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

Welcome to Journal number two.

Thursday the 1st didn't really finish until 03:30 on the 2nd as I was chatting with Interweb friends across the pond. Good fun, especially as it gave me a chance to help someone who's experiencing a tough time at the moment, and yet I've never met her. The power of internet friendships... you all.

So Friday, really started at 11:00, thankfully with none of the weird, scary dreams of late, thankfully. The day's weather was very bright, clear, but . As Mum termed it: 'That's one lazy wind. It goes through you, not around you'. Usual breakfast of , Instant, as Mum has tidied the Cafétiere away so I can't find it. Could be anywhere, then off to Hounslow to see my Physiotherapist. She's a really pleasant, attractive young Lady, who is very thorough. Arrived early, and a little , so chatted to an Ellie Friend about my day to date, and plans. EM, the Physio, called me in at 14:00 and we discussed the findings from the previous visit. It appears my disability is exacerbated by weak inner core muscles. These provide the for all the other muscles, forming a girdle around the pelvis. For information, they are the transverse abdominis around the abdomen, multifidus down the back and the pelvic floor muscles. It is this weakness that affects my mobility, balance and confidence, so now to work on strengthening them.

The first was to check my seating posture and how I stand. By a slight adjustment, I should find it easier, but probably not from my home office chair where I'm writing this.

Next was to perform the basis of the exercises. It meant lying flat, arms down the body, shoulders relaxed and knees bent. The idea is to gently push the small of the back to the floor, while pulling the pelvis forward and hold, while still breathing. Tiring but doable. Just.

The next exercise is as above, but now to lift the hips and spine off of the floor. This I found impossible, ut must persevere. The main thing is to do the exercise using the core muscles, not the six-pack...

The next entailed the core position, engage the core muscles but then to lift each foreleg so that the knee is 90 degrees to the hip, then straighten to point at around 45 degrees with both hips level, hold, then gently lower to the starting position. Then repeat with the other.

By this time I was pretty exhausted, and I hadn't performed any reps either! The last was more gentle, starting from the basic position, but this time gently rolling one leg outwards as far as comfortably possible, then gently return back to the upright, and repeat the other side.

And that took 45 minutes. I'm to perform them daily and return next Friday, then a week on Monday I start balancing classes. Here's to positive results, but EM is very pleased with my attitude, and how I've managed so far, with no medical input, so 9 years of studying Biology did not go to waste.

Returning home, and a , I started my washing, one of two loads, and called Kew Gardens to book a mobility scooter, as I want to photograph as many of the Autumnal colours as I can, but am aware how little of Kew I could cover on foot, so I'm cheating. Sorry Folks. But I've lots of Shanks' action next week... Just to balance it out.

The intended shop didn't occur, so popped to the recently opened orange-logoed Supermarket and bought a chicken broth, added extra chicken and nuked that for supper. I finally completed some Interweb actions and email news before writing this blog. Apologies for it being a little long, and possibly too detailed, but it is for my own benefit too.

And please feel free to perform the exercises and let me know how well you do. I'm happy to email the full details of each action.

Thanks for reading. More tomorrow.

Movember? Oh yes. Going for the full beard to start, then will decide what style of Mo to go for... Later, folks.