Hi all,

Well we arrived home on Thursday with no scratches just a  bit late.  If you all didn’t see the paper Ben made frontpage again along with his beautiful neice Reece.  Our house is a total mess after unloading an overloaded car, just got to find places for it all now.  It has been a great few nights sleep in our new house, just got to get a few more pieces to complete the transition.  The house isn’t quite set up for Ben at the moment but we are working on it.  Yesterday was a new experience for us both, not having nurses or anyone to call if we couldn’t figure anything out, but ACC has come to the party and are coming to reassess the house on Monday.  Anyway I am off to unpack some of our crap and to help get Ben ready for  a day painting at my mums. We will be going to the smash tonight to have a drink with friends and family, but feel free to come down and have a drink with Ben & I to welcome us home.  Thanks for all the support over the last 3 1/2 months, if we don’t see you tonight we will of course see you at some time this year.  Have fun, I am sure we will. 

Holly

Well we are on our way home, siting at the Wellington airport having a burbon.  Our flight was once again delayed so instead of arriving home at 12.50pm like we were suppose to we now will be landind around 3pm.  Why does this always happen to us!!!! Least we won’t have to deal with it for awhile now.  Man the burbon is good.  Oh well just thought I would let you all know that we are going to be home soon.  Have fun.

Luv Holly

Hi all,

 Our car set voyage back to Gisborne this afternoon, loaded to the brim with Gear!  Didn’t realise that we had accumulated all that gear.  Anyway just wanted to remind you all that there was only 2 days to we arrive home.

 See ya

Holly

We’ll what an awesome weekend, big thanks to Raki and Blair for the game on saturday night! Awesome experience!!! Then it was off into town to meet up with the girls. They were all on there way to being pretty drunken by the time we got there. It was the first time I’ve been out to the clubs since my accident and it was great, everyone was really accomadating and we had no hassels at all (Squashed a few toes though). Downed a few bourbons and just had an all round good time. Got home around 2am and just crashed out. Yesterday was all marked out for recovery so me and Holly just kicked back for most of the day and relaxed.

Big week at the Gym comming up, fine tuning everything before we leave. Only 3 more sleeps to go!!! and I can’t wait. Have made alot of new friends down here with the nurses, spinal assistants and the other patients, so will be sad to go but also good because it’s when the recovery side of all this really kicks in, because we won’t have that back-up of the Dr’s & Nurses on hand 24/7.                                                               

Oh well better head of to the gym now, will catch all you Gisbornites on thursday, and a big thanks to everyone else whos been in touch over the last 3 1/2 months,  The support me and Holly have recieved down here has been awesome!!!!!!! and it just goes to show there are still alot of great people in this world. Will keep up the posts on here once we get home for all of you around the rest of the countryside, and hope to catch up with everyone around the speedway tracks next season. Don’t forget the NZ sidecar title is being held in Gizzy next year, so I’ll definatly see you all there.

Catch Ya Later

BEN. 

Well there is only 6 days to go now and we are definately counting down, fine tuning all the things we have achieved here.  This weekend Ben is off with one of our friends Raki to the All Blacks vs South Africa game and I am off to have a girls night out with one of my best friends, Katie (everyone knows Katie).  Hopefully she won’t get me too drunk. 

Ben completed his driving assessments this week without any problems at all.  He has been a busy little beaver seems I was away back home on Monday and Tuesday.  He managed all on his own, kind of makes me obsolete but that is what we wanted.  He is now so independent and I am so proud of him!  He got in the pool on Tuesday afternoon but nothing has come of that.  He has also been working hard at getting in and out of our car without using a sliding board and has been working with OT’s at getting a car of his own.  Will go look at the car yards this weekend and try out a few (getting in and out that is).  Hopefully ACC will come to the party with that.  We got sent a article that was in the paper on Monday or Tuesday, noticed that there were some incorrect details in there, so just to clear it up.  I had to resign from my position at Tumu’s due to the status of the job, Ben has never had to give up his Job as that was one of the deals we made with our boss Darin.  Both Ben and I will be returning to Tumu’s, I will just be doing a different job now.  My new position will involve the co-ordinating A1 homes distribution of materials to the jobs that are on the go.  So if you want to know anything about the A1 homes just come on down to Tumu’s (give me a couple of weeks to get in the loop). 

