Hello again, and again apologies for not posting. I won’t bother explaining why, but here’s one for ya. A few things have happened lately, so I thought I’d do a bit of a yearly round up!

I think the first and most important part of this is Sarah and I got married! The day itself was incredible. Very chilled, very easy going and more importantly incredibly fun. Sarah got ready with her bridesmaids and Amelia at her mum’s house, whilst I met my groomsmen at my mum’s for a drink and of course some food. Sarah and I were married in the registry office – nothing fancy, a lovely simple service, though for us it was nothing short of perfect. We went back for a reception at the cricket club and although the weather wasn’t in our favour, we had a blast. A fairly small affair compared to our original plans meant that not everyone we wanted to invite could come, but those who did all seemed to enjoy and once this whole bloody pandemic is over we hope to have a big party again to celebrate with everyone. Of course the highlight of the day was sarah – she looked stunning and I am absolutely the luckiest man in the world, now for one more reason.

Obviously there were a few special highlights of the day, thankfully most of them were captured by my awesome mates Jeff and Les, who very kindly took photos and videos of the day for us. Seeing Sarah for the first time was obviously incredible, as was the chill out at my mums prior to the wedding. After that the cake was great (Disney and Star Wars, very us) and we had an awesome flower wall which is the backdrop for many great snaps. Finally the speeches, though in particular my best man Jack giving a mini stand up routine was a particular highlight. I’d like to give huge thanks for everyone who came, wished us well, sent us cards and gifts… too many people to name here but it was an incredible day made even more special many the kindness we were shown.

Obviously it has just been Christmas, which unfortunately I was working for, leaving Sarah and Amelia home alone. Unfortunately our plans were ruined by two little lines on a lateral flow test, with both Sarah and Amelia testing positive. It was a pretty uneventful day overall though Amelia enjoyed herself which is the most important thing. Since then I had Boxing Day off and unfortunately joined the covid club – I can’t say I’m enjoying it but it would seem most of the world is partaking so I couldn’t miss out.

So what else has happened – well, not much really! We had a honeymoon planned but Sarah has started her new job, so until that’s all in order we will be postponing our honeymoon. She’s doing incredibly well, and makes me proud every day. I’m still working, so between us we seem like ships passing in the night some weeks; though we knew this would happen.

This year hasn’t been the best really, has it? I can’t say it was terrible because that would be a lie for me at least, and plenty of great things have happened (see above). However, the pandemic has kind of put us all in limbo, not knowing where we are or what will happen next. Hopefully next year will see an improvement – we will be able to see family and friends, get on with life as normal, or at least figure out a new normal.

I think there’s a few important things I’ll take away from this year. Obviously I’ve got Sarah and Amelia with me, but it’s really shown me how important my friends are. We used to have our friends Jack, Aaron and Lucie round almost every week for food and drinks, but because of covid things seem to have slipped away – that is going to be rectified ASAP. Another thing is that I’ve had it reaffirmed how lucky I am to be in a job I genuinely love, so I’m going to keep pushing forward with that and do the best I can – I know Sarah feels the same about hers. We are still young and that gives us great things to look forward to in our careers. Finally I think I’ve learnt a great deal about my world view, my interpretation of what’s going on around me and how I can influence what comes my way – It’s important to have your eyes open, but also to realise when it’s best just to go with the flow. I know that sounds very vague, but it makes sense in my head and might make me sound philosophical… we shall see.

I’m not one for New Years resolutions, as quite simply I’m terrible at keeping them, so rather than make empty promises I’d like to share with you a few of my aims for the year. We all talk about mental health, and so I think focusing on mine is a good place to start – I plan to keep my eye on what’s important, and remember that what doesn’t involve me shouldn’t bother me. Another goal is to improve my physical heath; I’ll keep working with Alex, and I want to specifically improve my wheelchair skills. Finally – and this is the big one – I want to keep helping others in whatever way I can, particularly with the PFC trust (see previous posts) and hopefully we will improve many lives!

There’s lots to look forward to this coming year. Hopefully we will be able to enjoy more of those things. From my family to yours, happy new year!

Check one two, check one two… hello? Hi! It’s me, Sam. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? I’ll start by explaining my absence. Firstly I’ve not known what it is that I’ve wanted to say. It’s not for lack of trying, I guess it’s just a bit of writer’s block (though I realise I’m no writer) and I’ve not been able to get things out of my head and onto paper. Secondly, there has actually been a fair bit going on. New kitchen which was a nightmare suitable for an x- factor sob story, lots of work related stuff, and I’ve just been very tired. So, enough of that, if you’ve read this far you might as well stay until the end – are you sitting comfortably? Then let’s begin.

