December 30th: A message from Simon

This is a message that Simon wrote by himself using WordQ software:

Happy new year to all our friends, best wishes for 2010.

Love Marian and Simon XXX

PS here is our very naughty dog Spike

27th December: Season's Greetings

Firstly, my apologies for the lack of xmas cards this year. I did write a batch of twenty or so, then lost them in the move. Thanks to everyone for cards and messages, we will certainly try to make the best of 2010.

Simon has been home for three weeks now. Before xmas we had visits from therapists most days, and Simon has made more progress with his speech. We are struggling a bit with physio work since we don't have the gym equipment that he used to work on. We have installed a walking rail in our living room and hope to start using that this week.

The house is still full of boxes that need unpacking, however, we have made a dent on it, and Simon is in the process of shelving his CDs in alphabetical order. We have created a beautiful music room for him which looks over the gardens. In the mornings we are treated to a wonderful display of native birds that roost in the trees behind us. Our cat, Professor Skippy Orlando, a well known ornithologist, spends much time observing these creatures from his hide in the far left corner of the garden behind the agapanthus.

We still have to finish off the house at Brighton and get it on the market. It will take a couple of weeks, then I hope it will go quickly - the bridging loan is wicked.

We have been trying to get Simon a powered wheelchair. This failed to materialise despite all the promises, it turns out that the Disability agencies have run out of funds and don't get their next allocation until July. My sister, Margaret, took up the case and went to battle with the agencies. She managed to extract an agreement that they would raid next year's funds and give Simon priority. However, this may still take several weeks. I tried to hire a powered chair before xmas but there were none available. Perhaps I'll just go in the shed and build one!

Our new dog, Spike Milligan, is a hooligan. He eats everything (except bananas), including clothes pegs, my handbag, biros, and socks. He is also a great escape artist and regularly manages to wiggle his way out of the front door. At night we have to confine him to the laundry so that the poor cat can come indoors and relax.

Hope that 2010 brings you health and happiness,

Love Marian xx

18th December: Farewell to Asher

This has been a special week. Asher and Simon have been able to hang out together in the Vale visiting some favourite haunts and catching up on many stories since they last met. It has been wonderful to have our good friend here for Simon's first week at home and it was with great sadness that we said goodbye today. We will all meet again; soon I hope.

Meanwhile, we have acquired a dog. His name is Spike Milligan Shurville, a maltese cross (unspecified), just about a year old and mad as a hatter. Spike came from the RSPCA rescue centre where he had been taken in as a stray. His fur was terribly matted and about five inches thick, so they had him sheered. When we met him he looked like a little skin-head. Spike has settled in well at our new home although our cat, Skippy, is not happy about it. For the moment, we keep Spike in the laundry at night while Skippy comes indoors, then release Spike in the mornings once Skippy has gone out on patrol.

Simon has four weeks of rehab in the home underway. Almost everyday a therapist from one of the disciplines (speech, physio, occupational therapy) comes out to McLaren Vale from the Repat hospital (a long way to travel) and spends up to an hour with Simon. We also have a therapist who comes three mornings to help with showering. This team is doing really good work with Simon, his speech is particularly improved. I have learned a lot about how to transfer from bed to wheelchair to shower-chair etc. We have also successfully managed to transfer to and from the car and load the wheelchair into the boot of the car. This is difficult and heavy work and quite painful for Simon but it gives us a bit of flexibility to go out of the house.

We had some disappointing news about the funding for Simon's home assistance and his powered wheelchair. The state agency responsible for this had run out of funds (only six months into their budget) and said that we were on a hopeless waiting list. We really cannot do without the powered wheelchair, Simon would be trapped in the house on his own, he cannot manage the ramps by himself and it is dangerous in the event of fire. My sister, Margaret, got on the case today. She made repeated phone calls to various state agencies insisting that Simon should have priority for funding. After much perserverance, she got them to agree to raid next year's budget (six months ahead) to fund Simon's wheelchair. It might still take several weeks, but we think that this will happen. When Simon heard this news he insisted that we jump in the car and go to see Margaret to thank her in person. Which we did. We found her at the plumbing shop where a number had gathered for the staff/customer/hangers on xmas barbecue. This was a lovely way to end our day. Here are some pictures of Simon and Gerry in the plumbing shop warehouse, and Raina (aged three) with her daddy driving the fork-lift!

Pictures of Spike to follow....

Love Marian x

12th December: A day out in the Vale

Simon was discharged from hospital on Tuesday 8th December after just over five months. It was wonderful, emotional, and terrifying all at once. We arrived at our new home in McLaren Vale which is in a chaotic state, full of removal boxes. But it was just splendid to be able to close our front door and know that we were home to stay. Asher arrived later on Tuesday having spent 27 hours in transit. He managed to stay awake while we went to the Barn for dinner. It was a great day.

Asher and Simon have been out on some long walks around the Vale, visiting various cafes and wine bars. They have found some really good places and are making friends wherever they go. This picture shows Asher doing a pile of ironing, while Simon sports his new hair-cut and Akubra hat.

Saturday we went to Willunga for the farmers' market and had a big shopping spree - loads of free-range goodies. Simon is managing to get in and out of the car very well, although it is quite an effort so we limit the number of transfers as best we can. Later I drove up to Samuel's Gorge - one of Simon's favourite wineries, then back down the hill via a fantastic new cellar door: Alpha, Box and Dice. We hosted Margaret and Gerry for drinks in the afternoon, then Mel and Pen for dinner.

6th December: 5 months in

Tomorrow Simon will have spent five months in hospital. He has decided it is enough and, ready or not, he is coming home. We move house tomorrow (Monday) and Simon comes home Tuesday lunchtime. We have been packing like fury, but still not finished. I have managed to clear everything out of the furniture that needs shifting, and got all the fragile Hi-Fi and TV stuff into their original boxes. The rest will have to go in car trips.

Tomorrow I face around 150kms on the road plus supervising the move at either end. I wish I had Simon to help.

My sister, Margaret, rocked up today and took away a car-load of stuff. Not sure how she managed to unload it by herself the other end, but she did it. Good on you Margaret. One of these days she will really retire.

The house is not really ready but sufficient to get started. I spent Friday night/saturday morning painting with a five hour break for sleep. While this is exhausting, I feel exhilirated by this challenge and this great breakthrough. It was my great ambition to bring Simon home. If all goes well, it will be very much ahead of schedule. I could not bear to see him spend any more time in hospital, even criminals don't get that long.

Now our lives will change. I become a full-time carer as well as having a full-time job. Wonder when I will get to relax? Maybe never....

We have been told that we cannot have any care assistance at home. I thought this had all been sorted out. Never mind, we will cope.

This will be my last post for a few days. We have to switch broadband providers. You know what that means - at least three hours a day waiting on hold while they transfer you to a help-desk in the whoop-whoop!

1st December: Raina's birthday

Raina is three years old today, she is so excited. At the weekend, she had a party with about 25 other kids at an animal farm. They were allowed to get up close and play with guinea pigs, rabbits, donkeys etc. Raina would select a guinea-pig and stroke it, then spotting a prettier one, would fling it away and reach for the next one. Thankfully, these guinea pigs get a lot of love and don't mind the rejection!

I wrote my usual bedtime story for her birthday, still working on the xmas version.

Big news happening here. We physically move into our new house on Monday, Asher arrives on Tuesday afternoon, and Simon gets discharged from rehab on Tuesday evening! It will be five months and two days since his stroke, almost all of that time in hospital. We cannot wait to get him home and comfortable.

Disability SA are arranging for me to have care help in the mornings and evenings, although that may not happen for a week or so. No matter, Simon and I have managed here at Brighton with no bathroom at weekends. It has been hard but we have been happy at home.

The modifications to the new house now have a rapid deadline. I hope that we can make it, if not, we will just have to improvise.

I went to our staff xmas do today. It was held at a bowling/tennis club. Very long drive to get there way East of the City in the Adelaide foothills. I tried my hand at bowls and must declare myself completely incompetent. I thank my bowling partner, Damien, for putting up with me. We lost by a glorious margin to Phil and Ludek (both accountants). I did claim to be much better at darts, but hope that nobody takes me up on that.

Love Marian x

29th November:

This photo was taken a few days ago at our new house. We plan great things for the back yard.

We had a good weekend. Simon helped with packing CDs while I did the gardening. We saw our neighbour, Jan, and chilled out.

Very tired but happy. Nice result for the Hammers.

