Following a relatively relaxed morning in the gym on Saturday, James was lucky enough to catch up with some old friends who were playing lawn tennis locally in Hunter’s Hill. As there was a Wimbledon theme, the trusty water bottle (which never leaves the side of James’ chair) was conveniently topped up with fresh Pimms and lemonade, which made for an even more pleasant afternoon. An added bonus, given the vicinity of the party, was that James could find his own way home and was spotted speeding along the footpath in the late afternoon. (more…)

This week started with an outing to the Super 14 Rugby last Friday night at the Sydney Football Stadium to see the N.S.W. Waratahs comfortably beat the Otago Highlanders in what was arguably their best game of the season. Following a routine two to three hours in the gym on Saturday and Sunday morning, the rest of the weekend was spent catching up with a very good friend (James “Bruce” McGeoch) who had flown over from the UK to administer the weekend sessions. (more…)

The week started rather socially with an outing to a fundraising event for the Puffin Magic Foundation on Shark Island which was a screaming success despite some patchy weather. Following a rather early exit from the island and not wanting the power chair to become bogged, James and his trusty wheelchair wingman (from Ryde Rehab Centre, Josh Clift) decided to try and catch the Super 14 match at the local Rose Bay RSL (assumed to be wheelchair friendly given the senior status of the clientele at venue).

Within minutes of entering the Club, their trustee carer, Martin Gribble, came running down the stairs and with a beaming smile exclaimed “you guys have got to get in the lift and come upstairs. There are two dozen half naked ladies wandering around covered in body paint.” Josh and James were happy to declare that they were part of the inaugural NSW Body Painting Competition. Needless to say, photos will be posted on the website and Saturday was one of the all time days since the accident. (more…)

James started the week learning how to meditate which kept him quiet for a while. He actually loved the experience and is now trying to practise what he has been taught. He also came home on Saturday and Sunday afternoons so was able to watch the beginning of the Super 14’s competition but sadly had to leave before the exciting ending to the 20-20 cricket match on Sunday night.

Back at the Rehab Centre James continues with his programme of physiotherapy and occupational therapy and an hour in the pool on Wednesday was the highlight of the week. Proud to report that no fainting took place when James had some botox injections in his calves and arms on Thursday. These were given in the hope of alleviating the spasms James is experiencing. So, all in all, a busy and fulfilling week with some welcoming mateship thrown in as well.

You may remember, prior to Christmas, my right calf was injected with Botox to assist with both spasms and standing balance. This week, I managed to stand unassisted quite comfortably for about 15 minutes and seemed to have increased control in weight shifting. Ultimately this meant that I could start shadow boxing ever so slowly in the upright position. In addition, it seems my hips are slightly stronger which has enabled me to shift my knees forward and back as well as side-to-side whilst in a supported kneeling position. Maybe a couple of quieter weeks should be taken more often. (more…)

I’m not going to lie to you, New Year’s Day was one of the slowest to date as two weeks of festive season celebrations firmly took their toll. After making it out of bed around midday, I was back in the sack for a little siesta around 4pm, followed by a relatively early night even though an ex-flatmate from London and his fiancée were over for dinner. (more…)

As usual in the Gribble family, following Christmas Day, Boxing Day marks Mum’s birthday. As such, another big lunch accompanied by a few “sherberts” (for the non-Aussie viewers, “drinks”) brought several family members together again.

Due to a number of international visitors being around, I took the opportunity to get them involved with some of my physio and take them up to the local tennis court where I regularly practice my frame walking and occasionally have a hit of tennis (still with my racket being strapped to my hand, unfortunately). (more…)