I started keying in a post here, but it did the same to me as before and I lost 3 paragraphs, so I keyed in a brief message and transferred to a word processor. I seem to have lost even those 3 lines, but this is what I keyed into the wp:
Aargh! I opened a new WP document and I just did the same thing to me as before – two lines keyed in and the lot disappeared into the ether. I’m having to save frequently to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
7.9 at 05.00 today. Painkillers (I really needed those after a heavy day yesterday), insulin and coffee and my Libre shouted at me that BG was too high (9.1). Back down now to 7.7 and I’m on my 2nd cup of coffee.
I’m feeling very disheartened at the moment because even my wp is playing its silly games on me. It just lost my last couple of lines. There must be something I am inadvertently pressing that causes it to happen, but I don’t know what it is.
Anyway, as I was saying – yesterday, I went to a “Family Festival” being held in Stornoway by some friends who run an international/interfaith group for parents and children. I was wary because the centre it was held in has, to my mind, dubious claim to be accessible – one lift in the building (rentable rooms are upstairs) which often has stuff piled up in front of the lift door and heavy doors which are difficult to open with limited strength. However, my friend’s son promised to make sure that the lift door was clear so I went.
First problem arose when my friend arrived in her newish car to collect me and we realised that it was too small to get my wheelchair in. OK, walking to the lift is a distance I don’t usually attempt, but I’ll do it. So, taking my 2 sturdy sticks, off I went (bit of an issue getting my legs into the little car, but I managed).
Stornoway was incredibly busy. The car park at the centre was jam packed (other events taking place at the same time) and we couldn’t even get into the entrance to let me out. The nearest space my friend could find was about 40 yards away on a double yellow line (nobody was taking notice of road markings). I haven’t walked such a distance in years but there was little option. The centre was also on the other side of a busy road, with no pedestrian crossings. I will make it! I will! There was a spot close by with a speed hump to slow traffic down on the road, so we took our chance and stepped out there, making cars stop for us. I did shuffle across there as quickly as I could, and then slowed to a more reasonable (for me) pace. Several shuffles and rests later, we made it to the building (squeezing between parked cars). Luckily I’d put all the cupcakes I’d made into secure plastic carrying boxes, so they survived as well.
Once into the building my friend’s son took over looking after me, while his mother went back to the car for her bag of children’s playthings. We squeezed past furniture which another group had spread out across the hallway and reached the door to the hallway for the lift. Surprisingly, it was much easier to open than it was in the past, and the lift door was clear of obstacles. But, there was a sign on the lift door “Out of Order”.
What to do? My young escort found a folding chair for me to sit down while we pondered. We asked the Centre Manager if there was any other way to reach the top floor. There was – out through the back entrance and along a path – “Is there a lift there?” “Oh no, it’s stairs.” Helpful.
The “Festival” had already been set up upstairs so I asked my friend to call a taxi for me, and I would just go home. But no, there had to be another way. Perhaps her son could carry me up the stairs? Both her son and I refused that idea – he’s a big, burly young man, but I probably weigh a good bit more than he does.
The Centre Manager offered two “offices” in an adjacent building so, after inspecting them, my friend agreed and the whole set-up from upstairs had to be transferred down stairs and into the other building and the event started about an hour late.
I know I should not have been embarrassed – it wasn’t my fault – but I was very embarrassed and wished I’d never gone to cause so many problems.
There was food – it was a late lunchtime event – but my BG was already high, so I didn’t have any. Didn’t even dare to have a drink because I wasn’t sure where the nearest toilet would be. My friend brought me home again after it was all over and she’d done all the clearing up, which I also couldn’t help with (everyone else was taking children home). This time, there was a space close to the door of the building we were in - it was on the pavement, but there were 3 other cars already on the pavement and there was a gap she could get through to get close to the door. More small gaps I had to squeeze through to reach the passenger door - I must be a bit slimmer than I thought, because I did get through them and I did manage to get my very stiff legs into the little car.
I should have got on with making my evening meal when I got home, but I had a cup of coffee and sat down to drink it and promptly fell asleep. I woke about 6 pm and started putting my meal together and put it into the oven. I’d agreed to join a Zoom meeting at 7.30 and didn’t have time to eat before that, so eventually got my meal at 10 pm.
That’s why I need painkillers more than ever today.
gennepher 2025