Marian x

27th November: hopitty-hop

Off to work early this morning, mainly to collect stuff for my negotiation course and sort out some admin. Had an interesting experience in the car-park, a colleague had left her handbrake off and her car had glided across the car-park leaving everyone scratching their heads - why would someone park a car like that? All quickly sorted.
Then off to McLaren Vale where I found Gerry has made amazing progress - new doors created, others widened. I couldn't believe how much had been done, and I am so grateful to him. At this rate, we are certainly on target to have Simon in the new house in two weeks' time. I painted a wall in the lounge. Meanwhile, Rachael and Raina (aged three next week came to visit). Raina is very good at hopping on her right leg and proceeded to hop all around the house. When asked if she could hop on her left leg, Raina said "I'm not sure", tried it, and fell flat on her face! Without injury, I might add, rather like her mother who survived being catapulted 2 metres from a push-chair at 18 months (while in the care of 'young auntie Marian'!).
Many thanks to Margaret who took the lunch session with Simon, (have found a way of ordering him double fish and chips on Fridays). I went up for supper with Sausages, beans and baked spuds. I usually eat my lunch and dinner with Simon now and have got quite used to eating at hospital hours (12noon and 5pm). Simon had at least two physio sessions today, and there was more to come. The physio students are currently on work placement, and they like to get all the experience that they can (and are very competitive amongst themselves), so Simon is benefitting from this. He also benefits from their refreshing attitude to their work - they are not worn down, they have energy and enthusiasm, and seem to be well trained and educated. It is not surprising that so many Ozzies get physio posts in the UK.
I have drawn up a plan of Simon's music room using MSoft Visio and am hoping that he can tell me how to place things in the room. I need to be certain about this because I have to instruct an electrician on Monday about where to place power-points etc. The last time I did this I made many mistakes, really I am hopeless at interior layout and decorating (apart from painting). When it is finished, I hope that Simon will have a magnificent music room worthy of his collection. The music room looks out over the garden, and perhaps we can get him some French doors directly onto the patio.
I have felt a little stressed in recent weeks but this is easing now. I plan to go fishing in the evenings, no plans to catch anything, just a peaceful thing to do.
Love Marian x

25th November: One month til xmas

Only one month 'til xmas, don't panic! Actually, my family in Oz have come up with a great scheme whereby we buy one present, anonymously, for another family member whose name is drawn randomly. We are only allowed to spend fifty dollars maximum. For overseas presents I am relying on Amazon and finding them very good - they gift wrap and deliver, completely painless. Just as well since when I tried to get into the Marion shopping mall today I was beaten back by the weight of traffic in the carpark.

Gerry has been working at our new house and reports good progress. The plumber has also been in and got started. Meanwhile, at Brighton, I have finally ordered some wardrobe doors (after nearly two years). This will upset Skippy who likes to 'hide' in our open wardrobe.
Tried to get ahead with some teaching preparation today, I have an intensive course running in January, and need to get it all in press before the xmas break.
Simon's ward had an outdoor barbecue today. The courtyard was packed with wheelchairs, nobody could move, it was like fairground dodgems crossed with a chimpanzees' tea party. Some of the patients with less coordination were flinging sausages and salad all over the place. Simon does not like crowds and is averse to having coleslaw in his ears, so we retreated to his room to eat. They made a good effort with the barbecue grub. This evening I took him a shepherd's pie. His hospital menu was crazy again, and I have found that 30% of the time he is given completely the wrong meal. I know that this is not Simon's fault because I fill out his menus mostly, and never in my maddest moment would I order cream of parsnip soup for him! For those who think that cream of parsnip soup may sound nice - it isn't, I tasted it and it was evil. Tomorrow I cannot be there at lunchtime, so I will have to take something decent in the evening to cheer him up. Simon gets another swim tomorrow.

There was another misunderstanding today about Simon's wheelchair. Twice I was phoned by the hospital asking a) where is Simon? and b) where is his wheelchair? I must say I found both questions rather disturbing! It transpires that a technician was trying to repair the new manual wheelchair that has been issued to Simon. The fact that it is broken is the reason why he was not to be found sitting in it! Nevertheless, the technician proceeded to try to repair the chair that Simon was sitting in. We got there in the end, but on the other end of the phone it was like participating in one of those fiendish communication exercises.

Mel and Pen took delivery of their car today. It is a little bit better than a 'bomb' (you poms would say 'a banger'), and I think it will run for three or four years. Cars have less problems in Oz than in England where you used to hear cars wheezing and groaning to start in the damp weather, then a pile of expletives as it flooded with fuel and the poor owner tramped off to get the bus in the pouring rain. My transport of choice in England was a bicycle or Shanks' pony - always reliable.

Thanks to Malcolm for phoning and having a long chat with Simon. We are looking forward to seeing you and Jelina, and I think you will be blown away by the progress that Simon has made since you last met. If Moira (from UniSA) is reading, I am going to need some big strong guys to help with our removals. Simon believes that you know some chaps who would do a couple of days for us. If so, can you get in touch please?

Love Marian x

23rd November: Packing and Painting

Got Simon home again for the weekend. Unfortunately I forgot to pick up his shower chair so we had to improvise again. Thankfully all went well. Simon was quite exhausted on Saturday and snoozed most of the day while I pottered in the garden. We picked out lots of good tunes, my favourite this week was Shelby Lynne; she sings like an angel. Sunday we had some more rain and this kept us indoors for much of the day. Simon decided to start packing up his CDs and DVDs (there are many thousands). He has packed five boxes, so I can begin shifting those up to the new house. The sun came out finally, and I managed to get a coat of paint on the side of the shed. Simon wanted to help me but I couldn't squeeze his wheelchair past the pool fence. Next weekend we will have a go at painting the front gates, he can reach those easily. It was good to see Simon active, he also helped to prepare some dinner - he chops vegetables and lays the table. He also dictated some email replies, and is getting much better at using the mouse and keyboard.

Today's pic is of Simon by the pool with his beloved pot plants.

Love Marian x

20th November: Beautiful rain

On reflection, I realise that I am inconsistent in my views about Australian weather. One day I complain that it is 'raining cats and dogs', next describe a 43 degree day and drought, and tonight I welcome this refreshing shower of warm rain. OK, I am originally English, and so observing the weather is a national characteristic. I must learn to put this away and take an Ozzie attitude to weather - rain is good, sun is good in moderation, save all the water that you can get - that is all there is to it. Have left my car out in the open so that it gets a good wash. I learned this by observing the behaviour of my neighbours.
Picked Simon up from rehab before 9am and drove in the taxi to McLaren Vale. We were expecting a guy from Telstra to connect the TV service - big cock-up by Telstra and no show. When I phoned them later (one hour with the call-centre) they agreed that they could do all of the work that they promised by December 2nd. Very quick to take your money, not so quick to deliver. Some of you may be reminded of British Telecom in their monopoly days.
My sister, Margaret, was run ragged all day with our comings and goings, even picked up our lunch and delivered it. Gerry spent time with our occupational therapist to understand the modifications required. Gerry took the bathroom door off, and managed to fit the shower chair in. Our occupational therapist advised us on what modifications are needed urgently and we will get onto that straight away. I took another door off in the hallway (it was an unecessary door) and Simon now has a clear run from the front door into the kitchen, back room, and front room. Some more door widening to do, but it does not look onerous. If anyone is in the market for some spare doors, sing up.
Sorry there are no photos. Our occupational therapist took them on her camera and will email those later. We took up half of her day with our home visit and I think that she was very patient with us. I would also like to acknowledge the cooperation of our new neighbours, Margaret and Mike, who, within twenty minutes of meeting us, lent us their screwdrivers! Good on ya, guys.

Marian x

19th November: Melting

Over 40 degrees today in Adelaide, everyone is nearly melting including the cat (who now spends most of the day shade hugging in the garden). However, nice and cool at work in the aircon. Had a successful day interviewing for new staff (I hope), then dashed home to pick up a television and drove with it to McLaren Vale. I stuffed it in the back of the car with a couple of duvets and pillows and hoped for the best. Managed to get it there in one piece. I needed to do this because the Telstra people are coming in the morning, and I think they may be installing the Foxtel as well, so we needed a TV there to test the service. Quick cuppa with Margaret then dashed back to rehab making it with minutes to spare. We had toasted sandwiches for tea.
Simon had a good day. He was in a 'reading group' this morning and seemed very pleased with that. Swimming this afternoon, and a visit from Chris Stewart (thanks Chris also for the copy of Viz - haven't seen that in years).
We are taking Simon to McLaren Vale first thing tomorrow to walk through the new house with the Occupational Therapist. Another overnighter planned for Saturday and Sunday at Brighton. I checked the bank accounts and discovered that we only owe $650,000 - small change.... (gulp).
Margaret had the bright idea of putting in an above ground pool at the new house, level with the rear patio. If this is feasible, it will chop a lot off our renovation costs at the new house. I will ask our pool man to come up with some suggestions. Simon and I also talked about stripping down one of his bicycles to make an exercise machine that he can use sitting in the chair. They have one of these in the rehab unit and it is well used.
Home to the news that we are expecting two days of rain - much needed for our poor lawns.
Piccies tomorrow,
Love Marian x

