It's a little bit funny this feeling inside .......... - Elton John

Robbie didn't have the best start this morning, he arrived at the station and realised that he had left both his blackberries on the dining table, so I had to make a mercy dash to reunite him with his phones. I wasn't best pleased but when I saw his guilty grin I couldn't be cross with him. When he leaned into the car to give me a kiss and to say thank you, he mentioned that he had a strange pins and needles type pain at the top of his leg, just below his buttock. He said it felt a bit like when the injection is wearing off after dental treatment. I was worried because it did not sound like his usual sort of pain.


When I checked on him a bit later on he mentioned that the discomfort seemed to be moving down his leg and it was very itchy. I didn't hear from him again until later that morning when the cause of his problem had been discovered. He was out until late last night and when he came home he decided that he had wash his 'smalls' because he wanted to wear his favourite pair the next day. I was tired and left him to it. Apparently he didn't check the dryer before he put his items in to dry. I had washed all my kitchen cloths earlier in the day and somehow a small flat scourer found its way unnoticed into Robbie's pants! By the time he had got to work it had worked its way down his leg and as he made himself a cup of coffer it fell out from his trouser leg!

The Wrong Trousers

Believe it or not there was yet another chapter to the trouser saga! Just in case anyone reading this has not read my recent posts I will recap briefly. Some time before Christmas we agreed that Robbie needed a new suit so he did his research, which included several trips to Marks and Spencer - his favourite shop. He chose the suit that he wanted but our local M&S had no stock in the size he needed so it was necessary to order the items online. They sell the jackets and trousers separately and much to Robbie's annoyance they had the jacket that he wanted in stock, but the trousers were not available in his size. So we decided to order the jacket and wait for them to get more stock of the trousers. Christmas came and went and Robbie (who had been checking the website twice a day) had almost given up on ever getting the trousers. Then finally the great day came, they were in stock and Robbie placed his order, he knew what size he needed and he ordered exactly the same size as the trousers he already has. He collected his trousers on a Friday from M&S in Birmingham, but he got distracted when leaving work and he managed to leave his trousers on his desk. The trousers had to be 'rescued' the following day but when he tried them on he found that they didn't fit, they were a bit on the tight side. It didn't make sense, they were exactly the same size as the ones he already has that fit him perfectly. He ordered the next size and when they arrived he said they were much more comfortable so he wore them to work. 


Sadly that was not the end of the matter, he claimed they were too loose even with a belt and they kept slipping down. I don't want him to be arrested, so we will need to take the waist in a bit, next he said that they are too long and he is afraid of treading on them as he walks so we need to do something about the leg length too!  I am sick of the whole trouser issue and Robbie seemed deeply affronted that he may be a non standard fitting. Anyway after weeks of constant complaint about trousers I have come up with the perfect solution - a kilt! It would certainly turn a few heads!!

Do As You Are Told!

Last weekend Dave (the cat) and I had a nice quiet Saturday while Robbie had a fantastic time on a rail tour to Penzance. By the time Robbie got home I had gone to bed so I didn't have a good look at him until the Sunday morning. Most blog readers will know that he likes nothing better than trotting around in his pants - only in the house, it scares the neighbours if he goes out like that! Anyway I noticed that he had cuts and grazes on his legs and when I questioned him he didn't have a clue how they had happened. Robbie's legs are a bit challenging (rather like their owner!) and what would be a fairly trivial cut for most people can be a real problem for him because things take so long to heal, in fact they often get worse rather than better. So it is hardly surprising that I was determined to bathe the cuts and put some antiseptic on them before they had a chance to go bad. Robbie, who still deludes himself that he is Superman, had other ideas and he was equally determined that his legs would be fine without any attention. I gave up on him because I knew that he would meet his match later in the day, and sure enough he had only been at my mums house for ten minutes before a large tube of Germolene was produced and his legs were duly anointed. The tube of Germolene was sent home with us and Robbie promised to take care of his cuts and grazes. Taking care of his legs has involved me chasing around the lounge armed with antiseptic several times this week and until yesterday he was adamant that he would be fine. Yesterday morning he was forced to admit that one of the cuts was now green and nasty and looking very angry and will need to be dressed to prevent it getting even worse. The problem is that he is going on another rail tour in a week or so and I am wondering how to protect his legs from whatever he managed to scrape them on last time - shin pads seem a bit extreme for a rail tour!

Is It Raining Men?

