The next thing was the physio's visit. Chris told them about his balance getting worse and they are going to provide him with some walking sticks. I also asked about a standard wheelchair. We had been using a second hand one for Chris, but some bits started falling off, so they measured him up for one and they said it would take just over a week to be delivered, which isn't too bad a wait. He also asked about his leg braces, as they were hurting his feet and they said you could heat them up in boiling water and manipulate them a bit to adjust them, so we will try that. They help support his dropped feet. They also did the usual breathing and SATs tests.
We had planned to do our ice bucket challenge yesterday afternoon, but not long after I had a phone call from BBC Spolight, our regional TV station. They were covering the same item as BBC Radio Cornwall and David Dixon had spoken to them about Chris. They wanted to come down and interview Chris in the afternoon. We had no idea if it would be an indoor or outdoor interview, so I though I'd better give the lounge a bit of a dust and polish. As it was they wanted to do the interview on the farm as the light is better. They also wanted to film him on a tractor, so Chris used his Nuffiled, which he could drive. The camera man wanted to film Chris by the cattle shed using a fork to push in the silage. I was a bit worried about that as I know it takes a lot of strength and balance for Chris to do that these days and I was worried he might fall. They then interviewed him and Chris's speech was slurry in places, but they said they would edit the interview with voice over shots. Chris was a bit worried about that, but I said they will probably only show a bit of him talking. He was so tired when he got in though, he looked awful. I managed to get him to rest a bit and he asked Chloe to help him mill the corn later on, a job he shouldn't really be doing, but one he has little choice in at the moment as his brother is harvesting the corn in the fields. It is quite physical and I think that is why he asked Chloe to help him.
I must stop myself worrying and fretting. There will be no corn to harvest or milling next year and no corn to mix to feed to the cattle. The transision will be over and we will have a very different farm and I know I will regrettably have a very different husband, physically anyway. I hope that hopeful, funny, brave man will still be there and that losing the ability to do the job he loves, won't pray too heavy on his mind. I do so hate MND.