18th November: New Home

We successfully completed on our new home in McLaren Vale yesterday, I went up to collect the keys in the afternoon and took a car-load of stuff to begin the moving process. All looks good, everything left clean and tidy, and no obvious problems. There is a bit of over-painting to do, there are some very bold colours in a couple of the rooms. My preference is for quiet, gentle colours. Gerry is going in to the house this morning to begin dismantling the shower screen. We will take Simon up on Friday with his occupational therapist, and we plan to do a walk through to work out what modifications are needed urgently. We will stop for lunch in the Vale.
I stayed over with Mel and Pen last night, their place is looking really good now. Drove Mel to work during the peak hour traffic - not nice, I plan to try to hit the roads at quieter times or take the slower road. The expressway takes about 15 minutes off the journey, but I fear that the stress may take years off my life.
Skippy is cross with me (showing me his dot) because I had to leave him outside last night (I left the shed slightly open and I know full well that he spent a comfortable night in there because there was a cat-shaped indentation in a sleeping bag and all of the food and biscuits had been eaten). However, Skippy prefers the comfort of a double bed, duvet and several pillows plus the option to wake me up in the middle of the night to attend to his every need. Why am I so soft with this cat? Will take some photos of the new house on Friday.
BTW I had some technical trouble with the blog. To fix it I had to set my internet privacy and security settings to medium. Perhaps the IT nerds out there would advise me about the implications of this, and can it be avoided?
All good,

Love Marian x

15th November: Long hot days, many spiders

Simon's rehab routine continues as normal. He is making good progress in physio and there is probably more improvement to come there. At home, he has been trying to use the computer. He can now type most of his username without assistance, and he dictates messages to send to people. Some of these are a bit odd, but I faithfully transcribe them, and the recipients seem to appreciate the effort.

I must confess that I got fed up with Facebook and deregistered. What on earth is this 'farming' business about? and how do they find the time to spend half the day on the internet with this garbage? Sorry guys, I just think this is wasteful and expensive and ruining. Forget Facebook and X-Factor, read a good book, go to live concerts, grow roses, make love, travel if you can; then write about it to your friends . Rant over. Facebook dead....

Mel and Pen popped in this afternoon. They had a good old chat with Simon made him laugh a lot. Mostly about fart jokes but they are always good value.

Love Marian x

12th November: Heatwave

We are in an official heatwave, several days over 35 degrees, and set to reach 40 by Sunday. Unlike Southern Europe, Australia doesn't slow down, just ploughs on at the same pace. Beautiful in the evenings however, and just perfect for walks along the beach. The pool was as warm as bath water this evening.

Took fish and chips for Simon this evening, his dinners have been messed up badly this week. Can't wait to get him home so that he can choose what to eat and when. All is looking good on the new house, the settlement date is in just five days if all goes to plan.

Love Marian x

10th November: Kitchen madness

I joined Simon for lunch and dinner, only to find that his main course was missing on both occasions, and the desserts had been replaced with soup! It has been a very hot day, and I guess it is even hotter in the hospital kitchens. They could be forgiven for making mistakes in those conditions, although I do wonder whether the kitchen porters ate all the ice-creams! Fortunately, I was able to source some decent food from outside. Otherwise spent the day marking and sun-dodging. Home to water the garden, the plants were so thirsty I could hear them giggling afterwards. Then a welcome dip in the pool for me, it was like stepping into a tepid bath, just gorgeous. I may have another splash before bedtime.

Henry, the broker, rang to say that our forms have been accepted by the bank, and we just wait now for the Land Registry to give us approval. Simon's occupational therapist is going to arrange a visit to our new house with Simon as soon as we get the keys. She will be able to tell us what modifications are absolutely necessary before he can come home. This will be a great help. Really looking forward to getting settled. Simon has picked out his wide-screen TV (50 inches!).

All good, love Marian x

9th November: Sizzling in Adelaide

We are having a big heatwave - expecting 37+ degrees for the next two days. I am battling to save plants and the lawn (which I had only just rescued from last year). Have enjoyed swimming in the pool, just wish that Simon could get in there with me. Simon got in the pool at rehab for his hydrotherapy session today, and he did enjoy it. He looked particularly handsome in a Hawaiian style beach shirt this morning, everyone was complementing him on it. I will see if I can get him some lighter gear now that it is warming up.
Our mortgage broker came to the hospital to meet Simon today and to take his signature on a number of documents. The broker, Henry, was worried that Simon's signature is inconsistent and might not be accepted by the Land Registry. I thought this was a bit silly really, we have to ID ourselves dozens of times in this house-buying process, and it can't be the first time that a stroke victim has bought a property. Anyway, he could sign it with his thumbprint and deposit some DNA if they were really concerned about it. While Henry was obsessed with this detail, in passing, he mentioned to me that I would owe around $700,000 in two weeks time. "Don't worry" said Henry.... I am quietly frantic and keep finding myself humming that tune by the Valentino Brothers!
Worked on a draft of a student's Masters dissertation today - I am hoping that she can make all of the amendments that I have suggested overnight because it is due in tomorrow and she leaves for India on Thursday. As always, I have selected a very serious examiner for her (because I believe this adds value to the work and the student), and as always, I will spend the next fortnight worrying about it. My student is going back to India for a Hindi family wedding. I once had the privelege of attending one of the five ceremonies at a Hindu wedding - it was just spectacular. I was dressed to the nines but have never felt so under-dressed!
My neighbour, Jan, went xmas shopping at the weekend. I felt a sudden panic, then realised that xmas is a good six weeks away. Simon and I read the catalogue from the Reject Shop and decided that we would get all of our family xmas presents from there. They are unbelievably naff, but we know that you will treasure them!
Love Marian xx

8th November: Simon's first blog post

Sprang Simon from Rehab at midday, and straight home for lunch. It was a glorious day and we spent the afternoon under the verandah. I combined this with ironing and swimming while Simon had the occasional snooze. It turns out that I don't mind doing the ironing outdoors. We picked some nice tunes, my favourite this afternoon was an old collection by the Pretenders. Also discovered a small treasure: the original of "Money's too tight (to mention)" which I had always attributed to Simply Red. Not so. It was the Valentino Brothers and their version is just superb. Get downloading....
Mel phoned this afternoon, she has managed to sell our car (the Camry), well done, Mel. Another talent to add to your list.
Simon is happily esconced in his recliner watching Rockwiz - he knows all the answers before they have finished the question! Today he managed to find his way to this blog and has made his first posting! Scroll down a few days and you will find his message.
Thanks for messages from David McGladdery and Pernille, he really loves to hear from you.

Love Marian x

6th November: Koala on Campus

Just back from my second visit to Simon today. Unfortunately, he missed out on his swim again. I could not get at the reason why and the day shift staff had gone off duty. I wish they would stop messing him around, it just upsets and confuses him. The good news is that we have a tentative date for settlement on our new house: 17th November. I can't be absolutely certain of that, but it should be thereabouts. This means we will have a couple of weeks to get in and do the urgent modifications and may be able to get Simon home by early December when Asher arrives.

Knocked out two more syllabuses today, and thought I had finished, only to find another one incubating in my inbox when I got home. Also found this wonderful notice from the Social Science Administration team:

"A male koala has regularly been seen on campus, especially around the Social Sciences north and south buildings. Many staff and students have provided water for him during heat waves when he tends to come into our courtyards. Several staff have contacted Cleland Wildlife Park enquiring about the behaviour of the koala and as a consequence of these enquiries, a vet is willing to come on campus, hopefully locate the koala and examine it to establish if there are any medical issues. This animal is not dangerous or aggressive and because it appears to be quite thirsty, it will follow anyone who is in possession of a water bottle. You are to exercise precaution but the little guy only wants a drink and will be pleased if you can provide it (and dispose of your water bottle afterwards). He will try to hold the bottle in his claws so be mindful of this to avoid any scratches. Water is a very important commodity for the survival of the koala so please help where you can."

Flinders is special. This year we are having our xmas outing to Kensington Bowling and Tennis Club. I plan to try my hand at bowls.

Warm weekend approaching - shorts alert!

Love Marian xx

November 5th: Melbourne Cup week

Sorry for the lack of blogging this week, been busy and a bit tired in the evenings. Simon had his first dip in the pool at last on Wednesday - he complained that the physios didn't let him have any fun, they made him work the whole session! He gets another swim on Friday. They have worked him very hard this week. One reward, he got third place in the rehab sweepstake on the Melbourne Cup netting a whopping $6. I didn't manage to get a bet on, but would have lost anyway. Melbourne Cup day coincides with my arrival as a migrant in Australia - it has been an eventful four years.

Meanwhile I've been getting the marking done, dealing with research students, and syllabus writing.

There is a technician coming to our house in the morning to try to raise the height of our bed. At present it is a bit low for transferring to and from the wheelchair and I have kittens every time Simon attempts this. Fortunately, last weekend all went reasonably well. However, it will be nice to have the comfort of a level transfer. We would really like one of those whizz bang beds that goes up and down and raises the backrest etc.

