I had been restricted to my home for a long time now, struggling to get out and about. This started when I had a breakdown about four years ago, and was worsened by the fact that, at the same time, my five year relationship broke up, and I stopped working. I felt isolated and alone, and didn't want to go out.

I felt I couldn't face the world.

Sometimes I would get dressed ready to go out, and then would be overtaken by a panic attack, and would have to cancel going out - even if the trip was only to the shops.

It also didn't help that I had just been diagnosed with Ataxia, and at the time believed the condition would worsen more quickly than it has turned out.

I moved into sheltered housing just over a year ago and this began a big turnaround for me. Although the other residents would not normally have beeen in my social circle, I did start to feel less isolated. Gradually I formed friendly relationships with most of the other residents, and have become a sort of 'go to' guy for a range of issues. Some need help using their PCs or setting up their mobile phones (aka cellphones), while some want to talk about the planned regeneration project which will see our home demolished in early 2016. Others need help with the groups of kids that have been intimidating the residents and generally being a nuisance. The neighbourhood police now know me by name because of the number of times I have been asked to call them.

Unfortunately, the trapped nerve in my lower back and misaligned joints in my upper spine mean that I still suffer a fair bit of pain if I stand for any length of time - even ten minutes will do it - and walking more than ten yards starts to become painful even with all the painkillers I take.

Taking the bus is problematic because of the hard suspension they have and the way this causes buses to bounce up and down as they travel along the road. Perhaps you can magine what effect this will have on a trapped nerve which inmpacts with every bounce...

Add in my depression, and you can see why I was finding it difficult to get out and about.

----------------------

I have recently tried to do a bit more, epecially in the last year, and having my car does help, being more comfortable, but I still felt unable to go into town - London Town that is, or at least the West End. As a result I was really missing out on a lot that London has to offer.

I finally decided to try again yesterday, and went into London Town to see the London WNBR. That is the annual event when boys and girls strip off and cycle naked through the streets of central London. Thousands of people turn out to watch and it's generally a good natured event.

This picture was taken in Piccadilly Circus.

Good enough motivation certainly for me to go out I thought. So, I took extra painkillers and put on a fresh morphine patch, packed a shoulder bag with cool drinks and set off.

I took the bus to Golders Green tube station and then the tube from there into London Town, getting off at Leicester Square.

The weather was warm, if a little overcast, but I had a lovely day - though found the waking hard, and there was constant pain in my back, although not too severe, mostly.

I met a South African who took this picture of me.

My physio has been at me to do more exercise, so I decided to get someting to help motivate (read 'push') me into doing more exercise (do not read running or cycling as my Cape Town family would read this to mean...). Having investigated the various options over a week or so, comparing prices and reading the reviews, I had decided on a wristband monitor which also has a watch. I stopped wearing a watch a few years ago and was starting to find this frustrating.

I had sold the iPad I won in a competetion recently so had some money available to buy things I needed instead. So, as I was in town, I slowly made my way to John Lewis in Oxford Street. Would you believe that the colour I wanted (grey), was more expensive than the others, but it looked so much better than black that I went ahead and bought it.

I got the Garmin ViivoFit and even after just one day, really like it. It is so light I forget it is on my wrist. More importantly, it is already encouraging me to walk more...

The salesman was sweet, and helped me set it up. So now I have a watch in my arm again.



Then I decided to visit the City of Quebec pub which had been recommended for gentlemen of a certain age, and it wasn't great. A bit dark and depressing. They didn't even have my new favourite beer, Carlsberg Citrus, but at least they had a good selection of ciders. At least I had a rest and a nice cool drink.

I discovered there was a bus just around the corner from the pub which would take me all the way home, dropping me off at the end of the short road where I live. So I took the 189 bus all the way, which was really convenient.

Bad decision. The problem was that I was in so much pain in my lower back when I fit off the bus, that I nearly had to call an ambulance.

There were some small bollards I could sit on, so I waited for what seemed like ages for the pain to ease, and then got home by taking two or three steps and then stopping to let the pain ease each time.

I won't be doing that long bus journey again. It seems that anything more than 10 mins on a bus leaves me in a great deal of pain.

Even after an hour after getting home and resting for a bit, my back is really hurting - thus tine, my upper back even just while I am sitting and resting.

And today, the day following, I can still feel the pain.

However, I'm glad I went out and will be doing it again, just avoiding the long bus journey.


, ,