Anyway there really isn’t much more to let you know.  Will put a post on here about the weekend and we will see you all in 6 days time.  YEAH WE ARE COMING HOME!!!!!!!! 

Have fun all, thanks for all the support over the last 3 1/2 months and all the cards and gifts. 

See ya

Holly McLean

Hi there,

Well over the last week Ben has been quite ill with what we think was a 24 hour bug but ended up being  a 48 hour bug.  Therefore Ben wasn’t able to do his last driving lesson so he will be in the car bright and early on Monday morning to complete that.  Friday a week ago Ben had the honours of falling out of his wheelchair for the first time in the gym so we owed them a packet of chocolate biscuits, oh well least I don’t have to eat them!  We have been working hard at getting ready to come home so I have down sized the luggage and am bringing some home on Monday.  Not much has really happened over the last week, but ben can now do transfers from the floor to the wheelchair hopefully he won’t have to do those too often, but seems to have them under control.  Well Ben’s been with me in the unit for over a week now and all seems to be going well, haven’t poisened him with my cooking yet and having the independence is just doing us the wonders.  Just trying now to fine tune everything and get things ordered for our return home.  Ben ordered his permanant wheelchair on Wednesday and we meet a gentleman (sorry can’t remember his name) that also knows Sefton, Clive Ireland, Stu Priest, Toby and alot of other sidechair riders who have bought motors and parts off him.  He is the sales rep from Melrose Wheelchairs, so we cought up with him and had a chat about motors, speedway you name it we talked about it.  Was just great to see someone that shared the same passion we do.  I think he said he now does TQ Midgets or Modify’s.  We have also meet another guy who was admitted to Burwood about a month ago now who also knows Stu Priest so it is a small world after all.   Anyway the ward has cleared out now and there is about 5 patients leaving at the same time as us so that will be good.  Our nurse Jo has left us now as she has just finished her 6 month rotation out of Nursing school, will miss her dearly as she has been a big help to us all.  It might sound silly but we will proberly miss this place as it is where we started a new journey in our lives and each and everyone in the ward has had a piece of that new journery.  Oh well too muchy now so will sign off and if I see you on monday I will see you.  Will touch base with everyone next week sometime.

Thanks for all the support.

Holly

Hi Everyone,

Well yesterday we had our discharge meeting with all the nurses, doctors, OT’s, Pyhsio’s and ACC.  We have set a date for discharge and that is Thursday the 19th of July.  Ben only has a few things that he needs to learn over the next 2 1/2 weeks, such things as falling out of the wheelchair and getting back in, standing frame, 180 degree transfers, getting on to a toliet seat, direct transfers into  a car and finish his driving tests.  He has nearly prefected the 180 degree transfers but is finding getting onto a toliet seat the hardest.  We will be heading to the gym this afternoon and doing the floor to chair exercise and he will go on the standing frame for at least 30 mins.  He has to show Leanne and Big ‘D’ what he is made of.  Ben will be moving into the self care unit with me as of tomorrow (yeah no more lonely nights) and the routines will start, healthy meals will start but most of all it is just us two which is great.  I am booking a day home today on the 9th but for only one day as we have gathered that much stuff now its rediculous, we don’t think it is all going to fit in the car so I will only be coming home to drop stuff off but anyone that hasn’t seen the house is more than welcome to come out that night and join me in unpacking - Hailey that is you, just kidding.  Well not much else to tell you at this stage.  Ben is out and about at the moment on a driving assessment, will post photos of him later on when I have downloaded them to the computer.  Everyone have fun and we will see you in just under 3 weeks time, HOME AT LAST.  We would like to thank everyone that has supported us in Ben’s recovery and that has donated money, time and effort to making it happen for us.  Thanks to Jo (Ben’s nurse) for all the help you have given. 

Anyway have fun,

Luv you all

Holly & Ben 

Hi there,

Well Ben & I have just moved into our new Self Care unit in wake for Ben returning home.  We are having a discharge meeting on Wednesday but it looks like we will be returning home in about 3 weeks time.  Ben’s Doctor is very pleased with his progress and now it is a matter of fine tuning his balance work, wheelchair skills, Tolieting & washing, bladder stuff and driving (starts next week on the driving skills). He will be moving into the self care unit permanantly next week. Everything seems to be going well and on the move so I will proberly not be returning home until we come home for good now.  Just need to figure out how we are going to get the car home now.  Just had Ben’s sister Jo down here and she got to see how it all worked.  Anyway I have managed to get the photos of Ben in the pool downloaded to the computer so I have added a couple of photos in.  Hope you all like.