Thanks to Blake for the advice re computer software. I had a look at this and realised that Simon's speech would not be consistent enough for voice recognition just now, but while on that search I discovered a site, Technical Solutions Australia, that does electronics for the disabled, they have a catalogue of neat stuff including touch screen and 'read back' kit (boasting an application that does genuine Ozzie accents!). I love the idea of a computer that says "Don't come the raw prawn with me, ya Dingo!". I have emailed them to ask for advice.

Caught up with my sister, Margaret, briefly on Wednesday. She had a nice holiday in Queensland, but already feels like she needs another one. She is always buzzing about helping someone. No rest for the 'retired'.

We are expecting nice weather for the weekend. Simon will come home overnight Saturday to Sunday. This time I aim to be better prepared.

Thanks for the phone call from Nick, your message got through loud and clear. Also thanks to Shirley for the postcards that we all received this week.

Love Marian xx

2nd November: marking my socks off

Have spent much of today marking. Not a bad job, and I really enjoy reading some of the students' work, especially the reflective stuff. Happily, most of those I marked today got over the standard, and some by a long margin which is very pleasing.

Dropped in to see Simon at lunchtime, he was in a physio session, and all is going well there. I was, of course, quizzed about our weekend at home. We made it, not easily, but at least I know this is achievable even with the minimum facilities and equipment. I could do with two sets of eyes and hands and a lesser weight disadvantage. We are both working on the latter.

Thanks for the message from Nick B today. Simon was still in physio, but the nurse wrote down exactly what you said. Good on ya, Nick.

We have plunged from 33 degrees to 16 degrees in the last hour. What a strange climate this is. However, we are grateful for the rain which may just save the lawn.

Today's picture is of Simon and our neighbour, Jan. Guess what guys, she is available! Get posting....

Love, Marian x

1st November: Long weekend

I managed to spring Simon from Rehab on Friday evening, and we have spent two whole days and nights together. This was fantastic, although I will not pretend that it was easy. We don't have an accessible bathroom at this house which makes life very difficult. We improvised quite well, and Simon has returned to rehab this evening in good shape. It was good to wake up together and just be able to potter around in the morning. Lazy breakfasts on the patio, and no hurry to get on the road which is our usual story on Saturdays and Sundays. Our neighbour, Jan, came over on Saturday afternoon, we cooked up some burgers and snags with some salad. This evening we had tender roast lamb with rosemary, roast spuds and three veg. Very good to see Simon eating his veggies.

We had to do a bit of sun-dodging this weekend, temperature over 30 and some wicked UV rays. I dipped in the pool several times today to cool off, but never in front of Simon - I so wish he could get in the pool with me. I know it can be done, but it will take four strong lads.

Simon spent a lot of time listening to his music, we raided the music room several times for long forgotten CDs. My pick was Prince "The Hits 1" album - that took us back to our youth, and we were dancing.

I mowed the lawn today and fear that I have already lost the battle. With just one week of hot, dry weather it has started to turn brown. I have raked and forked it, and plan to get some water on it this evening, but I fear it is not going to flourish. We have had so much rain here, but it never seems to be enough, I guess the ground water is low. At the new house we have a massive rainwater tank, it is almost the size of an apartment that I once lived in. That should help with Si's gardening plans.

Feeling good,

Love Marian xx

30th October: Home early

Arrived before 9am for Simon's swimming session, only to find him outside very dejected. It had been cancelled. I went in to investigate. There had been a burst water main and most of the hospital was without water. Disastrous, they couldn't even flush the loos. Margaret joined me and we took Simon for a cuppa and tried to cheer him up. This was hard, he had been so looking forward to his swim today.
I went off to work but couldn't keep my mind on anything and it was very hot today. So I went home thinking I'll have a dip in the pool, cool off and try again. I rang the Rehab, still no water and they were considering evacuating. I decided that was enough and said I would like to take him home, they agreed, and here we are. I didn't get my dip in the pool, but maybe tomorrow when Simon isn't looking.

I managed to 'shower' Simon in a chair in the garden using a watering can of warm water ( I have to stand on a foot stool to get the height). Anyone looking over the fence would have thought this very bizarre but it was the only way I could think of. Well it worked, he is fresh and clean which he wasn't when I picked him up. I pity anyone staying on Rehab this weekend, nobody has showered or washed all day. We had a nice meal sitting on the patio. Now Simon is resting in his favourite chair with the TV and his beloved cat. So far we have managed several 'transfers' from the wheelchair without difficulty. Fingers crossed. This weekend we plan nothing more adventurous than eating on the patio and lolling around the house. Life is just as it should be.

Love Marian x

29th October: Who burnt the toast?

Started my marking at 6am while it was cool and quiet, managed to get finished by 11am, in time to visit Simon for lunchtime. He was narked about something to do with the morning toast - perhaps it was burnt. Small things like that can really put your day out - I can remember being in hospital once and the orderly declaring that there was no time to make toast and we would all have to go without. We were outraged, protests were organised and one patient raised a petition to be sent to the Secretary of State. It was all over by tea-time.

Simon's diabetes nurse came to give me training on how to use the blood glucose meter and the insulin pen - I've been using these things daily for about two years, but didn't like to interrupt so listened patiently. Simon was grinning.

I think that we have approval for overnight leave this weekend. Whoopee! It will be over 30 degrees and very hot on Sunday - hope that our air conditioner still works after the winter break. We have had some beautiful days this week high 20s / low 30s just perfect (except for having to work).

Simon gets his first dip in the hydrotherapy pool tomorrow morning. I plan to get there early to witness this - it will be great to see him in the water again.

Just when I thought the marking was finished, some more came along. Interesting stuff though, two honours theses on lively topics.

All seems to be proceeding well with the house, the Oz system seems to be fairly straightforward so long as you pay people to do all the leg work, it is mostly a matter of signing lots of documents. Shirley had a more difficult experience in Tunisia where they use an archaic French system. They can actually hold up a transaction for failure to pay 1 Dinar (50 pence?) for the rubbish collection.

Some of you have had phone calls from Simon but couldn't work out who it was. If you get an odd call, it might just be Simon. I know that he phoned Aiden, we had a text from him sounding confused.

Love Marian x

28th October: 22 Steps

Good sleep, then out early to catch Simon's physio session. Watched him transferring independently from the bed to chair etc. He is really strong now and manages without assistance. It is likely that we will get permission for overnight leave this weekend. The second part of the physio session was in the gym where I watched Simon take 22 steps in two series. He only needs a brace on the lower leg to keep the ankle straight. Simon is managing to do this even though he has no feeling in the lower leg.
I left him to his own devices at lunchtime while they had a ward BBQ. Simon managed to get second helpings again. Home to bash out some marking - nearly finished, then had a cool dip in the pool.
Found Simon waiting for me at the door this evening, I brought take-away and he was starving after all the physio sessions. Great news, he is to be allowed to use the hydrotherapy pool this Friday, and if all goes well, he gets to swim twice a week from then on. He will be so happy, he loves the water. I will try to get to the swimming session on Friday morning, I want to see how they get him in and out of the pool.

Thanks for cards from Miranda, and Margaret & Gerry. I think Simon has also taken some phone calls, he loves to talk.
All good,

Love Marian x

27th October: ZZZZZ

So very tired, I must just sleep. Night night.

M x

26th October: Technical problems

Sorry for the lack of blog these last few days, I have had some technical problems (thanks to Microsoft). I defragmented the disk overnight (always a worrying process) and seem to have made a bit more space, but no question I have to find a better computer. I will try to find one that is friendly for Simon, big screen and joystick. Perhaps even touch screen if such exists. I really need advice on this, get busy posting comments guys.

So what has happened. Simon came home for Saturday and Sunday afternoon, we now stay out until 7pm. We are going to be trained on transfers (to beds, chairs, loos, cars etc) on Wednesday by the physios. There is a plan to let us have an overnighter at home next weekend if all goes well in the practice sessions. This would be such a bonus for us. I also realise that it is a test for me (set by the rehab staff). Can Marian cope on her own? I think I can. Have discovered that there are some things that I do need: more ramps, a baby intercom thing (so that I don't have to grow eyes in the back of my head), a tazer gun for very bad taxi drivers, and a 27 hour day. Some of those can be fixed.

I received automated confirmation from the HR database that I had successfully passed my two year probation period and that I am confirmed as a permanent member of staff until December 2049 - I will be getting close to my 90th birthday by then! I have heard of the ageing workforce but that is ridiculous. It made me smile.

Marking heavily at the moment. I try to be forgiving, and remember what it was like to be a first year student. There are some that just cannot be rescued, but in most cases I have been able to wave the magic pass wand. More star-chamber stuff. Early indications are that our reflective journal exercise has been successful - thank you, God.

