Deirdre Geraghty

I was sitting at my computer desk when I looked down and saw a load of blood running down my hand and all over my dungarees. A few minutes earlier the black cat who keeps coming in and eating the cat food was pushing the cat flap. I pushed it back and told him to go away. The next thing he started boxing me (with his claws out). Cheeky devil!

Last weekend I had a wonderful time. My brother and his wife were over from Australia and they booked in for the last few days at a hotel in Dunstable and most of my family booked in as well. It was really nice to see them all again and, apart from the travelling which I find very difficult, we all got on very well. The last day (Sunday) we all went to a french restaurant for lunch and I drank too much red wine but it doesn’t happen often. I have a large bruise on both of my arms where the lift door closed on me. Oh well!

There was a report on the news in the week about the shortage of mental health care about at the moment. Most of those who previously would have been cared for in a hospital are now supposed to be cared for in the community and supportive therapies were set up to run alongside by organizations such as National Schizophrenia Fellowship now known as Rethink and Mind. For many years we had a very good mental health drop-in centre here in Norwich which has now long gone. So there is nothing about for people like me.

On Saturday I stood up and my back went. Really bad pain when I moved or tried to walk. It is especially bad when I try to turn over in bed at night. I got through to Monday when I got a cab to the doctor’s. She said it was the ligaments and muscle and it would take about 6 weeks to heal. So I juggle heavy duty painkillers with paracetamol which has fewer side effects as long as you don’t take too many. I do know I can’t spend the next 6 weeks immobilized at home. I have things to do… and people to see… and places to go. So I will keep my fingers crossed and hope it all mends quickly.

My son does all the technical stuff on my behalf, thankfully, like setting up my mobile or my computer. He helps me a lot with all these sorts of things. I was just charging the battery when I received a large document on my mobile to do with terms and conditions and then installing an update. I spent most of the afternoon trying to cope with this including several phonecalls to him for help. I hope I didn’t get him into trouble. It really stressed me out and I am so grateful to my son .

Today I went for my memory test again. I was quite nervous and had no idea how I would do. The questions were very easy and I knew the date because it’s my sister’s birthday and I managed to deduct 7 from 100 and then again and again because I was always good with simple sums. Apparently I was the first of her patients to ever get 30 out of 30 and she said I was very quick. It surprised me!

I am very pleased with the new bench which I now have in my back garden. It was very cheap so won’t take a lot of weight but still it finishes the garden off. My friends Mary and Dick helped me to buy it, brought it home for me and put it together. I am so delighted with it.

Several people has told me that I am very fashionable wearing the loom bands that Zoe and her daughter Norah made for me for my birthday. They are very bright and cheerful and are made from different coloured elastic bands. Apparently the latest craze.

I was all prepared for my memory test but by the time my doctor had sorted out the results of my blood tests there was no time for it. Apparently I have high levels of calcium and low levels of iron and all these things could be relevant. I am happy to go back another time for the memory test.

I keep my cats out of the spare room as  much as possible for the sake of anyone who might stay over but I allow Lily to look out of it’s window whilst I am on my exercise bike. Yesterday, when I had finished I checked the room and looked under the bed, all clear, so I shut the door and went downstairs. My friend popped in for a cuppa and then ‘transport plus’ arrived to take me to the dentist. I was out for about an hour and then I popped to the shop. It wasn’t until I returned that I heard scratching coming from upstairs. Lily had been locked in. This morning I see that all of the carpet around the door is completely ruined.