physio

These ones on physio

At the present time I am getting about and hour of physio a day with 2 physio therapists.  People around here are saying I need at least 2 hours of physio a day.  They want to move me to a rehabilitation hospital. They are saying that Lyndhurst near Sunnybrook hospital will have a bed available before Parkwood in London. I really prefer Parkwood due to the convenience for Darcy and the girls as it’s about half an hour from Tillsonburg. So the fight is on of trying to get me into Parkwood. And I will play as dirty as I can (even full contact!).  Because Parkwood means you can all come and participate in my phyio and be a part of my recovery.

Now on the physiological side, yesterday I had an hour of physio and I stayed in the chair form 11- 4 (5 hours) but wow did I pay for that later in the day.  It was like going to a renchi class with 2 hours of competition team training after.  It is really strange when I get tire the different reactions the drugs have. Last night from about 2 o’clock – 5 it was very surreal in this room I think they moved me a couple of times but I don’t really remember it. They have to turn me every 2 hours left side, right side, back to prevent bed sores.  It is great Darcy has a cot (provided by sensei Bentley…he didn’t like the idea of Darcy sleeping up right in a chair) that she sets up on the floor and she is just amazing and helps me out at night when I need it, things as simple as moving my ankle. Which certainly interrupt her sleep.

Now down to the nitty gritty, if you have trouble with medical information/ video …stop reading here….. a major problem with anyone who can’t move is the ability to pee.  I have had a catheter in since here since I arrived here and they are concerned about urinary tract infections. So today, the catheter came out. My bladder filled up on its own, and became very painful. The nurse did an ultra sound and recatheretised me just enough to empty it. Now everybody stand up and jump around and go yayayayay…as I have peed twice since in my diaper of course the second pee needs another yayayaya as I was able to some what stop the flow and start it again. And that like accomplishing a 600km ride. So if this keeps up I’ll just have to keep bugging the nurses to keep changing my diaper…doesn’t that sound exciting???? Darcy and Meghan are doing a lot of things but they seem to be avoiding the pee pee, and poo poo end of things.

Thanks for listening….talk at you soon.

inspired by Corrinna

Thinking about my previous posts…it seams I’m only dealing with the negative, but just want to make people aware of every person who has a spinal cord injury.  Their life is completely different then a full bodied person. So, I have explained getting in and out of bed, getting in and out of the chair, eating, washing being moved showering, exercising going for wheel chair rides.

Now there are some funny things that need to happen for example I need someone to scratch my nose, I need someone straighten my moustache, I need someone to scratch my head, blowing my nose is a good example, I don’t have a lot of lung capacity, so I really can’t do a lot of blowing …solution to the problem Darcy gets a quetip with some moisturizer on it and cleans my nose.  I have to be careful clearing my throat…this is not just me that I am referring to it is everybody with a disability…. If I don’t have enough wind power to clear the junk out of my throat I choke. If I do choke they have a suction wand here they stick down your throat to clear it out. So, if you see somebody in a wheel chair please go give them a thumbs up because he’s done a hell of a lot of work just to get there… with the assistance of probably one of 2 other people.

I have joined the paraplegic association Ontario, they advocate for paraplegic rights and it appears that they do a lot of good work. I’m looking forward to their wheel chair relay next year. Note: I’ll be pushing someone…hahaha….schedule for today is a bath, in the near futre, some physio, with Valerie the physio girl and hopfully some chair rides around the hospital and perhaps I’ll get on the elevator and go for a ride outside.

The real good news is this morning the dr. actually said he was encouraged with the movement with the movement in my hands and legs I have been experiencing. Still a million miles to go but at least it seams to be headed in the right direction, moving sensations are strange the best feeling is when I move my right leg I can bend my toes forward and back ward and if I have lots of strength I can pull my leg up the bed ie bend my knee…the movement in my right hand is a little remote feeling and I have to really look at my hand to make sure that it is moving. Darcy and Meghan both say that the big toe on my left foot moves, I know I expend a lot of energy in that direction but, have haven’t really seen it or felt it move…not that I don’t believe them.  Oh yes, I would like to thank all of the people who have come to visit, sometimes if forget to recognize that I’d like to thank everyone who has; facebooked, blogged, emailed, called and visited and sent cards and flowers.

p.s. well done bob cassels at PBP and congrats to everyone who attended PBP…I’ll be there next time.

Interesting couple of days

Hey gang,

I’m starting to figure out what the routine will be like, 10 o’clock at night …long lasting pain pill, 2 short acting pain pills, a pill to try and relax my twitching muscles, a sleeping pill, a stool softener, and two pills to make my bowels move.  I think in the last week I have taken more medication than I have taken in the last 15 years. It seems to be working.

