Dogs, bathrooms and pillow hats

Today was my assessment day with Canine Partners. I was really nervous about it but I needn't have been. Laura, the lady who was working with me, was lovely and really made me feel at ease. She got me doing some basic tasks with several different dogs. Some were really lively but most were very calm and well behaved. There were several other members of staff there, training dogs to do various things. The atmosphere was lovely. The dogs all seemed happy and their tails were wagging whenever they were working. To them, it was all a big game!

The last dog I worked with was called Hazel. She was beautiful! Black lab puppy, gentle, with big brown eyes. Afterwards, while we were going through paperwork, she laid down next to my chair and fell asleep. I think we must have tired her out! I wish I'd thought to take a picture of her. I'd be quite happy to have a dog like her to work with.

This afternoon, I made the journey south, arriving at the hotel just after six. The room here isn't as good as last night's but I knew that before I came. Unfortunately, they don't have any wet rooms here, so I have to make do with a shower over bath. If ever you have to do the same, it's worth asking at reception for a non-slip mat. Staff don't always know that they have them, but they usually do.

My only disappointment last night was the absence of pillow hats. This has become a family tradition. Whenever we stay at a Premier Inn, we take a photo of one of us, wearing the cardboard cover from the pillows. They look rather like sailor hats. We did it once and it stuck. Last night though, there was no pillow hat to be found.

Tonight though, we're back in business! At first, I couldn't see it but it was hiding under the duvet.

Accessible hotel rooms

Well that's the first leg of the journey done. I've just had a lovely evening with my sister and her family and now I'm back in my hotel room.

I'm particularly fortunate that this hotel has wet rooms. I wish all hotels did. I know that my next one doesn't, so I'm going to enjoy tomorrow morning's shower and think appreciative thoughts.

He will have a week off!

A week or two back, Neil went down to London for some work meetings and to see his dad, who's in hospital. I am really pleased that he is more relaxed about leaving me home alone for a few days. When we lived in a flat and we couldn't adapt it, he avoided leaving me home alone in case I had an accident or couldn't manage.

This house is much better. We're starting at the top and making it really disability-friendly, whilst hopefully looking like a smart, modern, family home, rather than an old-folks home or hospital. We've done the bathroom - converted it into a walk-in shower room, with a comfort-height toilet, beautiful rain shower and chrome grab rails. Having that done makes such a difference! I haven't had any slips, falls or jarring my back since it was finished. Hopefully within the next few weeks, the stairs and landing will be finished and we can get the stair lift installed. I'm really not great with stairs.

Unfortunately though, it'll be a while before we do the kitchen and that means I can't prepare meals independently at the moment. I'm alright with a light lunch or a bowl of cereal but not a proper meal. So before Neil went away, he made sure there were meals ready for me to reheat. He also got all the washing and ironing up to date. I appreciate that so much but I worry that even when he's going away, he's not getting a break from being a carer.

I'm hoping next week will be different! I'm going away from Monday to Saturday, leaving him home alone. I hope it will give him a week where he doesn't have to worry about me or do everything. The only downside is that he'll have to walk to work, so I hope it doesn't rain constantly.

As for me, I'm going to the Midlands for an assistance dog assessment day. I'm excited and really nervous, in equal measure. Then I'm going to London for a big education-technology conference. I'm looking forward to that so much and because he knows I'm going to be in a safe environment with food and drink available to buy and parking onsite and an accessible hotel room, he will have to just have a week off!

A Bit Mucky

The last few times I've used my wheelchair, I've noticed that it was getting a bit mucky. There was some mud on the frame and a lot on the wheels, particularly the front castors. The footplate was really bad from all the rain we've had. So today, after my afternoon walk, I gave it a clean. It's the first time I've done this job and hindsight is a wonderful thing. I'll tell you what I did and then what I would do next time.

