Chapter 175 - Fallen Angel

This morning I heard a noise above the loud music from my PC re-playing "Irish Eye" from the BBC so I went to the front door looking for the disturbance. She called to me from her sewing room "I had a fall". I found her seated on her office chair at her embroidery machine. She had been using her ergonomic stool, the expensive device we bought long ago in Black Swan City. When she leaned forward to attend to threads at the embroidery machine the wheels of the stool released, causing it to accelerate backwards. She fell heavily on her bum and jabbed her small snipping scissors into her thumb. She was able to follow physio instructions to raise herself without needing my help. Her rear is now tender when she sits down and there is a mark on the side of her thumb. I adjusted the angle of tilt of the seat on the stool, hoping to prevent a repetition of the problem.

Monday morning I heard a similar but louder noise. I raced out to find her near the dish washer. She had opened the door of the dish washer when a loud bang came from its innards. "It's showing an F1 code and wants to keep running" she said as she looked for the manual as I turned off the power to reset the electronics. She found that the code meant "Flood Condition has occurred". That explained why the machine was making pump sucking noises, although I was unable to locate any sign of leaks & flooding. The vibration from the bang must have tripped some sort of float or trembler switch in the innards. The repair bloke is off with an injured hand so we will need to wait until after our holidays for repairs to what I believe to be a broken counter-balance spring in the door. She must not use the machine because the heavy door tends to open out with some force attempting to knee cap the user.

She has spent most of her time the last few days attempting to book motels after we leave My Home Town (my school re-union at the beginning of October) for Batman's City then Pivot City. Problems finding motels with walk-in showers and hand rails near both shower & loo as well as the establishments seeming to give preference to coach loads of grey nomads.

Chapter 174 - Without Lines

For a whole month I have lacked the need to post here. Her condition has been so "normal" that I usually don't notice her little problems. Except for times like yesterday when we were preparing lunch for friends and she was helping in the kitchen. As soon as she does that her back stoops and pains so much she asked for her elastic bandage to be wrapped around her middle as well as her ergonomic stool to sit on. Yet a short time later away at the dining table she exclaimed "Look I'm alright now, out of the kitchen!" I could still see her stooping slightly but I just said "It must be psychological." We enjoyed our lunch and 5 hours of chatting with our friends, all the time seated on wooden chairs at the table.

Our last week or so has been filled with social engagements. Lunch at our local club (to celebrate my birthday) following our PD group meeting that we "chaired" (played some Parky MP3 files I downloaded to stimulate conversation), an evening meal at other friends for my birthday, Sunday lunch at the club in the Highlands Town with an Ugly Sister & Better Half. Monday she attended the hospital physio group that has recommenced. Then an unexpected overnight PD house guest who has emotional problems with her carer (that caused her to miss her usual Tuesday's KYB meeting). On Wednesday night a dinner with out-of-town machine embroidery friends/contacts. We have been busy!

All the above plus several times shopping. When out together she holds my arm, only requiring her walker when she walks around the bend in the street to visit friends.

A few weeks her ago she began a production line of embroidered 'fridge magnets and cards for Xmas. Then she began patch work again. The lounge room floor together with the dining table have been covered in pieces of fabric. She has completed one with wadding and backing fabric - this was the one using colours I was critical of about a month ago, causing her to return the pieces to the cupboard. She decided to sew it together in spite of me and the result is quite presentable. I tell her my colour perception is much different to that of a woman. Another quilt is awaiting completion.

Her medication regime continues as last reported. Last week I re-stocked her vitamins etc from the on-line pharmacy. A costly exercise without proven benefits, except that her well being has improved so much during the past year that we cannot dismiss the possible effects gained from these non-prescribed medications. Even though I suspect that Sifrol and regular exercise with Wii Fit have contributed most to her improvement. Although she spends more time with Wii Fit than I do (since we bought the device, was it April?, I have completed about 72 hours and she maybe 10 hours more) I have lost 7 kilos and she maybe 5 kilos. This may be due to us performing different exercise - she is unable to do the hula hoop and doesn't do the jogging as I do.

Her finger tips still have numbness each morning and there are pains in her lower legs until she begins moving each day. I assume these issues are reducing because she never complains about them since I usually have to ask. She often exclaims that she is losing her balance should I give her a squeeze or change direction too quickly when walking together.

We have become more physically intimate. Perhaps such an idea is repellent to "younger" readers that may assume that minds and bodies reaching the dawn of their 7th decade are incapable of such activity due to age, let alone their various health problems. Last night as I looked down into her face I saw peace and contentment, without any lines and wrinkles of age and I felt young again.