My Diary – May 2007

Friday 18th May 2007

I didn’t feel that great last Friday. I think I had repetitive strain injury in my shoulder! It was about 8pm and I started to get a headache. It got worse by 9pm, so I took painkillers. I went on my laptop, but then my left shoulder started to really hurt - it was that bad that I had to come off the laptop. My headache wasn’t getting better, and I felt a bit sick. I put a hot water bottle on my shoulder, but it didn’t help much. I spend a lot of time on my laptop, so Mum and I think it could have been repetitive strain on my shoulder. I’ve had it before. I had to take stronger painkillers again before I went to sleep because it was so sore. It was there all night, but by morning it had gone.

On Monday I went back to hydrotherapy. I’ve missed that a lot because in the water I can walk unaided. It was great to be in the water again, and it was lovely and warm. I spent about an hour in the pool with my physiotherapist. There are bars around the side of the pool to hold onto. I walked up and down the pool, holding on to them, lots of times. Then I tried walking without holding on. I stood in front of the bar, and walked away from it, and then towards it again. My feet felt as if they were slipping from underneath me. I could walk fine if I was talking and not concentrating, but as soon as I focused too much on it, I walked into the wall. To get my confidence back I then walked up and down the pool with my physio just holding gently onto my hips, before she let go of me. I should hopefully get the hang of it again soon. After that I did some swimming. I don’t like water and hate it near my face, so I don’t like this part of the session. Also, the pool is just a big square and is used for therapy, so it’s not very big. I can’t swim up and down because my legs are too long, so I just swim round in a circle. I felt great afterwards but had a bit of a sore knee, and I was quite tired. I washed my newly grown hair with shampoo for the first time in eight months! My hair is so soft and baby like now. It’s brilliant!

Tuesday was another day at the gym. I spent an hour there and walked between the parallel bars. I tried to get a strut and walk like a model, but I wasn’t very good! I walked more like a duck with a dodgy hip. I kept scaring Nikki by suddenly getting up to walk, or walking backwards while she was still walking forwards! Sometimes my knee gave way too, and I looked like I was about to collapse. After that I spent five minutes on the exercise bike. I normally have it on one of the easiest levels, but we couldn’t get it off the hardest level, so my legs really had to work hard. I ended with some exercises on the bench. I did some leg lifts and sit-ups. It hurt my back though, so I didn’t do anymore.

Nikki painted my toenails when I got home because I have to have nice feet now that it’s summer and my feet will be on show! They are a hot pink colour.

On Wednesday Natalie, from The Whitstable Times, came to interview me for a feature called the Whitstable Pearl. She came at 10.30am and had to leave at 12.30, so that I could go to college. We could have chatted for a lot longer though! It was basically all about me, the things I’ve done, what I like, my goals for the future etc. It will be out in a couple of weeks. After she left I had to go straight to college. I was in another classroom for half the lesson to practise answering an old exam question in the allocated time. I kind of got carried away and made up a story where I ended up selling my baby on Ebay! I can’t tell you anything else about the story! Needless to say I won’t be writing any of that sort of thing in my exam.

Nikki was here again on Thursday. I had to type up the things I need to revise for my exams. I now have all the nine poems typed up and half of the stories. I’ve typed them onto my laptop, so that I can keep reading over them to revise. I have to compare some of them in the exam. Although it’s annoying having to type everything up, it means the information actually goes into my brain, and I remember it better. After that we went through all my nail varnishes and nail art things. I have several boxes. Nikki used to do my nails every week for two years when she was my carer. I chucked half my nail varnishes away because they had gone all gloopy as I haven’t used them for ages. I’ve run out of diamantes and sparkly bits to put on my nails, so I’m going to go shopping soon and stock up on nail bits. I can’t wait for my nails to start growing, so they can be decorated. My right hand is fine, but the nails on my left hand still haven’t grown. They are stronger than they were two months ago, but every time they start to grow, they just split and break.

