h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Yesterday I went to a lovely cathedral town relatively close to me. My carer who was pushing my wheelchair found the furniture department in a very elegant store and

Voila!!

In ten weeks time I shall be able to sleep again.
I have ordered a splendid new reclining chair in white leather, which will sadly only be delivered in ten weeks. I have also ordered a two seater sofa in the same white leater - for my visitors. !!

So for the next ten weeks I shall have to sleep upright in my lovely blue leather non-functioning reclining chair whilst waiting for the new one. The great point is that I was able to test the comfort of my new "bed".

So thanks everyone for your caring attitude to my sleeping problem. In the meantime I shall be sitting upright with my legs on a stool so as to keep them horizontal. No one can say that I do not do my best to enable me to sleep. I actually cannot move in a bed unless I am helped !!

Still it is better than the alternative....
Christiane,
AlsoRan80
Saturday 30th October 2010 8,32 GMT

white leatherLord knows how you'll keep it clean

Ten weeks?? Did you tell them it's an emergency?

Here's hoping the weeks fly by

lil xx

Christiane, I would ask them to speed things up and tell them how you are having to sleep, if you haven't already done so.

Websailor

yaayyy on the new chair - but boooo that it's going to take 10 weeks.

They can't get it to you before early January?

Well, maybe it bodes well for 2011, then....

Hi my dear friends,

Well ny first reply has just disappeared into the ether. Botheration.

I did actually ask him if I could take the chair on show, but sadly it was not possible. I felt it was vetry important to test the chair before I bought it. This way I could do it. It was jolly excited It was pensive but £500.0 less than the blue leather chair., So altogther I had a field day. !!

I am really excited about it. I hope that I shall not be a grubby person and make it dirtyl 'But I do not think so. !!!Thank you for all your advice I shall take note of it all and I shall listen to you all.

With affection

Christiane
AR9-

Saturday 30th October 2010 16,00 GMT

























!!

White is a color that goes with almost everything. I think it's going to be very attractive. I don't think you'll need to be that concerned about it getting dirty.

Hello Christiane

I hope that your adjustable chair will be delivered sooner than the ten weeks that they quoted to you.

When my parent's had an adjustable chair, it took about two months for it to be delivered, it covered in checked cloth material. They got through our local chemist as they have a catalogue service.

Katrine

Thank you my dear friends Paul and Katrine ,

You both always make me feel better.

I am dog tired after all my excitations of the week. I realise that never again must I ever let the local Social Services desert me like this and leave me to my own and my carers whom I actually employ personally. !! The problem is that I receive absolutely no state input or state care; and everything that happens I pay for and I an always alone with my carer.

I think that those who are cared for by the state get a much better deal than I.

So here goes. I intend to try and be part of the comuunity. I realised that on Tuesday when I went to London, there were 500 social workers there all trying to form the Dementia Social Association. and that is the trouble. They think that because I am 82 and a half that I am de facto demented.(Or perhaps they feel that I SHOULD be demented. What a flipping cheek. !!!!)

Bertrand Russell was not demendted and certainly neither were/are a great many other people. I do not think that anyone needs to suffer from that illness. If one is cared for and needed,and has some interests that is all that is necessary.

Oh well - another cause to fight for. !! Will I ever learn ? I well remember the dreadful day when on this site, after I had been a researcher for about two years, someone questioned whether I should be expedited to the grey haired society. I was very cross!!!!
I love reading about the exploits of our lovely young reseachers, and when they actually write to me..... well another beautiful day is born. !!

Go well my dear friend,

Christiane
AlsoRan80
Sunday 31st October 2010 8.25 GMT

Our clocks have gone back an hour today. Have yours in the States?

Dear Christiane.

I enjoyed reading your post. Daylight Savings Time in Boston ends on Sunday, November 7.

You said, "Bertrand Russell was not demendted and certainly neither were/are a great many other people. I do not think that anyone needs to suffer from that illness. If one is cared for and needed,and has some interests that is all that is necessary."

I don't know enough about Mr. Russell to know what the last years of his life were like. Sadly, one of my uncles contracted senile dementia at the age of 90, and spent the last two years of his life in a rather terrible condition. There was a great uncle on the other side of the family who was often confused in his late eighties, though he had occasional episodes of lucidity. My mother, who is 90, has *serious* worries about contracting either Alzheimer's or dementia. I sincerely try to comfort her by pointing out that studies have shown (1.) that elders who have not as yet contracted Alzheimer's are *less* likely to get it than younger people are, and (2.) the statin drugs which people take for high cholesterol also seem to make Alzheimer's less likely. Sure, if you wake my mother up at two in the morning and ask her questions, she may give confused answers. I think that could happen at any age.

So, what I have to say, my friend, is that need does not enter into it. There will be at least some cases of dementia in elderly people whether they seem to need it or not. If you have been spared it so far, that has to do with luck to some extent. If you're on statin drugs, that may also contribute. Your diet is important, too, as is your ability to avoid obesity. By all means do as many crossword puzzles as you can. Challenging your mind helps. Trying to learn a new language can help even if you don't get very far with it.

But genetics and luck are factors. Just ask the poor souls who had bad genetics and bad luck. Is this a sad world with pockets of happiness, or a happy world with pockets of sadness?

Hello Christiane,

Thank you for your very kind compliment. I am very sorry to hear that you've had such awful treatment from Social Services and I hope that it will soon change for the better.

That is an awful cheek to presume that you because you're 82 that you need to join the Dementia Social Association, I have heard that dementia can strike at any age, and there are a lot of other contributing factors. I hope that you'll be able to find a good local social group that you can join and hopefully that they'll provide transport.

Take care

Katrine