Simon continues to work hard in the gym, and is making progress with his leg. The arm is not making progress, and he asked me (not for the first time) if he could have it amputated. NO. A totally irreversible and dangerous procedure. I don't blame Simon for asking and I know what the scriptures say about this. However, the fact that he has pain in his hand is encouraging. Hard as it is to bear, where there is pain there is life.

I know that colleagues at UniSa are preoccupied with their own problems just now, but I would ask you to stay in contact with Simon. You can telephone him at the Repat 8275 1920, Bed 8, and you can certainly pass by and see us at our home in South Brighton at weekends. We are in the phone book. He has been worrying about the lack of contact with you all. Please stand by him guys, I know he would do it for you. I predict that he will be back at work in some way in two years time.

Fair result for the Hammers against a top Arsenal side, if only the defence wasn't so flimsy. Personally I think the goalkeeper needs to gain weight - wider is better in goal, surely.
Hope this post makes it.

Marian x

22nd October: Shopping trip

Into work early and split up some marking with Raj, commented on some papers, then left my office in a dreadful mess. Decided just to shut the door on it and go back tomorrow with a shovel and a large wheelie bin. Time for a real clear out. Set off to rehab for Simon's lunch. He had been in the gym, and they are reporting very distinct movement in his right thigh, so now it has recovered below the hip. As luck would have it a team of physio students have just arrived on placement at the hospital and are really keen, so Simon is getting extra physio sessions most days. I had arranged to take Simon to Marion Shopping Centre to see the optometrist leaving at 4.30pm. Decided that there was no reason to go back to work, just found a quiet shady garden and got on with my marking for the afternoon. This was remarkably productive, nothing but birdsong and the odd spider to interrupt my thoughts. In fact, I got so much done that I am thinking of setting up a temporary office in the Repat grounds. If anyone is looking for me, I am to be found under the furthest tree on the left behind Rheumatology.
Went back to collect Simon from his ward for the taxi to Marion. The scoundrels let us down badly, almost half an hour late, then the driver started to mess about adding several kilometres to the route. I was quite annoyed with him. Got Simon to the optometrist just on time, this was a good experience. The doctor remembered Simon from his last visit but took the new situation completely in his stride "See you've got some wheels there Simon!". We explained what had happened and he gave us a very detailed explanation of what has been happening to Simon's eyesight. The good news is that he said very positive things about the eyesight returning to near normal after around six months, and that Simon was showing signs of improvement already. He didn't even recommend changing the prescription on the glasses. Simon was really pleased with this news.
From there we hit the shopping centre food court - these are always good value in Australia. He selected a Yiros stall, and we had quite a healthy meal - plenty of salad.
With just a little time left we had a tour around Myers TV and Hi-Fi section where Simon drooled over the wide-screen plasmas. We already have two of these, but that will never be enough.... I have promised him Foxtel when we move to the new house, so I suppose a very good home-movie system wouldn't be a bad idea. Listen to me, falling for this already. From there to JB Hi-Fi where we found a bunch of DVDs that Simon wanted including the first series of the Wire, we have the rest, so now he can begin watching that. His pick for this evening was a series of Stargate Atlantis.
We had intended to do more shopping - smaller clothes needed as he is shrinking quite rapidly. So another shopping trip on the cards next Thursday.
Good taxi ride back to the hospital, and left Simon getting into bed tired but happy with his day. Rushed home to let Skippy out - think he had been crossing his legs for a couple of hours.
We had quite a long chat with the Professor (Simon's consultant) this afternoon. She is a real card and I like her a lot. Simon was negotiating his release date - he is prepared to compromise on six weeks when Asher gets here. She said maybe, but definitely by xmas. Also she was going to try to get Simon some access to the hydrotherapy pool. We asked whether we could use our private insurance in some way. The answer is again, maybe. However, she was very interested that we had private insurance, and with the best company, because it will ensure continued rehab treatment for Simon in the future. While outpatient appointments are limited and not covered by insurance, she can arrange to admit Simon to the hospital for a week at a time for intensive rehab. With this prospect she thought it possible that we could release Simon earlier rather than later. The problem with early release is that it effectively ends the intensive rehab period and, under the public system, it is difficult to restart it unless you have a major incident. This was all very interesting advice. I had wondered why we were paying for all this health insurance, now it seems to have been worth it. I did worry about the prospect of having to admit Simon to the hospital for a week at a time, but it seems it isn't really like that, he can come home at night and that will be easy for me because I work just ten minutes away and can drop and pick him up on my way.
Next Wednesday we have an appointment with the physios to show me how to transfer Simon to and from chairs, beds etc. The truth is, Simon and I have already achieved these things - I admit, awkwardly. It will be good to know the correct way so that we take less risks. Today I found a wheelie shower chair, whoopee cushion, and a 'grabber stick' under my carport - all delivered courtesy of the SA government. I am impressed and grateful.
In all, a busy and interesting day. Thanks for the advice about dogs and cats. It is obvious that dogs are more of a threat to cats than cats are to dogs, but cats are a bit cleverer and have a better sense of self preservation. Then dogs are more loyal and friendly than cats. Oh dear, too difficult. Think I'll get Asher to talk this one over with Simon - he knows about the practicalities of dog management (HND Furry Things, BSc (Animal Behaviour and Dog Mngt), Phd: The application of Pavlovian theory of slaverring dogs to cat behaviour in rural Australia (Fleurieu Peninsula).
Love Marian x
PS can't get photos to work here any more, it tries to blow up my machine at every attempt. Blasted Microsoft downloads are the cause of it....

21st October: Last lecture for 2009

Gave my last class for 2009 today. The semester has flown by, now we just have the marking to deal with and some course development work. We are also interviewing for new staff, so enough to keep me off the streets. The research students carry on as usual, although I might give a couple of my chaps an enforced break over xmas, they have been working way too many hours.
Simon had a good day, worked very hard in his therapy sessions and tackled some difficult things. Pizza for tea as a small reward. We talked a lot about work stuff, then had a deal or no deal session. Simon has been wearing shorts as the weather is improving and has sun-burned knees. If you turned the lights out you could see him coming, his knees are so shiny. He is missing George, his old room-mate, and Ron, another chap who always spoke to Simon and gave him a lot of encouragement. Ron has gone home, while George has gone to a hospital nearer his home. I will try to take Simon out of the hospital more now that I have finished teaching. I plan to get him to the optometrist soon, and may be able to combine that after work with a shopping trip and a meal out.
I have also been looking for wheelchair friendly holiday destinations - not a great deal out there sad to say, but I will persevere. It would be nice to get away for a few days.
Our garden has been taken over by birds, there must have been 60 of them this morning, all competing for space on Simon's bird-feeder. The pigeons assemble beneath this and pick up all the crumbs that the smaller birds drop. Skippy is in heaven - although he cannot pounce like he used to, he is enjoying the chase. I can see him licking his lips as I write this.
Today, Simon asked me if we could buy a dog! I suggested that we should wait until Skippy retires, any more change in his delicate life could leave him very traumatised. We already have the prospect of another house-move to get over, he will have to get used to a completely new environment, and the territory is even bigger than before. Come to think of it, perhaps Skippy does need an assistant. If you know of any cat-friendly dogs please tell.

Hope this post makes it, my computer is getting cranky.

Love Marian x

20th October: Raising the game

19th October: Al-Fresco dining

We had such a beaut day here in South Australia, I think around 26 degrees, clear blue skies and a slight breeze. It was a pity to have to work on such a day. Met up with Simon and Margaret at the hospital at lunchtime, we both went armed with extra grub so had to take some away. A nice chat, and some laughs. Margaret has managed to get a last minute mini-break to Queensland which sounds idyllic. By chance, some of Margaret's long lost friends will be in Queensland and staying nearby at the same time, they havent seen each other since the 1980s - a lot to catch up on.
Back to work to catch up with a student and guide him on an assignment. I will be marking much of this week and next. Hoping to find some juicy Higher Distinctions amongst them. One of our science students was made a Rhodes scholar this week, he has achieved Higher Distinctions in every topic that he has taken as an undergraduate averaging over 85% - phenomenal. Look out for a Dr Josh Makepeace in the future, he is very special. I hope that he will eventually return to Flinders after his spell at Oxford.
Back to rehab where I returned with the extra grub from lunchtime - a quiche which we shared in the garden. It was such a beautiful evening, Simon and I sat in the warmth and enjoyed some fine conversation and a lovely cuddle.
Sorry to have missed the blog yesterday, had something on my mind, but Simon helped me clear it out this evening. All good. I say good luck to the Potters who thrashed the Hammers on Saturday. These days they look like a decent team and they deserved that win. As for the Hammers, the inability to kick the ball seems to be a bit of a hindrance in their game...
Love Marian x