I got a bucket of hot soapy water (just Fairy) and a cloth and perched myself on the back ledge of the boot of the car. This is where I generally sit to dismantle my chair to put away. I kind of managed but it was way too much bending and I've got backache now. Next time, I'm going to do it on the back lawn, sitting on a waterproof travel rug.

I wiped all the metalwork down and that looks much better now. To get to the footplate and the castors, I had to put it in the boot of the car but of course, that means I had to be really careful about wringing the cloth out properly. I didn't want a car boot full of water!

The castors were really grim! Now I've cleaned them, the flashing lights are much clearer again. Also, the back wheels were quite muddy, not just on the tyres but around the rims. So I tried to give them a proper wash but it wasn't very successful because I was bending down and that hurt. Then I didn't think what I was doing and balanced it on my leg and now I've got a wet patch - lovely!

Finally, I gave the freewheel a clean, though that wasn't as bad as I expected. Then I left everything to dry off. Later, if my energy levels return, I'll check tyre pressures. Last time, I got taken by surprise and it nearly spoiled an afternoon out. That won't be happening again! Also, last time, we only did the back wheels, not the freewheel, so I'll check that too.

I think my biggest mistake was trying to do it at the wrong level. The floor would definitely be easier and less painful, as long as I can sit somewhere soft. Also, a stiff brush would be handy for doing the tyres and possibly a smaller bucket that would be lighter to carry.

Hills without help

Last week, when Neil and I went for a walk by the river, I remember thinking, "This is lovely. I wonder if I could manage this by myself." The path along the riverside is largely flat, without a camber and fairly smooth. However, the only way to get up there involves a ramp and there are two quite sizeable humps on the main path.

Well, this morning, I wanted some exercise and Neil was busy (still in bed, asleep), so I decided to give it a go... and that got me thinking about hills.

The first challenge was getting up the ramp to the riverside path. Fortunately, this challenge presents itself at the beginning of the walk, when my energy levels are at their highest. I know that I couldn't propel myself all the way up it. It's too steep and too long. I figured the best option for me was to walk very slowly, using my chair for balance and support. I can only do this if I don't have a bag over the back of my chair, as that makes it tip backwards. Anyway, I did a kind of shuffle step up to the top, stopping for a couple of rests on the way.

I've got pictures of the next hill.

You can see by where the path meets the wall, that this is a reasonable incline, but at least the ground is smooth. The biggest risk here is tipping over backwards. To counter that, I lean forward, making sure I keep my core muscles nice and tight and my back straight. Then, forget about speed or looking cool. I go nice and slowly, push by push, ensuring that I move my hands back to the start position quickly enough that I don't roll back between pushes. I might be a little mad but I also find it helpful to talk to myself and offer encouragement as I go. "Keep going... nearly there... you can do it!"

Going downhill is much easier and more fun but still needs a little forethought. Before launching myself into a glorious weeeeeeeeeeeeeee, I check that the surface doesn't have any hazards that might catch the front of my chair and hurtle me out. It's also wise to check that there are no people that you might run into. I actually stopped and waited at the top for a while to give the man with the little girl (now in the distance) some space. Then, off I went. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

Finally, after my lovely walk/roll along the river path, I had to get back down the ramp into the park. I can walk up hills with some difficulty but down is pretty much impossible without help, so I rolled it. As you can see, this path is less smooth. Near the bottom, there are potholes that would be disastrous if hit at speed. So sadly, slow is the order of the day here. Also, I have to turn right at the bottom, which is a tight turn. Again, I don't want to tip, so this time I leaned back, right into the back of my chair (which is a really comfy position). Grip the push rims tightly and then release and grab over and over again, letting the chair slide in a controlled manner, down the hill. This is where gloves really are essential if you don't want friction burns!

So the basic ideas are:

• check the surface before setting off (especially down hills)
• lean forward when going uphill
• lean back when going downhill

One final tip - if a total stranger offers you a push up the hill, just accept it and say "Thanks!"