Yesterday my roommate got a shower and jokingly I asked one not realizing I could get one.  So, the process began, first they take my sponge neck brace off and put on a water proof one, then it is time to get me out of bed. Given that I have no abdominal muscles when they move me my blood pressure drops and I get dizzy.  To prevent this from happening they wrap and elastic belt around my waist…it’s a girdle.  Then it is time to get into the harness. So they roll me up on one side, stuff the harness under me as much as they can get then they roll me the other way, not the harness is completely under me. Once it is under me they hook it to a lift. And slowly lift me off of the bed. And set me down in a wheel chair.  Then it’s off to the shower room. With a nurse and a nurses aid. Once in the shower room it begins using a hand held shower. Once they got the temperature adjusted properly. It great having a shower with one person squirting you and one person holing me up. (note: they wash all parts). They even washed my hair.  Showers feel great! Here is something interesting that happened when I was in the shower. I don’t have control over bowel movements. Some sitting in a commode chair (it has a hole in the middle of it) there didn’t seem to be any problem letting loose; however I did forget that I had harness wrapped tightly around my butt. They were very good about it they just cleaned my up when they got me back.  Back to the room, to reverse the process. Lift me out of the chair back into bed. Due to bed sores which I don’t have yet they want  you rolled every 2 hours 2 hours left side 2 hours right side 2 hours backside. Doesn’t make for a good night sleep. I was in a big wheel chair for about an hour and a quarter again.

It was great to have a long visit with sensei john today!!!!

Today

Physio started in earnest. Valerie the physio girl is the same size as sensei ML and almost as mean.  I was taken to the gym which I thought would be a pleasant experience they put me on a table again using a hoist. And started me thinking about holding myself up right when I am sitting which involves locking my elbows which is a little difficult when I can’t feel my left arm.  However I did manage to lock my elbows and sit up right for a few moments. Then it was time try and teach me to roll over. Hard to do but I guess I will have to learn how to do it.  I had about 30 minutes of physio. I managed to stay in my chair for 2 hours and 40 minutes.  I had some more physio in the afternoon, when Valerie the physio girl told me I should be stretching and gave me several exercises to do. Thanks to sensei Bentley he assisted me in several repetitions of the stretching exercises. Getting ready for bed…pills will be coming soon night all.

this was the first post

  *****  All notes posted are composed by Glen Steen****
Hi gang,
Thank you very much for all of the support from everyone it is greatly appreciated! If I knew so many people were concerned about me I would have been friendlier. I appreciate all the posts on facebook and in emails and I will continue to read every one of them.  It does make time go by and it is just nice hearing from everyone.  I am going to keep these notes going as a day in the life. I am not going to kid you this is not fun.  But, I will work as hard as I can to get out of here, it's really strange the things that mess you up, for example, today: it has taken me 4 days to poop....what a relief. It’s strange when your butt hurts more than your neck. I started physio today, sat up in a chair for 45 minutes, and I though bruceters corners was a tough place to be...  however I think it will help me get through this. Thanks to all the guys on the cycling club for coming. i'll be posting some pictures to show you what I really look like...hahah....and just for the sarge we will have a before (already taken...to be posted soon) and after.  please contact me anytime you want I would love to chat, ask me anything you want. and i'll tell you. here is another example of interesting things that happen around here, being in ICU there are 12 other patients on million $ monitors that look at every thing from burping, farting, blood pressure, heat rate, arterial blood pressure all sorts of neat things. it’s great to have them there because it tells them if you are alive. BUT... when the alarms go off it is the most aggravating beep that goes on and on and on and on... the only way I could get around it was to do all of my kata in my head. the there is the nurse that said..."you need to keep you sleep pattern the same as normal....so she didn't want me to sleep in the day or early evening so I had to wait for my pills and stay awake until ten o'clock fell sound asleep immediately and she woke me up at 12:00 to change my bed ...go figure...grrrrr. k speaking of pills wow you wouldn't believe all of the things that run around the room at  night, the paint moves on the wall, light switches move, dog with a black tail wags. now back to reality, I am taking lots of pain killers, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, stool softeners, bowl movers..heheh and blood thinners. which they jab in my stomach, don't worry I can't feel it.

I think people need to know about these kinds of injuries. Given that people that have them seem to disappear from life in general... but I won't!!!! I am involved in three studies, two long terms and one observational. The blood study checks markers in the blood before surgery, after surgery, during recovery/ treatment and beyond.(German study)
the other long term study is about grasping and they will study how treatment affects the recovery of hands. the third study is data collection about you injury, your condition, how you feel before during and after recovery.
P.S...i'll tell you about the swing, the chair and how call the nurse (thats not what i call the nurse)
P.P.S..... i never told my wife and daughters how much i love them because it is very obvious how much they love me.
Glen