A big thank you to Julian for helping with the DVD, and to Colin for copying it. Much appreciated!

I also have to say hello to my friend, Nick, because he was moaning this week that I hadn’t mentioned him enough on here. He is incredibly big headed you see, so hello Nick. I hope this makes you happy! I love you really! Oh, and I think you’ll find that I already was a star! I look forward to your next abusive email! You better sign my guest book after this!

I won’t be able to update next Friday. The next diary entry will probably be Wednesday 30th. Hope you can cope without my gossip until then!

Please sign the guest book before you leave. It’s very simple to do!

Love Nicole xxx

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Friday 11th May 2007

It’s been quite a quiet week.

On Sunday we went to Linda’s again.

On Tuesday I went back to the gym. It was great to be exercising properly, but I ached a lot afterwards. Nikki took me. I walked ten lengths between the parallel bars, but then my body started to shake, so I didn’t do any more. I then cycled on the exercise bike for five minutes. My body was really shaking then, so I knew I’d reached my limit, and came home. When we got back Nikki waxed my eyebrows - they desperately needed doing. After that I put my feet in a bowl of water, and Nikki scrubbed and massaged them with lots of nice smelly stuff. Great after a hard day’s work!

On Wednesday I went to college. I didn’t stay in the class with everyone else because they were basically being told off for not handing in all their coursework. I had, so I went into another room with my support teacher and went over past exam papers to help me with my exam. I’m doing the higher exam which I’m really pleased about. I had originally been put in for the lower one because I had missed a lot of college, and when I found out I wasn’t too happy, so asked for it to be changed. I will be doing the same exam as everyone else, but will just be marked at a higher level. In the lower exam the highest grade you can get is a B, whereas in the higher exam it’s an A*. I went to college to aim for the best, and when I found out I couldn’t try for the best, I was quite annoyed. It’s been sorted now though. I just hope I don’t now get an E grade in the higher exam! It will be my own fault if I do though.

Nikki was here again on Thursday. She is going to come every Tuesday and Thursday from now on. She helped me with some paperwork that I needed to do.

This is a message to Rosemary Hedley - Thank you so much for your donation to my Justgiving page. The end of your message was cut off because it only gives you a small box to write a message. Could you please email me, so I can thank you properly? My address is at the bottom of the main page. Thanks.

I forgot to mention last week about the next part of the sunflower story. The boy who planted the sunflower seeds in people’s gardens, also planted two in his own. He was watering them and watching them grow, but then his gardener dug them up thinking they were weeds! He was really upset and tried looking for them on the compost heap, but couldn’t find them. My Nan bought him some more last week while we were at the garden centre.

It’s my little cousin’s birthday on Tuesday - Happy Birthday Lisa!

See what I mean? It’s been a quiet week. Next week is pretty much the same.

Don’t forget to sign the guest book. Thanks.

Love Nicole xxx

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Friday 4th May 2007

Last Friday night I went to Brands Hatch for a ball in aid of Demelza. I got to Demelza just before 6pm, and we were picked up in a white stretch limo! We had the music blaring, and the champagne flowing. I’ve decided I don’t like champers. I tried it in the limo, and again at Brands Hatch when we arrived, but it all tasted the same. They had a kind of brass band playing when we got there. An American man randomly came over to me and gave me a kiss and said hello, then walked away again. I had no idea who he was, but apparently he had a nice car, so that’s ok! The ball was in association with the A1 Team Great Britain. I met one of the drivers called Oliver Jarvis. I had no idea who he was, but he smelt gorgeous and was very nice. At around 7.45pm we went into the marquee for the meal which was prepared by celebrity Chef Brian Turner. We started off with a roll and butter, and that’s where my meal finished. For starters we had salmon and shrimp, for the main meal we had properly cooked meat (raw to me), potatoes and cabbage, and for dessert we had white chocolate mousse in a chocolate cup and raspberries. That was then followed by cheese and crackers, and coffee and tiny shortbread. I was shocked at the price of a Smirnoff Ice - £4!

