car

Welcome Home Bernard

January 22, 2019 by Anne Sweet 15 Comments

Welcome Home Bernard!

It took 4 months and nearly two weeks, but Bernard is now back home. I’ve not driven him yet, but I may give it a go soon. I’m really nervous, I used to love driving so much, but I’ve never really got used to driving with my hands.

We only have Bernard until September, then our lease is up and we can choose a new car. Graham has his eye on a Volvo. I thought it would be cool to get a WAV so I could just drive my wheelchair on, that was until I saw the cost…eeek! I think I’ll just stick to getting a new wheelchair and a hoist in the boot of the new car.

In Other News

I think getting Bernard back was the big news of the last week, nothing much else has happened.

I was glad to give my heart monitor back. As I suspected I had a good week with no problems, so they’ll probably give me the all clear. I am 99% sure it was my medication causing the issues, and I’ve stopped it now.

The monitor gave me some lovely sores, I think I’m a bit allergic to those sticky pads they use, I always get a rash whenever I have an ECG.

Wool Addict

My hooks have been busy this week. I’ve almost completed a dragon hooded scarf from a pattern from the lovely Tracey at Hooks and Dragon I can’t wait to show it off.

I’m also in the process of piecing together the CAL (crochet along) blanket that I started last February. I really don’t like the sewing part, but I will finish it after all my hard work, I have to.

I’ve also got the wool for a toy zebra, and the girls fell in love with a pattern for an axolotyl which they want me to make.

I’m going to be a little bit busy.

Preparing Your Car for Winter Journeys

December 17, 2018 by Anne Sweet 1 Comment

I hate driving in snow and ice, it scares me and I’ve had a couple of near mishaps. Once, I was coming out of an icy car park, approaching a busy road, when the car just wouldn’t stop. I was skidding towards the moving traffic sideways on. Eventually the car stopped just inches from the road, just as a bus went passed.

I avoid driving in snow and ice whenever I can, but sometimes it’s not possible. The weather stays bad for months and the car needs to be used so I’ve put together some tips for making sure the car is ready for winter journeys.

Do Your Checks

Make sure your tyres are in good condition, you may even consider changing to winter tyres. The legal limit for tyre tread is 1.6mm but 3mm is recommended for a better grip in bad weather.

Car batteries have a life of around 5 years so it’s worth checking how old yours is, it’s going to take a lot of pressure over the winter months.

Check the amount of anti-freeze in your water and top it up if necessary. In winter it should be fifty percent water, fifty percent anti-freeze.

Clean your lights, windowscreen and wipers. Being able to see properly is a priority on darker days and nights. Check for chips in the windowscreen too as these can grow when it’s cold.

Always make sure you have a decent amount of petrol in the tank in case of delays in your journey.

Emergency Supplies

It’s always best to be prepared for an breakdown or being stuck in traffic in cold weather. We all see it on the news, rows of cars stuck for hours in the snow, but we never know when it could happen to us. So it’s wise just to be prepared. A simple breakdown kit could contain, a shovel, torch, blanket, scraper, de-icer and a few food and drink supplies. That should help until you get moving again, or rescued. It’s always good to have a fully charged phone too.

Last but Not Least

Do make sure that your car is up to date with it’s service checks and MOT. According to the AA a lot of car problems in the cold weather could be avoided by regular servicing and maintenance checks. So, get yours done before it’s too late. No one does better VOSA approved MOT in Northampton than Calmac Tyres Autocentres. Get your car checked today!

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post

It’s a Week of New Things

October 11, 2018 by Anne Sweet 10 Comments

a purple star with the word, new, in the middle

Last week my word of the week was School as we had found a new school for the Little Man. We went out on Saturday to buy his new uniform and although we got everything we need the day didn’t end well. More about that in a little while. First I want to tell you that the Little Man absolutely loves his new school. He’s made lots of friends already and thinks his teacher is great. In one week I’ve found him keen to read his book just so I can give him his comment in his reading log (he’s never been keen before) and he’s been singing songs to me that he’s learnt.

He is happy and excited to go to school in the morning and comes home bubbling. I have missed him like crazy but it was certainly the right decision to send him back to school, he is so much brighter.

The Crash

We also have a brand new, I mean, so new it’s only just over a month old, car! It’s a top of the range Mazda with leather seats and so many features, including many safety features. Graham is in love already. BUT, it’s not ours really, it’s a courtesy car while our poor Skoda, Bernard, is being repaired.

After uniform shopping on Saturday we were involved in a car accident. While waiting to turn right another car ploughed into the back of us at speed. Thankfully the girls were safe at home with their big sister so there were only three of us in the car.

Graham was fine at the time but has since become stiff and sore from whiplash and is suffering from recurring headaches. The Little Man was hysterical, but it was more fright than anything. He hit is head off my seat, despite being strapped in. He has bruising on both his legs and also has a stiff neck and shoulders.

I don’t even remember what happened but I remembered seeing blood from my foot and my shoe was missing. My back was really hurting and I’d gone stiff in spasm from my condition. I can only surmise that the shock of the accident caused my startle reflex to set in and I somehow managed to get pretty bashed. I was taken to Accident and Emergency by ambulance, but my experience at the hospital was not good. The Dr had no idea how to treat me because my stiffness meant he couldn’t make his usual examinations, after poking my back and sending me into a massive spasm again. It’s difficult to examine someone for spinal injuries when they already have a knackered spine. I can’t blame him for not knowing what to do, nobody ever knows how to deal with me.

I left hospital unable to weight bear on my left side and my back has been hurting like crazy. But, it is slowly getting better so I just need to heal. If it was getting worse I would be worried. About three days after the accident I also suffered from the stiff neck and shoulder pain. My ankle is also swollen, bruised and grazed. But the main thing is, we survived.