17th October: A century of posts

Just realised that this is my one hundreth post on this blog. In politics they always count the first one hundred days and then report on what the president/prime minister has actually achieved. The honeymoon period is over, as they say. Our honeymoon is only just beginning. I love Simon more deeply now than I ever did, and treasure all the time we have together. And our first 100 days have been remarkable.
We spent the afternoon happily at home with a Steve Coogan DVD (the one about the pest controller), it was hilarious. Well done, BBC. By the way, I am still waiting for my Corrie Street episodes that were promised! Simon managed to get in and out of his armchair again without any great difficulty. I am beginning to regret buying it in leather because he does slide downwards in the chair. The fabric version might have been better.
Dug up some spuds from the veggie patch and had those for tea. I am worrying that we will not be able to eat all of the potatoes that we have grown (approximately 90 kilos; twice my weight!). Maybe I can swap some for lemons with my neighbours.
Think there are a bunch of Whitaker birthdays imminent or recent. Happy birthdays guys, go wild!
Love Marian x

16th October: Lining up for the flu jab

Spent a while lining up for the swine flu vaccine this morning. This is now freely available to everyone in Australia. It reminded me of school days where we all had to move in single file through the nurses station with our sleeves rolled up. Jab, "ouch!" "Next!". The kids in front used to filter messages back down the line about the length of the needle - by the time the message reached me the needle was reported to be four foot long! Thankfully, the swine flu jab was painless. I met a young man in the waiting room who has an acquired brain injury, he overheard me talking to my colleague about Simon and said "I used to be like that". Two years on from a car accident he is on his feet, talking, and back at Uni studying science. I have arranged to meet up with him for a coffee next week, I love to hear these success stories.
Because of the flu line, I was a bit late for my meeting with a research student. He was very understanding, and seems to be making good progress despite juggling very many responsibilities. Off to rehab to meet Simon for lunch - he was nowhere to be found. I looked everywhere and began to worry that he had absconded. He has a small amount of money and I wondered if he had managed to blag his way onto a bus. After about fifteen minutes he came rolling along the corridor, he had been in an unscheduled occupational therapy session. Phew!
Simon had exciting news. He has been fitted with a plastic back-slab for his right leg. This keeps the leg straight and supports his ankle when he is standing. With this he was able to use an exercise bike for the first time today. It is a special bike that you wheel the chair up to, then strap the feet onto the pedals. The left leg does the pedalling but of course has the effect of moving the right leg. Fantastic, and there was a visible reduction in the swelling in Simon's right leg just from a few minutes' workout. He is hoping to do a lot more of this.
Back to work to see another postgrad who is interested in doing some work with us. A nice guy and I think he will do a good job for us. Later ran into another postgrad that I taught last semester. On hearing about Simon, he said he and his mates would come to my house at any time to do any heavy, manual jobs - sometimes, I feel overwhelmed by the kindness of Flinders people.
Spent half an hour at a gathering of social science research students and supervisors. It was a good turnout, and I think we will continue to get together from time to time.
Finally back to the hospital via Maccas for Simon's dinner. Found myself nearly asleep on Simon's bed at 6pm. It has been a long week. Home visits arranged for Saturday and Sunday, I hope for a nice warm, peaceful weekend and three points for the Hammers.
Love Marian x

October 15th: Keynote delivered

Phew, what a busy day. Spent much of it on the road shuttling between the City, Flinders and the Hospital. Had to give lectures in two of those places. The keynote went quite well, and I fielded some questions at the end. It was quite a sedate conference with around 70 participants. Was able to pitch in with some nice, recent labour market data on South Australia, all of the forecasts are for workforce expansion. Quite where we will find the 70,000 or so extra bodies that we need to fulfil our requirements in the next five years was a critical question. Skilled migration is one answer, and it may be that we can attract some people from NSW and Victoria with our lifestyle. Of course, we don't have enough water for them, so they will have to get used to washing in sand! The only time I have washed in sand was in the outback, where there really is no water, and it was quite effective except that my hair stood up like Dennis the Menace for about a week. Anyway, most importantly, we need more accountants and auditors, so any of you guys in the UK struggling with recession, get yourself a skilled migrant visa and we will welcome you to Adelaide with open arms.

Mel started her new job yesterday - working with a terrific outfit that designs exclusive (really) travel experiences and accommodation for very elite clients. Their accommodation portfolio is out of this world. Mel is going to add so much value to this business, she is absolutely in her element. Good on ya, Mel.

With all my rushing around, I didn't get to Simon until past 6pm. He was already in bed feeling a bit off-colour. He felt cold and didn't want to eat. I did persuade him to eat something, and a very kind nurse took the ham sandwich that was delivered on his tray and toasted it for him. He perked up quite a bit after that.

He received a wonderful present in the post from the Swifts netball team in NSW, they sent him a team photo with all of their signatures. It is a real treasure, and we will display it on his bedroom wall. The male nurses on the ward have all popped in to have a look, I noticed that all of them, to a man, crouched down to see if it was possible to look up their skirts! Naughty boys. Anyway, thanks Swifts, also for the lovely get well card that you sent to Simon. You are on our 'heaven list'; Simon and I have a list of people that we would invite round for tea when we get to heaven. The list is quite lengthy and growing.

Rushed home worrying that Skippy hadn't been fed and would be fretting. He was still in bed....

Love Marian x

October 14th: Simon visits McLaren Vale

Buzzed around a lot today. In to work for consultation and stuff, up to see Simon for lunch, then back for my lecture which went well, I think. Back to the hospital for 3.30pm to collect Simon for our big trip to McLaren Vale. We eventually got away in the taxi with a wonderful driver, Raymond, mature and experienced. He told us that they used to train their drivers by making them sit in a wheelchair in the back of the cab then roar around Adelaide with them hitting speed bumps at 5omph, screaming to a halt at traffic lights, and taking bends at outrageous speeds. This taught new drivers what it was like to be a wheelchair passenger with a bad driver. I do not know why they discontinued this training, very valuable experiential learning if you ask me.

Got to the Vale early, so we were dropped of at the pub - good access. Simon had a sneaky beer, then we walked to our potential new home. We found a secret way, known only to a few, using a side passage behind the chinese restaurant. There are some wicked kerbs, but fortunately Gerry was in charge of the wheelchair and we had two portable ramps with us (great things).
So we arrived at the house, got in with the portable ramps, and managed to explore most of the house and garden in the wheelchair. Gerry was studying this and can see where we need to widen doors etc. The damp problem seems to be unimportant. Simon loves the house, and has designs on whole chunks of it for his music collection. I am so relieved that he likes it, and now we can proceed with the purchase.

From there, we went to the Barn restaurant, just on the corner. Had an excellent meal and even better wine. I managed to find a half bottle of wine that Simon had wanted to taste for two years, Simon Hackett's Shiraz. It was excellent. Margaret and Gerry joined us for dinner, good company, and essential assistance. Thanks guys.

Mel started her new job today - congratulations! Now you can believe that the Oz economy is in good shape. The Wynne family alone are awesome for their productivity and added value. I predict that South Australia is going to be a ripper these next few years, tell your friends, and come to SA; we need more good people in SA (but please bring your own water...).

Returned Simon to rehab tired but in good spirits. Helped to get him to bed and left him warm and cosy. I hope that today gave Simon a glimpse of a very positive future for us.

Love Marian x

13th October: Lashing rain

If anybody ever tells you that South Australia is a dry state, disbelieve them. This has been an outrageous day for rain, near invisibility on the road. I simply had to trust in the driver in front of me, and the person behind me had to do the same. Wicked. It is the kind of rain that could knock you down, seriously you poms don't know what rain is. Consequently, I have been soaked through twice today. Had the curious experience of a student consultation session with both of us visibly steaming from the knees. We chose not to speak of it. Silly really.
Found Simon in good spirits at lunchtime, we worked through our shortlist of abstracts, came up with ten, then six that fitted with a loose theme. This selection process feels so much like being in a star chamber. I worry about those that we are rejecting. Some of them we know are so good that they will go on to find places in other journals and we reject in the hope that they will. Simon even rejected his own paper. Now that is professional.

We spent some time with the occupational therapist discussing the equipment that we will need at home. She has ordered an electric wheelchair, a self-propel shower chair, and a whoopee cushion (air filled cushion for the chair, quite expensive); we also asked about ramps and things that we will need. It may take many months to get the wheelchair and Simon has to convince everyone that he can drive it without running people over (a sort of driving test). For this reason, we have to get Simon to keep paying attention to his right side, where his vision is impaired. So even though it would be more convenient to have everything in his room arranged on his left side, we have to deliberately arrange it on his right hand side to force him to pay attention. Sometimes, I think about what I know about learning theory and wonder why we can't be more creative and sophisticated. Tom Bourner, and others, any thoughts?
Great news from the Swifts Ladies Netball team, they have replied. Good on ya Swifts.
Tomorrow I have planned to take Simon to see our new house (we have until Wednesday midnight to pull out of the contract), I hope he likes it. Important that I get him there before we decide. Gerry is also going to check out a building problem indicated by the ant surveyor, a bit of damp that would attract termites and must be dealt with. After this we will go to the Barn restaurant in McLaren Vale for a lovely meal. I have asked the taxi company for their best, mature drivers. Fingers crossed about that.
Today, Simon declared that he wanted to be free of the hospital by the time Asher arrives so that they can go out on the lash together. I have promised to do all that I can to make that possible. Asher, I hope that your muscles are in good shape! Looking forward to your visit and good luck in your new home.

