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.