31 Dec 2019

Goodbye 2019 Another mixed year of Ups and Downs



Well as the end of the year gets closer, I do realize that I have not done as many Blogs this year, I think this is partly because its been busy in other ways and I did not want to become too boring
Thinking of the highlights, one has to be my trip to Norway as described on another Blog within my list. I had wanted to do this trip for many years and finally I managed it, now because I did not manage to go for my husky ride or see the Northern Lights, another holiday is planned for the future. I saw something about going in winter and realize there is little proper daylight, such a change from the almost 24 hours a day in May.

Another was meeting up with my son Paul and Kim his wife thanks to Jane in Milton Keynes, back in June this year and then again to see them here in November, but also managing to get over for Elias second birthday, but sadly this year I am unable to get to see them for Christmas, New year or for Spencers fourth birthday but still thinking of them
As a contrast its been a year for health issues the worst being the problem with my left leg, that meant I was on strong painkillers for over three months, which sadly affected my ability to do more things that I enjoyed. The consultant arranged injections which were unsuccessful, so now at the end of this month they are doing an MRI, that hopefully will help them to better understand what is causing the pain and how to resolve it. Unfortunately it has stopped me going away as I cannot get travel insurance. Update the MRI was cancelled until the new year, but lets hope its good news.

The big thing this year has been the work I am doing to help myself and others who have profound hearing loss or acquired hearing loss, I had not realized what a difference it makes to peoples quality of life when we cannot hear clearly or not at all. Fortunately I have come across others who are working in improving services locally for us, because sadly the professionals are understaffed and the charities are finding it difficult to obtain funding.

My greatest issue to do with hearing loss and being deaf, is the rubbish service in shops stores the NHS and local authority in making provision for us all. There is legislation in place that should make it easier for us, by provision of Loop systems, BSL interpreters and a range of communication systems and equipment. So why is it that very seldom, despite organizations advertising they have a loop system, that in fact they either are not in use are broken and or the staff have not been trained on how to use them.
I have joined three organizations that are trying to improve these services, unfortunately, one is stopping this service and the other despite belonging to the NHS has cancelled all its meeting for most of this year.

I have also done work with people who are deaf that need advice on benefits and advocacy, I could not believe how poor the services are for people who are profoundly deaf and that their needs are ignored. Hopefully my small contribution may help many others in the future.

Sadly a number of my friends have died this year or others health has deteriorated drastically, I suppose its one of the problems of us all getting older and the restricted services from GPs and the NHS these days.
It seems that I should mention Brexit, I had voted with little expectation that we would agree to leave the EU, what a shock to find many others did to. Unfortunately, much of the news this year has been to do with efforts to implement it this year, including more recently an election. It looks like something may hopefully happen in the not to distant future, will it improve my quality of life, we have to wait and see.

This year at long last I joined a friend and others on a few health walks at weekend, it is a nice mixture of people, but poor weather and my health have affected my ability to join in on a regular basis. Also I think partly due to health I have spent more time at home and unfortunately have put too much weight on so one of the things I intend to address in the New Year is to lose some of this weight, so clothes fit me better and my general health is improved.
Well I decided not to make any resolutions this year, so no issue about, breaking them or guilt, but hope that common sense and my physical health will improve so I can continue to get as much as I can out of life.

Thanks to all of you who have cheered me up or shown how much you care over the last 12 months when I was struggling, lets hope I can do the same for you if needed in the New Year

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