Marian x

October 12th: Reviewing abstracts

Off to work (Shelly's birthday, they were all having cake lucky things), Shelly proclaimed that she would rather be at work than having a day off for her birthday because she loves Flinders so much. Told you, Flinders rocks; I'm not making it up. Then off to rehab for Simon's lunch. He was having a speech therapy session, so I was despatched for coffees. Am a bit fed up that the speech therapist makes him do the speech therapy in his bedroom because of the MRSA, she said that she would otherwise have to wipe down her room. I thought she should wipe it down anyway. He only gets to touch the table and a pencil. It is not good that he is being confined to his room in this way. I will take him outside as much as I can. The weather was nasty today. Margaret joined us for lunch and brought Simon two new fleeces that we had ordered from the Blokes Shop. She also took the precaution of buying him a toasted sandwich - just as well, his lunch was not appetising.
This evening we worked through 75 abstracts for the journal, and shortlisted 16. We will work on it again tomorrow to get this down to 10.
Spent the last half-hour on Deal or No Deal, the guy was a wicked gambler and won the car. Never seen that before.
I have written to the Swifts (netball team) to ask them where I can find a poster for Simon's room.
Returned home to a call re the termite inspection. All probably OK, but something to check in the bathroom wall which is damp - termites love damp wood, they get to eat and drink at the same time. Gerry has agreed to come and look at this on Wednesday and I am hoping to spring Simon from rehab to come look at the place at the same time. We will go armed with a ramp and bits of handy wood to make sure we can get Simon into the house. I hope that he likes it. While in the Vale, I will see if we can book a restaurant for Wednesday evening, that will round off our day nicely.
Marian x

October 11th: Simon the Commis Chef

A bit of housework this morning, then off to collect Simon from rehab. Found him in good spirits and ready to go. The whole of our neighbourhood had decided it was the day for garage sales and we popped into the neighbour's three doors down. Simon scored a tigger soft toy to go with his collection, he does look a bit like Skippy.
Home for lunch and then some music. Simon sat out in the shade and directed my gardening activities. I was just pottering really, tidying up and weeding. He is desperate to go to the garden centre and spend loads on plants, but of course that needs to wait until we have moved. In McLaren Vale, there are two garden centres that he could get to in his wheelie, so they are in for a sales bonanza when Simon arrives.
At tea-time, Simon announced that he was going to help in the kitchen, here you can see him making the salad which he did quite well (note our cat Skippy trying to sneak into a kitchen cupboard). His plan is to learn to cook properly so that he can have my dinners ready when I come home from work. Good plan, Shurv!
In a further break for independence, Simon has decided that he will take taxis from and to rehab by himself at weekends. I wasn't too happy about this but agreed to a compromise, I will drive to the hospital and see him into the taxi, checking out the driver and vehicle first. If I am happy, he travels alone and I drive my car in front. Then for the return in the evening, I check out the driver and vehicle, and if satisfied he travels back alone. This worked well today because we had two mature drivers with good vehicles. I phoned to check that Simon had arrived safely, of course he had.
Rain this evening to save me from watering the yard.
Love Marian x

10th October: Comfy at home

Found Simon out in the hospital garden this morning, he was already sunburned on the neck and arms, thankfully someone had slapped a flat cap on his head. Headed straight off in a taxi - not the best journey, it was one of the smaller cabs, quite uncomfortable and then the driver overcharged. What kind of dirty scoundrel overcharges disabled people?

We popped into Jan's nextdoor and ended up staying for lunch which was very good. Back home, and after checking the email Simon decided he would like to get in his new armchair. He made the transfer from the wheelchair very easily, and here we see him with Skippy on his knee. This chair has many electronic functions including lifting the occupant to a near stand. We don't really know how to use the remote control - the instructions are useless, so it is a matter of trial and error. Getting out of the chair was less easy, and I shouted for Jan next door to come and assist. In fact Simon made the transfer without any lifting assistance from us, we just needed the confidence of having another person on hand.

We watched TV, a spot of dinner, then back to rehab in another small taxi, thankfully with a good driver who didn't charge like a wounded bull. Got him settled in then home. A spot of ironing, then a nice bath and bed for me.

Love Marian x

9th October: Settling down

Off to work early to deliver a full-day workshop on negotiations. Only four students, and they were all lovely. Knocked out most of my input by 11.30 then set them up in two groups on a fiendish negotiation exercise. I was able to steal away for an hour to visit Simon at Repat, and was happy to find him sitting out in the day room with his fish and chips lunch (always the same of Fridays). They had not yet had confirmation of the MRSA, and so he was still in the same bedroom.
Back to work for the afternoon workshop. The students eventually did reach a negotiated settlement, but only after lying, cheating, and going to the brink of walk-out. Funny this, since when I asked them to assess their preferred conflict handling style first thing this morning, they all claimed to prefer collaborative approaches! We also gathered some nice insights into their previous experiences of negotiating - everything from buying cars from dodgy dealers to the role of mothers in brokering peace between battling siblings. I was pleased with my day's work and left them with homework to devise a plan to negotiate their own starting salaries. A very real assignment for them.
Dashed home to cook something for Simon's tea, managed to put a reasonable meal together, then back to the hossie. In the meantime, Simon's MRSA had been confirmed and identified; it is a very common one and well understood. I think there is at least one other case on the ward, not someone that Simon has had close contact with, so may have been passed by health staff. Hand hygiene is the most important containment technique. We are asked to use an alcohol gel on our hands when entering and leaving a room, this is straight forward enough. This germ will not make Simon ill, it is actually widespread in the community, many people carry it on their skin. It is only the risk to very sick patients, especially those with surgical wounds, or poor immune systems e.g. chemo patients, that presents the problem and so they must do everything possible to isolate it. Repat has a very good reputation of fighting this, and even recently recorded a 150 day spell of no MRSA incidents, a rare thing.
Simon has been moved to his own room, and it is rather pleasant looking out onto a garden courtyard, and he has a patio door that he can open and go walk about if he chooses. Also the luxury of his own bathroom which is roomier than the old one. With a bit of cheering up, it will be quite comfortable. I plan to take in some posters for the walls - inevitably he asked for a poster of the Swifts ladies netball team! Another advantage is that Simon can now choose which side of the bed to put his table. In the old room everything was put on his right hand side, which is the wrong side of course. All in all, things are not so bad. The staff are using gloves, but not masks or gowns because the germ is not airborne. That's a great relief for Simon, he was freaked out when his physio team turned up yesterday gowned and masked, he thought they were going to take him to surgery. His Doctor has been in and out several times today talking to Simon and explaining that he is safe, which he is. So too are all the people who have visited Simon. Visitors are still always welcome, just follow the hand hygiene instructions displayed around the ward.
George, Simon's old room mate, is leaving Repat next Tuesday. He is going to a hospital at Meningie which is only 70kms from his home (currently he is around 250kms away from home). This will give his family better access. They hope from there to get him home completely once the alterations to his house are complete. Simon and George have promised to stay in touch, and we will try to meet up with him at his son's hometome of Strathalbyn which is not so far from us. George has been a very good mate to Simon and I thank him. What struck me about George was that although he had everything to complain about what had happened to him, he never once did complain.
Thanks to David McGladdery for the talking books - great series of Peter James novels, I have read three of them so will appreciate them too. Simon spoke with Shirley last night and said that she had a good night out with Eleanor and then Asher collected her next day. Hope the English weather is behaving well.
Simon will come home for Saturday and Sunday afternoon. We plan to review some abstracts for a journal that he edits, then relax and chill out. He took five steps in the gym today. This evening, Simon told me the only thing he could give me was his heart; that's good enough for me, Shurv. Just keep it ticking.
Love Marian x