The first thing I guess I need to mention is the fundraising that I pushed on you all – if you’ll pardon the pun – which has now ended. Thank you so very much to each and every one of you that’s helped, whether that’s donating, spreading the word, sharing the posts on Facebook… every little bit of assistance has helped me and more importantly the PFC trust to not only reach the goal we aimed for, but to smash through it. The support was overwhelming and truly I cannot express my gratitude enough. I did have a video ready to go on my completion of the sessions, however with things like work getting in the way I didn’t get chance to post it, so my apologies for not providing an update sooner. To summarise, not only did the aim of £50,000 for a caravan be met overwhelmingly, but the incredible people behind the PFC Trust, Frances and Patrick, provided another one too! Sometimes caring pays off, and those two wonderful humans have to be some of the most caring people I’ve ever had the privilege to meet.

So onto the kitchen. As part of our bungalow, our awesome OT and the people she works with came together with us and put together a plan for making the most of our very limited kitchen space. This involved building a wall where there was a door, adding in an oven at a more appropriate height, and the best bit – height adjustable worktops! The overall design was made with as much care and consideration as possible, meaning creating a space that was both aesthetically pleasing and functional. The actual process of installation was a fair old hassle, however now it’s done I couldn’t be happier. The freedom to actually use my own kitchen is a real novelty; though I still have plenty of excuses to avoid doing the washing up.

Work is going very well too. I have always been of the opinion that I’ll not have an office job, though my injuries have kind of limited my options. Thankfully I have a job that I love, I’m progressing well, and I’m learning more and more as time goes by. I’ve had the opportunity to work with some incredible people, meet some really good mates and (probably the most important part) prove to myself that I’m not limited – I just have to be a bit more selective in what I do.

In a nutshell, that’s it! Nothing more to report. End of the line. Oh, well, Sarah and I are getting married in a few weeks, so that’s exciting, but that needs a post all of its own! Finally I’d like to say sorry to those of you who have followed me for so long for the lack of activity from me – I guess it really is one of those “life has gotten in the way” type scenarios. Take care folks.

I have some incredible women in my life, and today is one of the days that we set aside to show our appreciation for our mothers!

Now I don’t know if I’ve made it clear on this platform, but I have a mum. She has looked after me all of my life, and continues to do so. I couldn’t wish for anyone else to be my mother, despite me thinking I was accidentally swapped at birth and should belong to a big crazy rich family – but I digress. My mum has always put my sister and myself, and now Amelia too, first. She has pushed to better herself for both her own and our sake, and she is by far one of the most incredibly inspiring people I know of. She is the reason I am as stubborn and determined as I am, and I’m often told how much like her I am. To me, that’s a huge compliment. We may not always see eye to eye, but I know that should I need anything at all she will be the first one there – and I hope that she knows that I would do anything for her too. Love you mam.

There’s another mother in my life that I see on a fairly regular basis. She wasn’t a mother when I met her, yet now she is the standard by which I rate my parenting. Sarah is the most loving, devoted, and slightly over the top mummy I could ask for to be mother to my daughter. She’s never ever shied away from the job, and she certainly does a good job. I’m proud to say she is my fiancée, I’m proud to say she’s Amelia’s mum, and I want to say how proud I am of her and how much I appreciate you. If Amelia could write a blog, I know she would say the biggest I Love You mummy ever.

Now without getting too deep into this, there are certainly a few other ladies I need to mention. My grandma is, has always been, and always will be one of my biggest fans and best friends. Love you, gram. My nana is a force to be reckoned with, and thanks to her I have my dad. Not sure if that’s a good thing or not (sorry dad) but there we go – love you nan.

On mentioning my dad, thanks to him I gained my step mum Shazza! She’s another incredibly lady in my life, and thanks to her I’ve in turn gained another huge family. My brother and sisters are testament to how much of a good mum she is, and I am lucky to have her in my life, and I genuinely can’t imagine how different my life would be without her.

Sue, Sarah’s mum, is another incredible lady that I am very grateful to know. She raised an amazing daughter, and she is an amazing grandma to Amelia, so thank you Sue. Finally, head of the table on Sarah’s side of the family is Joyce, Sue’s mum. She has made me feel like a part of the family from the very beginning, she is a kind and caring lady with a fierce love for her family, and again I am honoured to know her.

I could keep this list going on and on, and there’s plenty of people I’ve not mentioned that I could, but I’ll leave it there. Today is a day we honour mothers for the hard work, dedication, commitment, sacrifice, and most importantly the love they share with and for their children. I hope everyone has a lovely day.