New Plan of Treatment

On Tuesday I was back at the hospital but this time for a scheduled appointment with my consultant. We first discussed the IVIG which I am feeling benefits from now that I’ve been having it for a year. Changing it to every month, rather than every three months, has made a big difference.

Then we discussed all the new issues I’d been having and he told me that they are all side affects from my medication. I’ve been taking this medication for three years now without side affects, but now that the IVIG is in my system there seems to be a battle going on with the IVIG and my medication. So, the plan is to reduce the medication and adjust the IVIG so that I get the best benefits without the side affects.

It sounds good to me. I’m quite happy to be pumping less drugs into my body, especially if it gets rid of the side effects.

Other issues I’ve been having can be put down to me lacking in B12 and folate. My medication can stop my body from absorbing these from my food so now I am taking supplements for four months to help.

I am actually beginning to feel more positive. I know there are other drugs that can be used to help my condition, but as it’s so rare it’s hit and miss as to whether they work. So although, although I’d give anything to take something to make me better, the thought of taking even more drugs was making me feel anxious. I’m so hoping this works out, my consultant seems quite confident it will.

Hospital, Transport, School and Other News!

May 1, 2018 by Anne Sweet 3 Comments

Hospital

I’m off to hospital today, I’m hoping there will be a few more people than yesterday on the day ward.

It’s not that I mind being on my own, but I have made quite a few nice friends on this ward.

I only have two days to do this time, It used to be a whole week but that was every three months. Now I get my IVIG every month and I think it’s making a difference. The last one only wore off towards the end of last week. I just have to remember to keep hydrated and ward off those horrid migraines.

Transport

Last week I went to Naidex44 which is a disability show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. I got to try out lots of different wheelchairs, but I’m still not sure what to save up for. I know which one I’d really like but it’s out of my price range.

Graham also had a look at some cars. I was interested in the Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles but Graham was not so keen. At least if we had one I would be able to have a more robust wheelchair that didn’t need to be folded to go in the boot!

School

We had a meeting at the school about the Little Man and they are hopeful that they can sort things out. He’s already coming home a little happier and not refusing to go to school. We will have another meeting next week to see how things are going.

This evening, Graham is off to Star’s school for a talk about her trip to France next month. Star is really excited about it but I’m sure the nerves will kick in when it gets closer. I am nervous already, but I need to allow my children to experience new things and try not to worry.

Boo is also off on a residential next month but she’s staying in this country at least. I’m not so worried about her, she can be fickle but she is so much more independent than Star.

In other news

I have a frozen shoulder and it’s been giving me some real trouble lately, in fact I barely slept last night because of the pain. I’ve tried painkiller, a pain relief cream, massage from my shoulder massager (which is rather lovely) and some gentle exercises. It’s starting to ease off a little now but I’ve heard it can take years to heal.

I’m also having a problem with the stairs in my house. I have two handrails which I use to pull myself up and support myself down. However, twice in the last week I’ve been unable to walk down the stairs, my legs have just given up on me. I have tried getting down on my bottom but that’s one of the places I get a lot of pain. So I’ve ended up having to go back up, with help, and go to bed to rest. It’s really annoying and pretty scary.

To keep myself busy I’ve been reading a lot and listening to my audio books. I’ll be writing some reviews soon. I’ve also been crocheting a lot and I’ve completed two more squares of my Crochet Along blanket and I’ve started on making an arctic fox for Star. This will be my third animal creation and each one is getting a little better as I get to grips with the techniques. Can you believe, I’ve just realised that I have sewn the arms wrong on the last two, I did wonder why they were too floppy!

How has your week been? Have you read any good books lately, or made anything creative?

The Simple Car Maintenance Tasks Drivers Can and Can’t Do

January 18, 2018 by Anne Sweet 2 Comments

I remember, many moons ago, I was having an issue with my car battery. My car was refusing to start some mornings and I would have to ask a neighbour to give me a jump start. It was obvious the battery wasn’t holding power and I needed a new one. Feeling confident that I could change it myself I went to a car shop which was only a five minute walk away to buy a new battery. Little did I realise just how heavy car batteries are and that five minute walk home carrying a battery was a complete nightmare. In the future I’ll be sure to go to Kwik Fit where they run a battery testing service and I won’t get caught out again.

Do you look after your car or do you take it to the garage at the first hint of anything needing doing to it? For many years I was quite proud of the things I learnt to do to look after my car. My brother showed me how to change a wheel but although I have never had to do it, at least I would know what to do.

There are new changes proposed to the driving test where new drivers are supposed to know basic maintenance of their cars. The AA conducted a Survey of over 18,000 drivers and found out that;

68% of drivers were unsure of how to change the oil and oil filter.
53% were unsure of how to check if the power steering is working.
38% were unsure to check that there is a safe level of brake fluid.
35% were unsure of how to change a flat tyre by fitting a spare wheel.
26% were unsure of how to change a window screen wiper blade and how to top up the cooling system with anti-freeze
21% were unsure of how to check the tyre tread depth.
15% were unsure of how to top up the engine oil.
9% were unsure of how to check the tyre pressure
8% were unsure of how to check the engine oil level
5% were unsure of how to top up the windscreen washer fluid
4% were unsure of how to open the bonnet of their car.

Only today I witnessed someone having to help another driver to top up their windscreen washer fluid!

Your car is your responsibility and although you may rely on your garage to fix any issues there are many maintenance tasks that you should be able to perform yourself.
Do you know how to do the things on the list above?

photo courtesy of Matheus-Ferrero-1 on Unsplash

Disclosure: collaborative post

Subscribe to blog via Email

car