Deirdre Geraghty

My friend Barry phoned last night. He lives up in Lancashire and he phones me most weeks. Sometimes I phone him back so we share the calls and we usually talk for a long time. Last night we talked for 2 hours 23 minutes. Phew!

My television has been playing up and I have phoned the cable company several times. It improves for a bit and then plays up again and I was told it was the network. It got a whole lot worse – some channels being missing altogether so a technician came out today. He restored all the channels but said the signal wasn’t strong enough so ‘Networks’ will come out tomorrow.

I had been feeling pretty helpless but my dear friend Dick took me to the cash machine and Tesco Express where I met my dear friend Zoe. She helped with my shopping bag and said she would talk to her husband about my taxi plans. Then in the evening John very kindly took me to Hilary’s birthday party where I had a lovely time and then he brought me home again an hour later. Good friends!

It has been such a long painful week that I decided to end it all by having one of those little bottles of wine with my fish finger sandwich. When I had finished that I thought that the man who’s parcel l had taken will probably collect it later as it is a Friday night and that’s the way it seems to be – so I opened a second little bottle. Oh dear!

I went to see my anxiety therapist yesterday. I think we have made a little breakthrough and these sessions are coming to an end. I don’t think I will find making a journey any less stressful but there you are!

Ever since I had that problem with the password l have been getting into a tiswas. Especially the days l have to do something online. I am waking in a panic, dreaming about going online and having problems. Goodness knows how long this panic will last but it is very difficult.

My new friend Hilary very kindly took me to a disability shop where I bought an adjustable folding walking stick and I tried to use the thing. Then we went to Tesco for frozen peas and ibuprofen gel for my knee and groceries for her and I sat in a wheelchair which was a relief and then we went back to her house for a cuppa. I spent the rest of the day trying to use my walking stick.

I made it to the community centre in the morning and in the afternoon I went back to see a doctor. Apparently l have bursitis and arthritis in the knee. I am going to have to do the peas on peas off thing and possibly cortisone injections and physio and I am going to have to get a walking stick. That doesn’t go down well as I don’t see myself like that. Oh well – another lesson to learn!

I had my faith in human progress restored when I saw a female presenter not only wearing trousers but wearing comfortable looking shoes. Hurray! Comfortable shoes, booties and boots come in all different designs and many of them are really nice!

I had two things which needed to be sorted and put in the post so I decided l was being feeble and to hobble down the road to get some photocopies. My knee was really bad and I don’t know how l managed to get there and back but I was and still am in a lot of pain. I had some cocodamol in the cupboard – thankfully and I am not moving anymore than l have to and my very kind and helpful neighbour is going to post my two things for me.