Another year over, and a new one just begun! This is a very quick post to say how grateful I am to be here to celebrate this, my 23rd Birthday. This time last year I was fresh out of hospital, still in a tank of a wheelchair, and barely managing to get through the day without severe pain. Now, I’m living life as best I can! We may be locked up but I have a job I love, a much better chair, a beautiful home and, most of all, a really good quality of life.

There are many who look at me with pity or think I don’t have a good life – they couldn’t be more wrong. I have a huge loving family, some of the best friends I could ask for, and so many reasons that help me get up in the morning. There was a point at which I doubted I would see this day, and so I wanted just to share how happy I am that it’s here.

With lockdown in full swing I’m celebrating quietly with Sarah and Amelia, but as soon as we’re allowed we will, in the words of the artist formerly known as Prince, party like it’s 1999. If only Jack Daniels was as cheap as it was then. Cheers!

We have all had a bad time in lockdown. It’s been long and difficult, especially lockdown 3, and because of that we have all had way more than our fair share of doom and gloom. Whether in the news, on social media, or just talking, there has not been much of a positive atmosphere lately. That is why, when I was offered the chance to do something positive, I (figuratively) jumped at the chance!

THe PFC trust is a charitable organisation dedicated to improving the lives of people around Hartlepool. At the start of this year, they launched a new campaign – U change Lives 25. The aim of this campaign is to raise funds to buy a caravan, which in turn will provide the young carers of Hartlepool with a well deserved holiday. Did you know, on average a carer spends 25 hours a week caring for a loved one? As someone who has been on the receiving end of that type of care, I understand the importance of recognising the incredible work that carers do. Sarah was literally a lifeline for me and whilst I am independent now, I would never have reached this point without her help and support.

A typical carer spends 25 hours a week caring for loved ones. Taking this statistic as a starting point, The PFC Trust has launched a new fundraising initiative for 2021 based around the number 25. Initially, we are aiming to raise £50,000 to fund a new caravan for Hartlepool Carers, with additional sums being used as part of the Trust’s COVID-19 response.

The PFC Trust

If nothing else, this campaign is hoping to shine a light on the little-acknowledged world of young carers, and how much we as a society take for granted just because we cannot see what’s going on behind closed doors. Oftentimes we, myself included, think of a smart uniform and a big building when we think of carers, but this is often not the case. A lot of the time it is family members who step up and look after loved ones, which in itself is a huge undertaking – imagine coupling that with going to school/ college etc, looking after siblings… These young carers are truly selfless and this campaign will really do good to show appreciation for the work they do.

If you want to know more about The PFC Trust, you can find them here: https://www.thepfctrust.org/. They do incredible work supporting the local community in Hartlepool by bringing about the type of support that is often overlooked – they provide vouchers for things like utilities and broadband to those who need them, as well as providing donations, grants and scholarships to organisations and individuals. The charity has been around since July 2019, the same amount of time that I have been injured, and one quick glance at their work demonstrates just how dedicated they are.

So, with all of that said, what will I be doing? Well, I should say ‘What will WE be doing?’ as Sarah and Amelia will be joining me. In answer to that, I’m going to do what I do best, push a wheelchair – more specifically mine. Over the course of 25 days I will push 25KM, which with a bit of calculation works out at 1KM a day. That may not sound a lot, but it’s a lot more than I am used to pushing regularly, and I will have to fit it in around work. Now obviously there are some sensible terms I am imposing such as I don’t want to be out in adverse weather as it takes me hours to dry off and warm up, so the 25 days may unfortunately not be quite consecutive; that said rest assured I will complete this challenge. If you wish to donate then my Just GIving page which links directly to The PFC Trust is https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sam-watson26. Alternatively I can take cash in, although I would prefer to avoid this where possible. Obviously the times we are living in dictate that we should not leave home without good reason, which is another factor I have used in deciding my challenge – I can leave my house and not have to drive, as this is simultaneously my daily exercise allowance. The COVID thing is also the reason I am avoiding cash wherever possible, to try and reduce my interactions.

So there it is, my challenge for the next month or so. I feel that this could not have come along at a better time – the 11th of February marked 1 whole year since I was discharged from hospital. I did have a whole post ready about the trials and tribulations we have all faced, and how this wasn’t the year I had expected, but it has been that way for us all. I feel that this is a much better way of celebrating my release, and it may hopefully bring some benefit to those who deserve it most too.

Belated Christmas Wishes and an early happy new year! I am still alive and not kicking, just had a mountain on my mind and it’s not been in me to start writing again until now. I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas, despite everything going awry. Hopefully one of these days we will begin to see good news on the tv that we are on the way out of this crisis. This year has been a hard one for a lot of people for a lot of reasons, and I think we will all be glad to see the back of it.