After the meal there were speeches, an auction, and then a disco. We left at about 11.30pm and got back to Demelza at about 12.15pm. Mum was there to pick me up but we couldn’t go straight home because my wheelchair, which wouldn’t fit in the limo, was in the mini bus that was dropping someone off somewhere. It was 1.30am when the mini bus got back to Demelza, and we could go home. I finally got to bed at 2.30am.

It was horrible getting up at 8.30am on Saturday to get ready for the sponsored walk. About 30 people were involved, including a toddler. Ronnie, who organised it, dressed as a cheerleader! I thought he was going to be Snow White, but he changed his mind. It was quite windy, but the sun must have been out because by the end my nose was bright red! It took us just over two hours to do the seven mile walk from Herne Bay to Whitstable.

The walk was quite uncomfortable for me in my chair because the ground was bumpy, and my back and legs kept going into spasms. It was only fair though, because everyone’s legs hurt. I went a bit funny half way along the walk because I needed my daily injection, but we had forgotten the ‘supposedly’ numbing spray. It was the first time I’d had it done without the spray. It hurt! It means the spray really does help! I went a bit pale afterwards, but I soon felt fine. I just panicked a bit. I wasn’t looking my best on the walk. Late nights and early mornings just aren’t my thing! The fresh air woke me up a bit though. My cousin Toby met us in a canoe! He had come with his friend to join the walk. At the end of the walk the little toddler handed me some stones and sticks she had collected for me! Very cute! I walked about 30 steps to finish the walk. People started clapping which was embarrassing. We stopped at a café at the end of the walk and had a cuppa.

Ronnie collected some money along the way, and money he had collected beforehand totalled £303.21. Not all the money and sponsor forms are in yet, but a lot of money was raised. I should have a full total next week. I’d like to say a big thank you to Ronnie, Andrew and everyone at The Umbrella Centre, and also to Linda, Nanny, Julia, Sarah, Megan, Auntie Jean, Lee, J, Will, Yvonne, Evelyn, Julie, John, Marjorie, Jane and Hannah. Thank you to everyone who sponsored me too.

On Sunday we went to Linda’s. We didn’t stay seven hours this time!

On Monday Matt, from the Gazette, came to interview me about my book. Matt is the first reporter I spoke to three years ago. Gerry, the photographer, came too and Molly flirted with him! She’s normally the sensible calm one, but she was wiggling, squeaking and being really girlie! She’s normally scared of men, but not this time!

Daizy was three on Tuesday! My puppy is all grown up! We went to a garden centre with Nanny and Linda because Nanny had vouchers to spend. It was actually better than it sounds. They do great chips there!

On Wednesday my PA started! Nikki, who used to be my carer three years ago, is now my personal assistant and will be coming twelve hours a week to help me with things from paperwork and baking, to going out shopping. She came for two hours on Wednesday, and then I went to college. There’s only five weeks until my exam. I ‘best get’ revising! When Mum went into town, while I was at college, she said it was like being in Oompa Loompa land! The fake tan has arrived! Oh, the images in my head!

On Thursday I had a check-up at the orthodontist. He just quickly looked at my teeth and said they were fine. I don’t need to see him again for another nine months. Afterwards we went to my ex nurse’s (Sue) house for lunch. Her puppy Muti is very bouncy and cute. Her neighbour came round with her two dogs. They’ve just been made ‘pat’ dogs, so I tested them out, and they passed! They were very friendly and calm. I stroked one and every time I stopped she nudged me until I stroked her again. Molly and Daizy sniffed me like mad when we got home.

I now have my schedule for my book. My first deadline is July 9th. I need to have everything updated and edited by then.

I don’t have anything planned for next week, except going back to the gym. I can’t wait!

Love Nicole xxx