Wow, what a lovely few days I’ve had. The two nights I had at home managed to turn into three, which was fantastic. It’s honestly absolute heaven getting time in your own environment when you’ve been in a clinical one for so long. There are people who spend much longer in hospital than me, and hats off to them, but this is enough for me.

Saturday started with a mad rush; Sarah decided at 8.30 that we were going to the cinema to watch nothing other than Toy Story 4. Great! The only problem was getting myself ready usually takes a lot longer than the allotted time. Oh well; we managed. Amelia seemed to really enjoy herself, and that’s what it’s all about. The reward for me sitting through the film and not complaining came in the form of butterfly chicken and chips, courtesy of Nandos. Much more my style. From there, we headed to Smyths for a look around, and we all left with something new and shiny. Amelia with a barbie, me a very nicely reduced to clear xbox game, and then for us all a Nintendo Switch. Sometimes, you just have to treat yourself.

Sunday progressed at a slightly less frantic pace, with us meeting my dad and step mum for breakfast. Whilst you can’t beat wetherspoons for it’s prices, you certainly can for the warmth of the food. Perhaps it’s so cheap as they only pay half the electricity bill… whatever the case, it was at least edible, and it’s the company that counts. Another lovely morning passed. The rest of our day was to be spent bowling and, despite giving ourselves plenty of time, we still managed to be late. Nothing new there. I also managed not to come last! I’ll admit I had the bumpers up… and half the time Amelia took my shots… but still. It counts. From there, we took to pizza hut, where the food was much more amicable. We did all this with our friends Lucie, Aaron and Jack, with only Abi missing. This bunch goes to show it doesn’t matter if you’ve known someone forever or for a day; good friends are there no matter. Love yas.

So, on to today, where I find myself back exploring the innards of this lovely hospital. There’s not a great deal else to do if I’m honest. I’ve had my therapy for the day, caught up on plans for the week, and now I’m back doing what I do best; nothing. It’s Sarah’s Mum’s birthday today, so I’m sad to be missing out on that. I’m sure she will have a lovely time regardless. Happy birthday Sue!

As I start to come toward the end of my hospital journey, I find myself thinking about plans and what I want to accomplish both short and long term. For now, I’m focusing on rehab, and adjusting back to life. Long term I’ll figure out as I go. One thing I am focused on throughout though is educating those who don’t know, or dont understand, that being in a wheelchair is not a burden. I’m privileged to be alive, and I’m happy to be here. I’m a person, not a chair, and I will be seen as one. #seethepersonnotthechair is going to be a big part of what I do, and If I can help just one person I’ll be happy with that.