Part 28 - Me n my bonce

I made the most of my time being allowed out and stayed out as long as possible in the hotel bar after the wedding! Even though I was only drinking tea (you will hear later that this has been rectified too!) I stayed up until about 2am laughing n joking and someone (a stranger!) asking to have a go in my wheelchair! Dad had booked a disabled room in the hotel so I was so looking forward to having a shower in the morning! That night I only woke once for a pee! My poor mum half asleep helping me to the loo and back as I walked like Frankenstein with a soiled nappy! (My hips were still very stiff, one of the physio's had also told me to imagine a football between my feet - hence the odd walking!) The taste of freedom was amazing this weekend but it also made me realise just how little I could do for myself! Even down to my hair! I also hadn't yet mastered how to disguise my tufty bit of hair, but now have it sorted! I think! Final goodbyes at the hotel and a laugh at my newly married cousin and his wife as they forgot their overnight bag so were incredibly overdressed at breakfast in complete wedding attire! My curfew was drawing nearer - 6pm I had to be back to the nut house! Moaning Minnie next to me, the woman opposite still asking how my triplets were and Junior (the hello my friend - waving man) still being security on the ward! Oh how I hadn't missed this place! Had I gone crazy and no one was telling me! I was allowed out every weekend from then onwards which was great as I got to see more and more friends who would visit me at home but also made me hate Sunday afternoons as I knew my curfew was coming! One particular day all my diamonds visited me, some fantastic news one was expecting her first baby! How exciting!!! Something more to look forward to! We all couldn't stop smiling, especially after we thought she was joking!
I was originally told my leaving date by one of the physio's - 30.10.13, I got a bit upset as they wanted to keep me another week! I made sure that the next date they gave me was correct 06.11.13 and early birthday present as it was my birthday the next day! Although they kept saying I was doing really well I felt this wasn't a good sign but they wanted me to build up my stamina more and as a rehab centre I was in the right place! A full on structured timetable of physio, occupational therapy and hydro! Wow hydro was so tiring!!! I love swimming so when I was told I would be having hydro I could not wait! Thank god i'd been waxed I thought! I though tights were hard to get, but my goodness a swimming costume when you can barely stand! Luckily my mum came in early that day to help me get ready! She closed the curtains and operation swimming costume began! Turns out that was a physio session in itself! Me and mum were laughing so much that a couple of nurses came round to make sure I was ok as they could hear me at the nurses station! The porter came and got me and off to hydro me and mum went! Well it was a lot smaller than I imagined! How an earth am I going to get up those steps I thought?! But no of course there was a hoist! A chair which then lifted you high in the air then lower and lower until you were in! It was so warm it was like standing up in a bath! Still petrified of getting my hole (tracheostomy hole) wet I did want to get my neck wet which proved difficult! Just walking in the water was tiring enough but now I had 2 physio's waving floats underwater from either side challenging my balance - I felt like I'd had a night on the tiles! The getting out was just as undignified, in the hoist but had to wiggle my bum in the seat to get rid of the excess water as the seat had no holes in it! Wheeled to the shower  and then get dressed all of which mum helped or practical did for me! (I think this physio was more hardwork for my mum!) then back to the bay! I was shattered! Hydro is fun but really draining! After about an hour being back moaning Minnie next door was too much so mum wheeled me to the restaurant where we ended up going most afternoons for a cuppa splosh and a bit of cake!