It's hard to know where to draw the line between encouragement and being realistic with regards to the Whale's walking.

Since we came to France four years ago he has made tremendous progress from being partially paralysed to being able to walk with a walking frame and even  get in and out of bed by himself. This is mainly due to regular physiotherapy sessions but also to his own determination.

However, there are limits to how much further he can improve. According to the physios, he should now try to take advantage of his mobility to walk 'for a purpose' and not just for the sake of walking but Whale has higher aspirations. He wants to walk with crutches, then progress to just one crutch and finally walk unaided!

This is aiming rather TOO high but how can you tell a chap in his position that it's not likely to happen and thereby knock out his hopes and aspirations? The physios shake their heads when he goes on about it and try to let him down gently but he won't let go of the idea.

There's some rule among physios that if he has home visits he is not eligible to go to the Centre for Re-education as well. At the Centre there is a large gym where he can walk up and down to his heart's content (instead of going in circles round the house) but the physios there leave him to it and so he gets no stretching exercises - which are essential to keep his legs moving.

I thought we had persuaded him that home visits were preferable and that he wouldn't go to the centre but,  yesterday I overheard him phoning them to ask about sessions. His French is reasonable but he was getting himself into difficulties and from what I could make out he first of all spoke to  Dr. H who had been following his case and arranged to go for some 'walking' after Christmas. He then rang back again because he hadn't been given a day or time and was told that the said doctor wasn't there. He rang a third time and a different secretary informed him that Dr. H was, in fact, leaving at the end of the week and he should 'speak to the Director tomorrow'.

This morning he duly rang back, and after a fairly short conversation there was the sound of swearing and frustrated cries. It appeared he thought he was speaking to the director but had, in fact, been put through to Dr. H, who had become very angry, told him he couldn't attend the Centre AND have home physio, and then hung up.

To add to his discomfort today the Normacol he was given this morning still hasn't 'worked' . . . .