It really has been a case of two steps back for Jo. After her last physiotherapy session, which made her feel positive for the first time, she spent a week in respite while a new floor was laid in her room. The respite home was full of people over 80 who were largely preoccupied with waiting for Godot. I thought this might depress Jo but she remained in remarkably good spirits. The place was unbearably hot, during one of the hottest weeks of the year and this did induce a general torpor to Jo's demeanour and meant she spent a week with even less physical activity than before.
Upon her return home this manifested itself in a reduced capacity for standing and I even saw some return of the hemispatial neglect which had been evident in the early days.
She then saw a recurrence of the gout that has plagued her of late, brought on by her medication.
All of this conspired to make this month's physiotherapy session largely futile and it was depressing for us both.
She is back on steroids for the gout and we hope that clears up in time for her to start the course of intensive physiotherapy the insurance company has agreed to.
