Thursday 7 June 2012

Life's Necessities

The dishwasher is humming and swirling as I sit here with the keyboard and iPad. This is the result of careful planning which we initiated in January. Yes, it had been a bother for my husband to stand and wash-up everyday for the last seven years of our marriage. The worktop in the kitchen was usually piled high by the time the evening came, from the day's cutlery, pans, plates, bowls, as I couldn't help with the clearing very often. As the months went by last year, I was needing more and more care and was able to contribute around the home less and less. Also because of this, my OH was spending more time in the caring role, so fitting in household chores was becoming impossible. I found it difficult to lift washing from the laundry bin and it was unthinkable for me to empty the washing machine of wet laundry, to move it to the ceiling airer. With a small kitchen, no airing cupboard and very little storage elsewhere there was only one solution- remove cupboards and cope! We now have a slimline dishwasher and 7kg tumble dryer and I am ever thankful. A couple more cupboards have been fitted on the wall, and we have managed with slightly less space by putting a couple of baskets on the top of these units.
It is great that we have lived without these for so long; electricity costs, replacement and maintenance prices are ever rising, but I now see this as a necessity and I have moved this into other areas of my life too. Just little things can give me time and space for the more important activities. Brushing my teeth used to be so difficult. I was sitting in bed with the brush and a beaker of water most days as I couldn't stand in front of the sink. I now use an electric toothbrush and find it much easier- the pressure on my arm muscles and joints was becoming excruciating at times, which meant that toothbrushing was no longer a daily activity.
The iPad that I use daily has become my passport to the outside world. I have a Bluetooth keyboard which I use regularly to save my wrists from the strain of using the touch screen. Before tablets entered my world I would sit in front of the computer with my head leaning in my hand, supported by my elbow on the desk. I would type one-handed and within about 20-30 minutes I would also be shivering and suffering from back-pain! I still do this if sitting at a table sometimes- I don't notice it as it is such a familiar pose, but when I do, it is a good indicator that I need to leave, rest and possibly sleep!
Other things that have changed in our lives include having a regular cleaner, again to take the burden from my husband. Little gadgets around the kitchen- the mixer, a better tin opener, for example. It is thanks to tax-payers money-my parents, sister and brother regard it as their taxes!- that I am able to support my life in such a way. Applying for benefits can be soul-destroying as it is an admission of your disabilities, but it has given me the opportunity to live an easier life in the home- and also pay for the private healthcare that will see me eventually recover and start paying my own taxes!

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