Tuesday 23 July 2019

The Shakes.

I have a condition called 'Benign Essential Tremor' - not serious, runs in families,just a nuisance.  It seems to be worse this hot weather, so it is quite easy to press the wrong button.   This is exactly what happened yesterday.   I really can't remember what I posted about but what I do know is that when I got to the end I pressed the wrong button and the whole thing disappeared into the ether.   Sometimes right-clicking on undo is enough to make it all return but not so yesterday.   I gave up in despair - this weather is hard enough to cope with without re-writing the whole thing.

So, on to today and its events.   Now that I am into a period of not driving until the doctor has looked into my TIA (he doesn't seem particularly bothered but obviously I can\t drive) I am having to completely reorganise my life.  I have bounced back (wondered whether I would or not - but I have) and the first thing i have done is to order my weekly shopping from Tesco.   It was delivered this morning and before I went in to meet friends for coffee (collected and returned home very kindly by friend E) I had it all stored away.   I have also ordered six Ready Meals to try (from a company called COOK which has been highly recommended so I will report back when I have eaten a meal) and they are coming tomorrow morning, so my job left to do today is to reorganise my freezer to make room for them.   This week's Hair Appointment taxi has been booked.   And I am looking into getting a Walking Aid.   D, who I meet at coffee each Tuesday morning, let me have a go with his this morning and it seems ideal.   It has four wheels so is very stable, it has a small shopping basket and the lid forms a seat if you need it.   It folds and has a handle for lifting it up on to the bus.   The bus from the town centre stops at the end of my road so I hope I am getting myself organised.

It is a very hot day here.   When I came home this morning my tubs in the front were all seriously wilting so I had to water them all and also my newly planted  conifers.   After lunch I have watered the tubs in the back garden and I shall have to water all tubs again when the sun goes down tonight.   Tomorrow is our Poetry afternoon so now I am off to look at my offering - Edith Sitwell is worth a search so might start.   At present I am reading Derek Jarman's 'Modern Nature' - you have to be pretty broad-minded to read it (it is certainly an eye opener) but fascinating stuff.   'Til tomorrow
 

14 comments:

justjill said...

Thank goodness you are ok! Was so worried when it said this blog does not exist.....Glad you are getting a walker. When you get back to driving you should be able to put it in the car.

Ann said...

Glad you are feeling a bit more ‘you’. A four wheeler walker sounds just the thing for you and still keep you independent until you get behind the wheel again.

JayCee said...

Relieved to hear that you are OK. We are not quite so hot over here, but certainly more than enough for me to cope with. You seem to have everything very well organised. The Walker sounds like a good idea.

Derek Faulkner said...

Are either TIA or BET, conditions that you have to notify the DVLA about, or your car insurers?
Many plants wilt during hot weather but recover once the evening comes, I shouldn't worry to much about them.
Very hot here on Sheppey.

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

I use Tesco's delivery service about once a month myself, just to save me carrying heavy and bulky items on my bike. It seems to work really well. I admire the way you've set about re-organising your life; so may folk are so set in their ways that they find it difficult to do that. I've got a lot of plants in pots and some of them are needing watering twice a day; they can get even more stressed than us during hot weather!

Terra said...

You are being flexible in adapting to new ways to do things while you wait your doctor's ok to drive. The four wheel thing sounds very useful, we call them walkers here. My friend who lives in a retirement home used to need hers, she doesn't need it anymore and uses it as a clothes rack!

Rachel Phillips said...

Very belt and braces.

Gwil W said...

I wonder if Frau Merkel has the same as you. She seems to have the shakes as you call them when she's under stress. Take deep breaths and relax is all I can suggest. Perhaps a magnesium preparation? Magnasolv is a good one for the muscles. I take one in water every day. You can ask your doc when you see him.

littlemancat said...

I admire you so much. Your way of looking things straight on and coming up with a plan is so sensible. Thank you for sharing your daily routines and glimpses of a good life.
Mary

Bonnie said...

So good to hear you are doing okay. This heat can be difficult and easily make existing problems worse. I hope you are able to stay cool. You sound very organized in your handling of not driving.

Ruth said...

So wonderful to find you here today! And so good to know that you're staying positive and doing all you can to keep yourself mobile. You have such a wonderful positive outlook. My husband has essential tremor, too, and had to give up many of the things he enjoyed all his life (welding, adjusting carburetors and magnetos, etc., and can no longer write a check) but still keeps busy with other things. Old age slows you down anyway! I thought I'd die if I couldn't continue crocheting and needlework. Thank goodness I can still work on small projects, and have more time for reading. Being creatively involved in life adjustments makes old age interesting!! Long gone are the way things used to be, and now every day's an adventure. Stay well dear Pat, and go carefully among your posies!

Heather said...

Isn't it infuriating when the whole post disappears like that?
I do admire the way you have organised yourself to deal with the challenge of not being able to drive any more, should that become necessary. Those strollers are wonderful - several of my neighbours have them and I don't think it will be long before I swap my shopping trolley trolley for one. I have been known to get a bit carried away in Tesco and it's up hill all the way home.
Hope you get some rain overnight to save you one job tomorrow.

marlane said...

How you are dealing with this and coping is so inspiring. I am in my mid sixties now and I will be in my eighties one day if I am lucky !!

Cro Magnon said...

I have bought 'ready meals' from Waitrose and Marks; both were excellent. It might be worth comparing price and quality before signing-up with 'COOK'. Some of those companies who specialise in catering for the 'housebound' are not too good.