A Night Time Story

**** all posts are composed by glen steen***

Hi gang,

Well last night was one of those nights where nothing worked. Darcy has been staying with me, this was the first night she left me “alone”…but she really needed a break. So the routine here is they give you the la,la drugs (Meghan adlib morphine) and a sleeping pill, so last night I got the drugs, usually I am asleep until 4ish, and then they give me a second one and I sleep until 5ish. I get these little aches and pains in my ankles, my, toes, my knees and when Darcy is here she could do a quick adjustment on my leg. However when she wasn’t here. I had to call the nurse but since I can’t use my hands I have a device that I can blow into a plastic tube is right beside my mouth I just blow into it and it rings the bell at the nurses station, but sometimes I need 4 or 5 adjustments in 10 minutes, I don’t like to bother the nurses that much, but I know they would come if I called. Last night my legs  just hurt like hell,  I woke up before 2 o’clock,  I got some more drugs which allowed me to sleep until 4 o’clock and then I was awake the rest of the night then by 6 o’clock, I was able to sleep on and off until noon. 

Ok that was a bad night the rest of the day went much better it was good to see terry and Karen rice and I got lifted out of bed at 4 o’clock and had a tour around the floor in a big chair for about 45 minutes, it was great I sat in the sun and I sat in front a big window overlooking the city with a view.  Darcy only has learners permit in wheel chair driving, but she is getting a lot better  :o) 

One of the problems I’m having is I am really not that hungry but I know I need to eat,  I know I need to eat but it is difficult to get motivated. …they don’t have any cabernet.  But I found booster juice which isn’t that difficult to swallow. I will be doing physio all next week here and when they figure I am capable enough they will move me to a rehab hospital. Either in Toronto, Hamilton or London.  We are thinking of London because it would be much more convenient for Darcy to get there.

Just a short note today I’m a little pooped today.

I can’t say it enough thank you for all of your support on facebook!!!!!

What Really Happend

Hey gang,

I think its time you got the whole story…

On Saturday night I was riding on the rail trail going south into Scotland (on) at about 10 o’clock at night.  I was riding at about 30km+ an hour when I hit something. Went over the handle bars and landed on the top of my head.  I was not unconscious, as remember a very weird sensation like floating down the trail. I stopped in a fetal position lying on my right side with my left arm over my head, in front of my face.  My bike was at my feel with the lights still on. 

This is when the fun began; trying to convince myself that I would be ok on the trail for about 12 hours as I knew no one would be on the trail until the morning. Thank goodness at about midnight the farmer who lives beside the trail came home and saw my bike head light, they had had some break-ins so decided to investigate. And that is when I was found. 

They called the ambulance and Darcy. When the ambulance arrived they put me on that dam spine board for transport to Brantford general.  They have no spinal cord facilities in Brantford. So searched the province for a spinal cord facility with an empty bed ….which too a loooooong time. There was one bed open at Toronto western. But they wanted to make sure I was in physically good shape other than the injury of course.  So I was loaded into the ambulance and shipped to Toronto for assessment still on the dam spine board. I believe I arrived in Toronto after 4 am. And soon after sensei Bentley arrived. It was very reassuring to have him here.

 I had a CT scan and an MRI due to my claustrophobia I was very concerned about spending 20 -25 minutes in a 2 foot tube.  I played some mind games. The machine makes a lot of racket with many different pulsating sounds so… I counted sounds to 100 25 times so I knew when my time was up. I was actually pretty close. A fortunate thing is that Toronto western is world renownd spinal cord injury facility. My surgeon dr. Failings is also world renownd.after my assessment, they want permission to do surgery to fuse vertebrae C3-C7 by cutting off all of the boney protuberances and stabilizing with 2 titanium rods and bolting it all together. This removes pressure from the spinal cord. So I know have 32 staples in my neck and I will have a lovely scar.  The surgery started at 2:30 and I was awake by 8pm. And according to the surgan it went very well. Now it is a matter of time, to wait and see what heals.

I was in ICU from Sunday evening to Thursday… what an amazing place, with amazing staff!!! I am now on the spinal cord injury ward and will remain here until I am capable of going to a rehab hospital. 

So what is moving…I have movement in my head and neck, shoulders, and biceps. And feeling in my chest to the bottom of my sternum. I can move my right arm bicep and actually do a curl with it. Left arm doesn’t move yet.  My right leg I can move, but movement changes a bit depending on how tired I am. i can move my toes and sometimes bend my knee.  My left leg is in one big muscle cramp. And only moves when the muscles twitch. Hands and fingers don’t move yet, but I am working on them. Things that we forget about. Since my stomach is paralized so is my diaphragm and my bowels and bladder which makes life a little complicated i.e. diapers an someone wiping my bum. Note: I hung my dignity at the door; I’ll get it on the way out. That’s how ....

now whats happening …I sat up yesterday in a chair for 45 minutes and today for an hour and 15 minutes.  I have sadistic physio therapist who will get me moving. I am now a member of the Canadian paraplegic association, and I am going to joning them to make the world aware of spinal cord injuries hopefully you will help.

Signing off for today.

Thanks again for all of your support.