And it’s always the squeaky wheel that gets the oil…
Hi
Very True OGF.
I am taking 14 different medicines, 23 pills a day plus a spray.
I will be on permanent morphine, my condition is inoperable and incurable, and is worsening.
The hospital have an annoying habit of regularly phoning my next of kin.
I am not immortal, but I am determined to die happy not a complaining miserable old git.
I have to pay the cost of my carers in full.
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No offence meant Swim…
hi swimmy I once worked in a ‘good’ nhs many years ago - how they have fecked things up - not just in hospitals but out of them too! I do hope oz doesn’t go the same way
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Hi
Some time since my last update, I didn’t want to bore you.
Things have moved on.
I now have the full Attendance Allowance, awarded under the Special Rules, two doctors having certified that my condition is inoperable and I am not expected to live six months.
The award was backdated to November last year, so I have now beat the average and have not died in double that time period.
I am fully self funding for my care costs, the tax free Attendance Allowance is £101.75 a week.
My care costs have risen by £260 a week.
If I had never paid into a private pension, or been on benefits, I would all my care costs provided free.
I do get some things on a 100% Grant Aid and some things provided free on loan as it is cheaper for the NHS to keep me at home rather than in a high dependency ward.
I have a fantastic electric adjustable hospital bed in my lounge, which I have to spend a lot of time on, a curved stairlift with remotes, an electric bath lift, WC enclose and a commode on wheels.
The stairlift and bath lift are grant aided and mine, the other stuff is on loan.
They have also insisted on a wheelchair ramp from the vehicle access to my front door.
It is a steep rise from my front door to the crossover, and having this will mean they only need one ambulance and crew to get me into an ambulance.
We are arguing about their insistence on door widening for a manual wheelchair, no good to me at all because my hands do not work at times due to blood clots.
I am having to buy and pay for myself, a narrow, lightweight folding electric wheelchair for the bad days , the ambulance trolley they use is narrow enough to go through the doors.
Door widening is very expensive, not having to do it would save the taxpayer an awful lot of money.
These 100% Grants are only available if you have less than £20,000 in savings.
I have, my kids have had the money long before this current illness started and I have also done a massive downsize.
I now have Vascular Dementia, my blood pressure is so low at random times I cannot stand up, I have no balance and my brain does not work properly.
I lose the ability to think straight, spell and do maths.
Such is life and I am told it will get worse over time.
I was a scientist, so no problems with medication, however I have found strong evidence that natural things, such as a change of diet, can and do lead to improvements.
I am now going down this natural remedy but also taking my meds.
In a nutshell, I have always made stupid posts, now you must accept that I will make more.
You can be reassured however, that I will never post that Boris and Liz Truss were the best Prime Ministers we have ever had.
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Hi Swimmy its awful getting old isnt it im sorry your struggling. Im pleased you are getting the help you need . Ive been staying in Surrey with my sister who has had a struggle and we were both saying we would never thought it would come to this ! Good luck with your new health food diet .
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Hi
Thank you so much for your lovely post.
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Sorry to hear you’re still battling all this Swimmy, but pleased you are upbeat and looking into diet.
As a scientist, you might find the Carnivore Code interesting:
While it’s not the first diet I would suggest (as I think it’s best eased into) the book contains a lot of scientific references to, interestingly, foods which are bad for us (as well as of course those which are good).
I don’t agree with everything the author says (or does) but I do think it’s a very interesting take and would make most people look at food very differently if they’ve not been exposed to any of this stuff before.
Some of the worst things I think humans can eat tho are:
- Grains/pulses/beans (even if you take into account how difficult they are to digest)
- Vegetable/seed oils
- Processed sugar
- Chemical additives/enhancers/preservatives/fertilisers etc
The Palaeolithic diet is usually what I suggest people look at first because it is so popular so there are lots of recipes online (basically meat, fish, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and some fruit) and then once that has been followed for 3 or 4 weeks to look into other diets like the carnivore diet.
Something you might find very interesting, is that Shaun Baker (a cardiologist) advocates the carnivore diet:
Here’s his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ShawnBakerMD
Good luck Swimmy 
My son Is trying this diet he wants to lose a bib of weight .
I had never heard of it before .
Why does Fred Flintstone come to mind ?
Keep your spirits up Swimmy, and keep posting.
Aw, Spitty…what daily troubles you have to contend with. My thoughts and heart goes out to you. What an amazing attitude you have about all of this!
You are an incredible example of a positively remarkable man. I’d send you hugs, but you’ll only tell me to save them for later.
Is it later yet? 
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Sorry?
Good post Swim and am glad to hear you are defying the medics and proving them wrong about your longevity…
You are a great example to us all…All the best mate…
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Hi
Thanks OGF,
I am still looking forward for a chance to meet you and
Mrs Foxy, but know it will have to be here in Shrewsbury.
I am trying to buy a nearly new, off road, mobility scooter, 12 inch wheels,and proper suspension with a range of 25 miles and join you for a ride out near me.
Mrs Foxy could decimate your credit card as Shrewsbury has the longest street of Independent Shops in the UK
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@swimfeeders , this was meant for you.
@spitfire , you know you are always in the back of my mind. Sorry is right…
Swimmy, thank you for starting this thread, you are a determined fighter who shows guts in handling your illness. It’s pleasing to know you are now receiving help with your needs.
Keep fighting, we are in your corner, 
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Hang in there, Swimmy!
Sounds good Swims wrap up well though .
greetings glad to hear the NHS is caring for you reasonably well if not from a distance - you do have and accept visitors heh?? - some say it raises the b/p others that it is essentially calming? - which way to go heh? I remember you from the early days - like BC summat but we all had different names except you - always a swimfeeder heh? - I think I have a similar life style to you actually but can still be walked by the dog - he comes and goes and disappears - I live alone and play with the internet and watch tonnes of good films and docos?
chin up - can you take drinkypoos these days??
Hi Swimmy, better order one for each of us, it’s been a while since I danced over rocks and stiles out in the wild places…
However, next year I’ve promised Mrs Fox that we shall drive down to the south coast and explore the beautiful Cornish coast. Should that promise become a reality, a stop off in Shrewsbury to meet my mate Swimmy will definitely be on my list of things to do…
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