 Will let you know more later on after the discharge meeting to when we will be going home.

Luv you all

Holly

Hi all,

Well Ben & I had a very peaceful weekend couped up inside our unit most of the time.  Ben came to stay with me from Thursday to Monday morning as it was time we just spent time by ourselves without anyone else around.  We just cruised for the weekend and it was great.  The Christchurch weather has finally arrived at -2 degrees this morning and crunchy grass under feet, anyone want to come visit now!  Ben also cooked tea for me on Sunday night which was a real pleasure to sit back and relax for once.  He didn’t even manage to burn himself.  He is getting around a lot better now with his racey new manual chair and has moved room in the hospital.  Hopefully he will stay in that room until he leaves now.  Yesturday, his physio took him outside and made him do an obsticle course which tired him out completely but he learnt alot.  This afternoon Ben went into the hydro pool, thought he was going to drown but his physio lady had it under control.  He also stood up for the first time in the pool.  I will post photos at a later date as I have lost the cable to my computer to download the pictures.  Ben’s sister arrived yesterday and Lesley Williams arrives tomorrow arvo and Myles Richardson will arrive tomorrow night so going to be a busy weekend.  Anyway I will come online tomorrow and post the photos as soon as I can find the cord, but that is all for now. 

See ya

Holly

Well if you weren’t aware, Ben and I came home on Ben’s rehab break on Friday and what an experience that was.  The plane trips were an adventure on their own.  As well as coming home on Friday we also signed over the house on friday so we are now proud first home owners now.  We were welcomed back to Gisborne by Ben’s sister Jo, my sister in law Jess and nephew Seth, My mum Tessa and our boss Darin and close friend Craig.  It was a great welcome home and a surprise for some.  As it was suppose to be a surprise for Ben’s mum’s 50th Birthday we went to her work to surprise her and Ben did that all on his own, just getting through the door and then flipping himself out of his wheelchair.  Ben’s mum was speechless for a few seconds but only because of Ben flipping out not becasue she wasn’t suppose to know.  We now call Wendy, Detective McLean as she already knew that we were coming home.  On the saturday we moved into our house thanks to Graeme and Mum, Rob & Jess and Cousin Kent for helping with the move.  Hope the pies went down a treat.  After a very busy 3 days of moving & visiting it was time for Wendy’s Birthday party at our new house.  We arrived at the house and oh my god there was like 50 odd people there, squeezed into our shed trying to huddle out of the cold and rain.  Yes Rain.  Its been a drought in Gisborne since we left and the week we decide to come back it rains, go figure.  Anyway Ben was bombarded with the 20 questions that he prepared himself for earlier and I had a couple of drinks, while Graeme and Grant (Ben’s stepdad) cooked the barby.  Tea was awesome (prepared by Jo and Wendy).  Graeme bought along ben’s favourite meat venison and he loved it.  After all the excitement of having Ben home we watched Wendy cut the cake and headed home for the night.  After an extremly full on weekend, we took a slow approach to Monday visiting a few people but mainly kicking back at the motel.  We had ACC meetings around lunch time to assess the house and our workplace to see what alterations are going to be needed to get Ben in and out of home and work.  Looks like we won’t need much to be done for now and only temparary alterations will be done for his return, such things as metal ramps to get in and out of the house, a chair for the shower/bath and the door widened into the toliet.  Not much really, just means I will be doing the cooking etc for the first couple of months when we are home.  We will then have to move out of the house for when they do more serious alterations, hopefully an ensuite onto the house and a really large deck.  As for work,  they will have to put in a lift so Ben can get up stairs to the smoko room and some other alterations may have to be done. So if your up to it, bring your painting brushes when I am next home cos the house needs some sprucing up.  After a busy weekend we went on our way back to Burwood Spinal Unit, its sad to say it but its home for us at the moment.  Hopefully it will only be a couple more months before we are home again. 

We would like to apologise to everyone that we didn’t get to see while we were in Gisborne and I will catch up with you when I am next home. 

Ben has alot of work to do now, he started today doing direct transfers and ramps at gym, so he is on the move once again.  He is onto his second trial chair and thinks this one is better.  Not much else to report on.  Will come back online in a couple of days when I have something to report, off to cook dinner now.

Thanks for everyones support in the weekend.

Holly