Gaining some confidence

I’ve worried my wife (almost) to death on occasions but somehow I’m still here and I’m sure she would prefer me the way I am rather than safely swaddled in cotton wool.

Yesterday she was busy around the house. I suggested I’d go alone to the supermarket and get a loaf of bread which we sort of needed for our next meal.

Before this stroke I wouldn’t have given it any thought and neither would she.

Now it is, being unsure, taking on too much, what if something goes wrong.

She agreed I should give it a go. So I put on my glasses, got some money together, my phone and keys, walking stick and got into my car.

Oh dear, there’s a big hole appeared in the road into town. Sat nav gently sends me on a detour guiding me to the shop. I park in a disabled bay, display my blue badge, and set about getting my scooter out of the car boot. I’m right side disabled and can’t walk more then half a dozen steps.

I lock the car. On my scooter I zoom towards the supermarket entrance. Just inside I’m involved in a conversation with a representative of an energy provider company. I was some what interested but now is not the time. I steer my way through the crowd into the shop.

Hilary told me where I could find an item we wanted, but no it wasn’t there, I found a ‘very nice man’ who got me what was wanted. I moved on to the bakery department and put a loaf into the basket on my scooter.

Something magical about the scooter it provides smiles and folk who are keen to be obliging. Something to be said for this disability thing? At the checkout area I decide to go for self checkout.

I had chosen a rather large loaf and getting it out of the basket on the scooter with just one hand was turning out to be a challenge. Up galloped a knight in shining armour staff member. Between us we got everything tilled up, bagged and paid for. I thanked the shining knight and zoomed out of the shop to my parked car.

An old lady, far more able than I quizzed me about Blue Badges, she had just got hers.

I opened the boot of my car put the two items of shopping in their shopping bag and my scooter safely away. Once in the car, radio on, sat nav set for home I gently drove towards the exit.

Once home I proudly carried my bag of shopping in the house. We had some of the loaf for tea later.

Not sure if this is a threat or a promise, but as the expedition was incident free Hilary will be using my services delivering from the shop in future. It looks like I’ve acquired another duty.

Is my life of leisure over?

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Brilliant achievement! Sounds like the world is your oyster now :grin:

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Well Bobbi - you just keep on keepin’ on and you keep on givin’

Your posts are so inspirational and with what you do you demonstrate what can be achieved if you put your mind to it.

Well done.

Not bad for an Octogenarian :slight_smile:

Let’s not forget Hilary’s contribution to this - well done Hilary for having faith in Bobbi :slight_smile:

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That’s a massive achievement :clap: :clap: Well done you.

Hilary will have you doing the weekly shop soon :joy:

Regards Sue

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Hey @ManjiB

Two more years before that milestone !!.

I’m still just a big kid.

:children_crossing:

Lucky to have Hilary looking after me.

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Sorry to have aged you ahead of schedule and especially as your biological age is probably in the 60s?

Anyway, age is just a number :slight_smile:

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@ManjiB
No need for apologies. I’m happy to be here, whatever the numbers say.
I also appreciate your regular supportive comments as I am sure do many others.

Another triumph!
I do most of my browsing via laptop but apparently in this day and age most who access the internet do so via smartphone.
For the first time I’ve accessed stroke.org.uk on my own smart phone, just now,
It is a tool that has its uses.

Maybe I’m entering a new era, but I still prefer the full sized keyboard, display and filing system of my clunky old laptop.

I prefer not to relinquish control to an Artificial Intelligence even if it is sacrilege to say so.

. . . and I’m still composing and posting this from laptop.

keep on keepin on
:writing_hand: :grinning: :laptop:

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Great achievement @Bobbi well done! :slight_smile:

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Thanks @Anna_Moderator

Thanks to some advice from @EmeraldEyes I can now get down on my knees.

So useful when I need to beg for mercy.

Also I can now get at our gas meter which isn’t old person or stroke friendly.

Hilary was filming me as I grumbled about needing to do it. Unfortunately it is true to life as I’d no idea I was becoming a film star.

Here is me at gas cupboard in all my glory and grumpiness.

I know it isn’t pretty, but you were warned.

Thanks again for the instructions. @EmeraldEyes you are the star.
I’ve just about conquered my fear of the floor.
Next I need to practise getting up from lying on floor to kneeling.
There’s plenty of room for improvement.

keep on keepin on
:footprints: :grinning: :+1:

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@Bobbi yay to the incident free shopping trip. I think your life of leisure is alowly diminishing :grin: but I bet you don’t mind at all.

It’s weird, well in my experience at least, if I have my stick or scooter with me people can’t help you enough. If I attempt to wobbly walk down the street I just get amiles of bless her she’s been drinking at this time of day. I just smile sweetly in return :grin:

Here’s to your next adventure.

Ann

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Ann - you may have cracked it!
It seems to me the answer is to get yourself a walking stick and all this ignorance around stroke survivors will vanish in a haze :slight_smile:

@Bobbi - I love interacting with you. You are like an older brother or a young uncle to me and what you share with is all things, fun, educational, sympathetic, hard truth and this is not something that is easily shared in this day and age.

Your videos are great to watch and it’s great listening to your banter with Hilary. You remind me a little bit about my neighbours - the next door couple who are sadly no longer with us.
I used to be able to go around to them and have a chat, see if they needed help with shopping or just have a cup of tea. These “old fashioned” values are slowly disappearing and it’s a huge shame.

Well done on moving to the Smartphone - it looks like I might be the last dinosaur standing. Still tapping away on the old laptop keyboard. It took me years to get a mobile phone - I got my first 3G phone around the time the iPhones were coming on market :rofl:
I was using the 3G phone until just over a year ago when I couldn’t read some of the text messages that were being sent :slight_smile:

Thanks for bringing a smile to my face :slight_smile:

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I have had a giggle in the past when someone many years older than me has hd a door open for me saying I need the help more than they do :grin: My stick also helped loads at the airport recently. Gets you through the assistance lane - i had assistance booked but they were so short staffed that we attempted it without them (a very small airport) and having my stick meant I (& my hubby) didn’t have to join the long queues at passport control etc. I wouldn’t use it if I didn’t need it though.

Yes, @Bobbi welcome to the world of Smartphones. I am sad to admit I couldn’t manage without mine these days. Today I have ventured into the world of upgrading my phone as I have been out of contract for a while. I am dreading having to set it up…one of the things my stroke has done to me all my IT confidence has disappeared. But as the contract I have just taken out is cheaper than my current payments the worse that can happen (in my eyes) is I end up carrying on with my current phone but pay less for it. That’s a win right :rofl:

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Hi Bobbi
Well done you! Brilliant achievement going shopping on your own. I love reading your stuff and watching your videos because they are so relatable and real…..I just saw the one of you trying to get up from the floor…and I saw myself…. And dont you feel so triumphant when you eventually do it!
You truly are an inspiration….thank you x

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Well done Bobbi - The first time I went out on my own my wife tracked me all the way on her phone. I am more fortunate than you as I am able to walk with a stick and dont need a powered scooter.

I now quite enjoy shopping on my own and if I see someone on a scooter trying to reach high shelves I always stop, help and remember what it was like when I needed help.

Bob D

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good for you i use a walking stick. hubby sometimes leaves to shop on own. struggling with lowering antio depressants at moment. its hard

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I think struggling is normal - sometimes we have to struggle in order to succeed.
Keep plugging away and you will get there :slight_smile:

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