Friday went past in a blur of activity, dealing with all those last minute jobs that have to be done before going on holiday. The day began with me chasing Robbie upstairs, he had been promising to go up to the loft to fetch some of my talking books for weeks and he had finally run out of excuses. Once he was safely in the loft I moved his ladder, to make sure he didn't escape until I was satisfied that all the jobs in the loft. There was a lot of thumping and clattering, it sounded as if he would fall through the ceiling at any minute, but just for once my worst fears were not realised. He emerged triumphantly bearing a box full of talking books that for the last few weeks he had insisted were not there, and he insisted that he had to have a shower before he did anything else. Unfortunately I had just run the bath for the dog and since Robbie was already dirty and semi naked (as usual) he was the ideal person to bath he dog! She wasn't overjoyed about the experience, but she behaved very well until I was safely out of range, then she shook herself vigorously and covered Robbie and the bathroom with water. Finally a rather damp and dejected, but clean dog and a clean and adequately dressed husband emerged to face the world and we were ready to go out and tackle the long list of errands that needed our attention.

We had already bought a whole trolley full of 'essentials' for the pets at the pet superstore, and we were heading to the garage to check the tyre pressure before braving the supermarket. Robbie had been getting increasingly annoyed with himself and he was ready to fall out with his own shadow. I knew what the problem was, he was in pain and struggling to walk, but there was nothing I could do to help. He sat in the car and used some of the more obscure and descriptive words in his vocabulary to tell his right leg exactly how he felt about it. Of course the leg took no notice, and Robbie grew increasingly angry with himself. In the end I had to get cross with him and remind him that many people with spina bifida would think he was lucky to be mobile and have fairly normal function. It sounds hard hearted, but I love him, I can't change the way things are, but I can do my best to keep him motivated and help him to keep a sense of perspective. He has to go back to the doctor to get his pain relief sorted out, but as usual I will have to drag him there!

We got everything done in the end, but by the time went to bed we were shattered and we had to make an early start on Saturday morning.

Lost For Words

It hasn't been the most wonderful weekend. Robbie has been struggling with a bad back and an uncooperative leg for a while and he found last week especially challenging. We planned to go shopping as soon as he got home on Friday, but I could tell as soon as he walked to the car that all was not well. He was not walking very well at all and as soon as he got into the car he complained about the pain in his leg. He then sat in the car and had a serious word with his foot telling it to behave itself - I was expecting the men in white coats to turn up at any minute! It is the sort of situation when whatever you say will prove to be the wrong thing. I could tell there was something on his mind and before long he told me that a casual remark by a colleague had really got to him. He hates to give in, and accept that he has a problem, but occasionally he has to take things a little more steadily. He still meets his deadlines, but sometimes he just needs to do it his way.

Shopping wasn't a joy Robbie insisted that we should still go but he was ready to fall out with his own shadow. He may not have had much control over his wayward leg, but he was going to make sure he controlled everything else. We nearly came to blows when we got to the checkout because it had to be done Robbie's way and he got really assertive about it. I left him to put the shopping in the car his way, but when I dared to put something in the fridge he declared war and ordered me out of the kitchen. When I went back a bit later to do some washing up he tried to take over and when I resisted he stood behind me telling me I was doing it all wrong!

It was no surprise when later in the evening we had an argument because he was being totally controlling and unreasonable. I look forward to the weekend all week but I don't know why because something or other always comes along to spoil it.

Signs of Spring 05.03.08

Robbie's injured hand and foot must be better because they didn't get a mention yesterday. Network Rail was back at the top of his list of subjects to complain about and his leg was causing him a lot of pain so that got a mention once or twice too. He has an appointment at the hospital on Thursday to test how the nerves in his legs are working (or something like that). I don't suppose we will know anything more on Thursday, I expect he will have to wait weeks to see the consultant again. By the time they finally get around to deciding what is making his legs misbehave they will probably put it down to old age!

We had snow yesterday, there wasn't much and it didn't last for long but it was very cold. When I took Meg for her morning walk she seemed not to notice the cold, she wanted to stop and sniff almost every blade of grass and she gave me the most reproachful look when I insisted on hurrying along because I was freezing. It was just as cold this morning but Meg had her strategy sorted out and there was no way that she was going to be hurried. Each time I tried to pull her lead she pulled back and when I insisted she sat down and looked at me with a defiant glint in her eye. Despite the cold there are signs that spring isn't too far away, the evenings are getting a little lighter and flowers are appearing in the garden, we already have some daffodils out, they are in a sheltered position near the hedge so I guess that makes them a little earlier. Speaking of the hedge, it will not be long before it needs cutting, so we will have to get the hedge cutter repaired (he cut the cable off last year) but after Robbie's recent mishaps I am not too confident about letting him loose with the hedge cutter!