8th October: Superbug

Had a good start to the day, worked on some papers then into see Simon briefly for lunch. Caught the end of the speech therapy session where, sure enough, Simon had imposed his own agenda and had the therapist helping him to send text messages! Had to dash away for my lecture starting at 1pm and made it in good time. Unfortunately, the video recording of my lecture yesterday had great visual but no audio, the lapel mic wasn't working and because I move about constantly the lectern mic didn't pick up much. I now have the task of recording a podcast this evening. At today's lecture I stuck myself to the lectern and told the students to signal to me if they saw me drifting from my post. It was really quite uncomfortable being forced to stand in one place, not my style at all. However, it had the desired result and the broadcast is fine (apart from my mobile ringing, most embarassing). At the end of the class a young man waited behind to talk to me, he is about 23 years old and has an acquired brain injury from which he is now nearly recovered. This happened in a car accident over two years ago, and the effect of the injury is similar to what has happened to Simon. He generously shared information about his journey to recovery. His speech is fluent, he can use both hands, and he walks without sticks. I was so inspired and thank him if he is reading this blog today. I told Simon about you, he says "terrific".
Unfortunately, the phone call during the lecture turned out to be from the hospital. Simon has tested positive for an MRSA, a superbug. He was extremely upset about this. Instantly the staff implemented barrier nursing procedures: masks, gowns, gloves; he is being kept separated from other patients as much as possible, and they plan to move him to a single room tomorrow. So he and George will be broken up. This is such a shame, and I know that the move tomorrow will be stressful. Worse still, I cannot be there because I have a full teaching day. I had a quick look on the web about MRSA, and realise that I just don't know enough about microbiology to be able to offer any suggestions. The path lab were still working on finding out which strain we are dealing with.
Managed to help Simon to bed with only one nurse assisting, I think that I can do this on my own now, and will attempt this tomorrow. The only positive spin on today's news that I could think of was that Simon having the privacy of his own room opens up all sorts of possibilities....
I was warned early on that there would be many set-backs on this journey. Send up some prayers please.
Love Marian x

October 7th: Shirley lands safely

Off to work this morning, a busy week with quite a bit of teaching. Knocked out some more tute notes then off to see Simon for lunch. He was well rested and brighter today. He was disgusted with the vegetable lasagne they gave him for lunch and pushed this away. I tasted it, and agreed, it bore little resemblance to a lasagne (pasta far from al dente) and the vegetable component seemed to be cabbage! I promised to make it up to him with fish and chips for tea. Spent half an hour in the sunshine in the secret garden where Simon told me that he had managed to take four steps in the gym this morning, his physios had aimed for two. Well done, Shurv. Also he was talking about his plan to learn how to use the text messaging feature on his phone, and so you might expect a few practice texts over the next week or so. His phone is not the best thing, the keypad is tiny and I can barely see the screen. I will look for something more suitable - for this, I will need to consult some young people!
Spent a pleasant afternoon in the lecture theatre and consultation meetings. I am trying to engage our students with reflective learning and have set a learning journal assessment for them. They were confused. So I tried a bit of self-disclosure today. Told them what had happened to Simon and that I keep this blog (a type of journal), and that from time to time I reflect on the amazing stuff that I have learned over the last three months, giving some examples. Also that I have reflected on the things that I still need to learn, and my limitations. I could see the penny-dropping in every part of the lecture theatre. My students now have the address of this blog. Hi guys, welcome to my little corner of the world! Looking forward to working with you over the next few weeks.
Dashed around the supermarket, bought fish and chips, and off to the hospital to see Simon. I told him all about my day, and he interjected many times to ask questions about the lecture.
Home to the news that Shirley has landed safely, has just had a full English breakfast in her Bed and Breakfast at Gatwick, and is now planning a long snooze. Night night, sleep tight.
Then just now an email from Simon's student, Matthew, he has been interviewed by ABC radio news (similar to the BBC for you poms) about their paper on rescuing the archives of low lying nations. This will be aired Thursday or Friday, and will be available as a recording on www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat. Good on you, boys.
I am struggling a little to keep Simon positive, he knows that three months was a big milestone clinically and that we will have to battle our way from here, inch by inch. Keep the messages coming please, they lift both of us.
Love Marian x

6th October: Shirley flies to London

Up early and did a spot of gardening and some work before taking Shirley to the airport. She was quickly checked in at the Qantas desk, and even got to take her excess luggage without being charged. We were issued with a miniscule wheelchair and told to wait at the coffee shop on the departures side. Getting through the security screen was quite a palaver, but eventually we got through and settled Shirley at the coffee shop with a cappucino and a biscuit. The flight got away almost on time I think and good weather all the way up to Singapore. Shirley will land there in about an hour's time. Hope she managed to get some kip.
From the airport straight to the hospital to see Simon at lunchtime. I found him very tired and not wanting to eat. Managed to persuade him to eat some fish and some fruit. Margaret and Raina came to visit, and that perked him up a bit - he likes to see the baby, she is wonderful entertainment. Today she was chattering with George, and skipping around like a wallaby. Simon had OT and physio appointments this afternoon, but he couldn't make it, he was visibly wilting in the chair. So I arranged for him to be helped into bed, and left him to snooze.
Finally made it to work to see my research student. She had been trying to phone me to say she hadn't got much done and could we postpone. So I agreed to see her again later in the week. Slippages in research schedules are inevitable especially when you are raising kids and working. Managed to knock out some notes for my tutors for next week's seminars - might possibly have given them too much to do.
Drove down to Marion to the library and had to fess up about my late returns. They were very forgiving and said that I was one of their best offenders!
Back to the hospital with a take-away from Maccas to find Simon still in bed, but terribly uncomfortable and wet. He had tried to drink a cup of tea lying down. This had gone straight down his neck and he was lying in a pool of cold tea. The staff were all busy with supervising dinner and dishing out drugs, so I managed to get him undressed, washed down, sheet changed, dressed in pyjamas, and sitting up comfortably watching Deal or No Deal. It did take a bit of effort and ingenuity, but I am pleased to have achieved this. One step closer to coming home.
Simon enjoyed his Angus burger and chips - not good for him to have often, but better than the chick pea curry that they had planned for him this evening (it was gruesome). At least I didn't have to cook this evening.
Not sure why Simon was so tired today. It could be that we had three day's home leave and that took it out of him, although yesterday we were very relaxed at home. It could be a medication thing. Hoping that he will pick up tomorrow, not good to miss physio four days in a row.
Have to dash around the rest of the week, lecturing tomorrow and Thursday, then a full day workshop on Friday. Worried about how I will cover Simon's lunchtime sessions now that Shirley has gone home. I will see if Mel and Pen can come down on Thursday or Friday.
Skippy has been worried all day. He saw Shirley's suitcases, and always associates these with being shoved in a catbox, sent half way round the world, and left starving in quarantine. When I got home he was very relieved and has spent the last half hour wrapped round my ankle while I write this blog - very warm actually, must get one for the other leg.
Simon now has his mobile phone at the hospital and may be making calls. If you hear from him, he can understand everything that you say, so tell him everything.
Love Marian x

5th October: Three months

Up early, checked the Hammers result (fair) then whipper-snipped the grass verge. Pesky job, the line keeps breaking and you have to stop and reset it every 3 minutes. Serves me right for buying the cheap strimmer from Bunnings (B&Q for you poms).

This is the photo that I was trying to put up yesterday. Here we see Simon and George being loaded into the Access Taxi. I usually sit beside Simon. Look at the colour of George, brown as a berry - he is a farmer, from country Australia.

We had a public holiday today (Labour Day), and I was able to bring Simon home for the afternoon. We watched "The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith" - more violent than I had expected despite reading the book decades ago. I know that Kennealy has been roundly criticised for this work, but it still taught me some things.

We had a nice meal using veg from the garden, then time for Simon and Shirley to say farewell. This was tearful and choking. I am mindful of Jelina's comment on yesterday's post, in Ngarrindjeriwe culture they don't say "goodbye", they say "see you later...".

See you later, Shirley.

We are now exactly three months into Simon's Journey. I reflect on that terrible night three months ago, and thank God that Simon has been saved. Simon does not always see it that way, but I know that the rest of you do.

Love Marian x

4th October: Simon and George at home

Couldn't work out the camera today, so have uploaded a photo of Simon walking in the gym last week.

Daylight savings time arrived today, I forgot and was rushing about already an hour late for everything this morning. That aside, we had an excellent day. After signing the contract on the new house I picked up Simon and his room-mate, George, from Rehab and back home for a nice lunch. We managed to get them both into one access taxi. George now has an electric wheelchair so very easy for him to get around; he reckons this wheelchair is worth around $16,000 and all provided for by the state. Nice work South Australia. We cooked steak, chips and salad washed down with a couple of cold ones. George was good company, and I hope these two lads will stay in touch after rehab.

We listened to some nice music, then the lads fell asleep in the sunshine. Don't worry I protect them from the rays. While they slept I made a pizza for tea. Checked their blood sugars, then returned them to rehab in perfect condition. I am a little proud of myself that I could manage two very disabled men without incident.

Daylight savings produced a wonderful free hour to work in the garden this evening. So despite the inconvenience at the beginning of the day, I was very grateful for it by this evening.

Simon comes home again tomorrow because we have a public holiday. He has requested a quiet day indoors with the DVD. Perfect .

Love Marian xx