I liked it! Back home now.

I thought I would let you know of some good places to purchase aids from. The Complete Care Shop is one I've found brilliant I've ordered alot from them and they are really helpful if you want to ring them with queries or orders. Their website is www.completecareshop.co.uk and their phone number is 0845 5194 734. Or you can write to them at Complet Care Shop, Brook Mill Industrial Estate, Station Road, Wrea Green, PR4 2PH. Another firm I have used is CareCo, they have showrooms in Brentwood, Essex; Brierley Hill, Birmingham and Hayes, West London. They can be found at www.careco.co.uk tel; no; 0800 328 2000. I have also used House of Bath tel; no; 0871 984 2000. If its shoes you need plus socks etc then Cosy Feet are good call 01458 447275 and their website is www.Cosyfeet.com . Hope all this helps. There is also a company that I follow on twitter called Essential Aids that work with the stroke association to make sure their aids are easy for us to use. They sell theres on the stroke association website aswell as their own, their website is www.essentialaids.com . Another company to be aware of that provide a wonderful electric wheelchair and a travel scooter that folds down is Shaun Atkinson at www.cts-for-disabled-people.myshopify.com .

One thing I also want to tell you is whatever you do, do not use the batthroom people who advertise easy access showers as the prices are astronomical. I was quoted £12000 and £9000! You expect gold taps for that price lol. I used a local Bathroom companymthat did everything and painted, designed etc they took about a fortnight to do it and they cost just over £6000. A big difference. I know it would've been cheaper still if I'd used different craftsmen to do each part of the job but it would've taken longer.

The personal trainer has been on holiday for a week but is back now so I'll have lots of excercises this week. I've done some excercise myself so as to keeping the momentum up.  I hope you've been doing some however small. I'd been watching a gardening programme that said to prune buddleias now so after looking at them for a week and itching to have a go, I went in the garden on a suuny day and did it. Two years ago I'd never have contemplated it. Improvement still happens even after two yrs. Keep going.

Had a very busy time but enjoyable! Hope you're all well.Things are good here. though I can understand you feeling low and fed up as I get like that......momentarily. I soon snap out of it. I get frustrated at how long things take and how the simplest thing has to be thought about and planned.

The picture shows 2 of my best friends who came to visit me and we had a great time...as always and lots of laughs. They have been great and even visited me in hospital with joke moustaches which gave the nurses a laugh and us too. I have done the Race4Life with them for the last 2 yrs and we're going to do it again. One day I'm determined to walk it all!

I have been doing m own excercises as the personal trainer's been unable to come last week due to her daughter being ill. But she on th 26th march and brought the most enormous excercise ball which I had to sit on and balance to strengthen my core. The laugh came trying to get of it! The only way was to fall of it and crawl to the stairs and pull myself up using the 2 rail lol. Not very dignified! I've certainly noticed that when I walk It is my heel that is put down first now not my toe so the excercise are helping my gait aswell.

Went to  a local garden centre with my mum today. Which was good. I've actually done some gardening! Saw a garden programme last week that said it was time to prune buddleias. For a week I've been looking at them itching to do it, well when it was really sunny on Thursday I went out and did it. YAHOO! 2yrs ago I wouldn't even have attemppted it. So you can do it. Improvement however small adds up over the months and you can do it. Keep doing those excercises. Keep trying and improving you will get there things will get better. There's a song in that somewhere hahaha.