So, where have I been? Well. Between my new job, adjusting to a new shift pattern, planning a wedding and dealing with the restrictions of Covid, it’s been a bit hectic. The job has far and away been the biggest thing to try and process. There has been a huge amount to learn, and with my poor memory that has meant a lot of studying and revising. Thankfully my tutors were fantastic and got me to the point where I can keep my head above water. I love my job, and every shift brings lots of new challenges and things to learn, but it’s all good and I’m happy with what’s going on.

I completely underestimated the toll that 12 hour days and nights would take. The shifts themselves are fine, but the time between them is seriously cut by my specific conditions. What I mean is that where others can walk out, go home and go to bed, all of that takes me much longer. Getting my chair in and out of the car, changing to my shower chair, even getting dressed all takes much longer than it would should I be able to walk. That’s not a sob story looking for sympathy, it’s just a fact. It all adds up, which means by the time I come off a night shift into my first day off, I’m completely wiped. I’m sure it will get better as I continue to get used to it.

Christmas was a lovely time, it worked really well as my days off meant that I was due to go back in Boxing Day but managed to get a holiday in and go back on the 27th. Amelia had great fun all through December with her elf who most certainly was not on a shelf. Between building a tin can drum kit and wrapping the Christmas tree, they certainly caused mischief. The big day itself was fantastic; Sarah cooked us a beautiful dinner, and we were all spoilt rotten (me and Amelia were definitely the winners there). Sarah wanted a puppy and was not amused when she unwrapped a stuffed one, so watch this space for when I simply relent and let her get one.

Other than the above, there’s not a great deal to report! We’re all feeling the effects of the middle of winter coupled with the latest lockdown, but that deserves a post all to itself.

Diving back into the world of work was never going to be easy. I’ve had so long off that going back is not only a huge change mentally, I have to consider the physical side too. Between forgetting my meds and sitting still watching powerpoints in training for too long, the physical bit has so far not gone so well… but never mind. I’m loving being back in work, and I’m enjoying overcoming the challenges it brings.

I’ve always said I’ll never work in an office environment, but clearly the situation I find myself in doesn’t really lend itself to physical/ manual labour, and therefore I’ve found myself a bit limited. That said, the job I’ve got is (so far) extremely interesting, valuable, and rewarding. For those wondering I am being intentionally vague, as due to the nature of my job I don’t really want to name it, but suffice to say I’m interested in my work; it’s not quite where I would ever have imagined I’d be, but it isn’t bad by any means.

As well as work, I’ve been carrying on pushing and making progress in the gym. I’m by no means where I aim to be yet (still a big lad) but I’m trying. It’s been hard with work and the tiredness both pushing me to say “sod it, not tonight” but so far I’ve resisted temptation. Alex has been great in this department (as always) and if you follow her page, you’ll have seen that she’s got me up in the standing frame again. That’s not been easy, but it’s great to be vertical for a little while. The health benefits are incredible too, so please go check it out if you haven’t already! Look for Peak Potential on Facebook!

It is going to get a bit easier, as in the next few weeks I’ll be changing from Monday to Friday, 9-5 to shifts of 4 on 4 off. The days I’m on will be hard, but it will give me more chance to work out during the week, and more chance to see that little light in the sky called the Sun. More importantly, it will give me the opportunity to have a really good work/life balance. As much as I love my work, family and friends are the reason I have such a good life, and so I need to maintain that good balance.

Overall life has been absolutely hectic lately, hence the lack of posting, but now I’m hoping to get back to it on a more regular basis. I’ve had a few really interesting days at work, I’ve had the opportunity to visit some really interesting places and learn a lot. I’ve also got some really exciting things coming up off the back of my hospital board meeting, so watch this space for more info hopefully very soon!

On a final quick note, as we enter a new lockdown scenario, I want to take the time to remind everyone of the community spirit we all found in the first wave. Check in on neighbours who have nobody to help them; keep in touch with family and friends who are struggling; and look after yourselves. No two people have the same experiences day to day, and everyone helping each other can really change someone’s life for the better. Take care all!

Over the weekend, we had a very important day to focus on a very big issue; world mental health day. Not something often talked about until recently, mental health is a truly important topic and we all owe it to ourselves to take it seriously.

Having talked about my hallucinations in ITU previously I don’t want to flog a dead horse, but even now I still get moments where I have to take a second to ground myself. There’s times where I panic, or forget reality. But that’s not a bad thing! These things happen, we all have bad days, and we all have our ways of coping.

I’m keeping this very short for a reason; there are many people better qualified than me to talk about this subject. If anyone is struggling, please reach out. My inbox is open, or you can talk to family and friends. There are even specialty helplines and web chats for this type of thing! Don’t suffer in silence!