On Saturday, 2nd June, as I reported in my last jottings, Pauline tried out a wheelchair whilst at Fron Goch Garden Centre. Quite some time ago I introduced the idea of using a wheelchair to give her wider access. I think she felt it was giving in in terms of recovery and that she needed to walk more and more with the crutches. So the idea was rejected. I was not surprised because I might feel just the same in her place.
So I was mildly surprised to hear her say on Thursday that she had decided that a wheelchair was a good idea. However, I had, some weeks earlier, taken her library books back which left her short of reading matter. Pauline can go only so far without a book to read. I have a sneaky feeling that this was the deciding factor in going for a wheelchair. On Thursday I rang a lady a few miles away who was the local Red Cross representative for issuing wheelchairs etc. She told me it was £40 to hire a chair for three months and we arranged for her to deliver a chair on Friday morning.
My particular interest was how to collapse and expand the wheelchair and whether it would be easy to handle it in and out of the car boot. I was given full instructions on how to do this and also how to avoid a nasty crack on the shins from the swinging footrests. So, on Saturday we set off for the library at Llangefni. It was difficult to handle both the basket we use for transporting books and pushing the chair. After returning the books I got Pauline to drive the chair herself. She was a little unsure but the library proved a great place to practice because of its layout. It needed lots of turns and Pauline soon got the hang of it.
This now means that we can go to more places together and lead a more normal life which is excellent for us both. For instance, we can visit Bodnant Gardens in the Conwy Valley, a National Trust establishment, and reach just about the whole estate. All we need is some suitable weather.
Incidentally, last week we had lunch at the Maenan Abbey Hotel - also in the Conwy Valley. About 3 weeks ago Pauline said she would like to have lunch at a place with style. I thought about where I could take her and hit on the idea of the Maenan Abbey where I had welcomed back our Superintendent Minister, Rev Alf Williams, from his month long walk along the Cistercian Way. It was the perfect choice! The place has style and the food is excellent and inexpensive. Pauline really enjoyed her meal there.
We now enter a busy period of meetings relating to Amlwch Methodist Church and the local Circuit. It is important that Pauline can exercise more independence when I am out at meetings. It started this afternoon when I went over to Penmaenmawr for a circuit service. the pressure was on me to get home in time to cook dinner. I made it and Pauline made some lovely gravy, standing unaided at the hob. All in all we are doing well and I think we shall be able to look forward to a successful pair of visits to Toledo in Spain in September. We managed to see only the cathedral there last year so it's important to see more of that amazing place this year.
So I feel I can say my darling wife is doing very well indeed. She does suffer pain from time to time but it averages less each week.
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