I apologise for not posting for a few weeks but it has been a difficult few weeks where I’ve been in a lot of pain. I’ve not missed sessions but when I have not been at the gym or visiting therapists I have been resting to deal with the pain in my back and shoulders. I do not think it is a bad thing that pain at the moment as I can feel my body changing just a little bit. As I gain more strength in areas that are weak, the spasms in those areas particularly the shoulders are also getting stronger. I am hoping it is a phase that my shoulders need to go through to learn how to behave more like normal shoulders. I’m hoping this anyway but I will have to monitor it over the next month or so and will put up with the pain that comes with it.

It was great to celebrate my first birthday at home and not in hospital! The day itself was nothing special but we finished up with some local friends over who have been a great help since the accident happened. It was a very normal day that finished with a wonderful piece of chocolate cake.


Monica gave me the best present as you would expect which was a handle that sticks to a shower wall using suction. I had my first stand-up shower since the accident. Not only was it invigorating but it meant the shower took about 10 minutes less! So every second day now I no longer need to use the uncomfortable shower chair can avoid it altogether by standing up to be showered and dried before I get dressed. A small thing but a big change to the daily routine in terms of time usage. It also makes a difference with what I am trying to achieve to be able to stand up as much as possible.

I have also had a bar installed at home that I can stand up and hold onto. This allows me to do squats, leg raises and sideways leg movements and also stand-up to talk to people. It is really important that I do this to get my body used to standing for periods of time to improve blood pressure. As a part of this condition your blood pressure falls through the floor and you have to retrain your nervous system to get it back to normal levels. Of course it also allows Ashley to practice her ballet moves as shown in the photo.

Whilst I am making progress and need to keep encouraging myself to work every day to get better you can see it is not all beer and skittles. I am dealing with a lot of pain and you still get slapped in the face every day with what you can’t do. It is taking every ounce of my patience and determination to keep my head up and keep working every day to improve. Luckily there are people around me to help me out during periods when I feel down. My family and friends are my greatest blessing.

Keep well,

Mike.