Oct 7 to Oct 26
Mon Oct 8th:
The diarrhea bug was back. Had a bout in the shower in the morning, and a bout
in the afternoon that required me to be on the can for about 2 hours. I had
been writing the blog in the morning and again pain in back and ribs got so bad
had to do the pain meds again. It had to happen on Thanksgiving Monday when I
was supposed to go to my brother-in-laws for turkey dinner. Instead Darcy put
on some depends and I went to bed while she went for turkey. Before she left I
had a pee and she emptied the urinal and put everything on the table beside the
bed, a phone, Kleenex, and a bottle of water. I fell asleep until about 6:00
and woke up and had to pee. Looked for the urinal that was NOT on the table. I
held it as long as I could…good thing I had the Depends on…note they do leak. Darcy
came home at about 7:00 and I did get a turkey dinner.
Things to be thankful for…Darcy who has really stepped up to
the plate, both of my daughters, Meghan and Kelly and all of my friends who
take me places and help me work out and friends who are just there and for the
donations that are helping us through this. Oh yes and thank goodness that I
don’t live in the USA.
When I was at Parkwood, I met a young man who was the son of
a patient. He still keeps in touch with me and came for a visit in the
afternoon…it was great to see Scott.
TuesOct9th:
The intestinal problems have gone. It is amazing how much better the whole body
feels. Good thing as I went to the pool with Yonna. Did the usual stretching of
arms and legs and then some standing and squats. Rosa my new girlfriend was
there and I told her I was practicing dancing and tried to shake my
hips…forgetting that the float was off and Yonna was standing in front of me. I
started to tip over but Y0000000onna came to the rescue. Did lots of single leg
squats on the left leg. Not perfect stands, but using the left leg
nonetheless.
Did ½ hour on the bike after supper
WedOct10th: OT, PT and a massage by Jeanie. OT worked
left arm and got me moving the muscles to lift my hips. I think I can find them
and start them moving. PT did the usual stretches but Laura is incorporating
some drills that get my arms doing one thing and the legs doing something else.
The left arm was suspended from a rope and my left leg was pushing on a big ball.
That may sound simple to you but I have to think through each move and
concentrate very hard when trying to do two at the same time…it is improving
all the time…a little at a time.
Jeanie, the massage therapist, (Keep wanting to call her a
masseusebut I think that implies something kinky!) did a bit of work on my
plantar fascia on my left foot to try and break everything up…knuckles up and
down the sole of my foot…yikes…felt really good when she stopped.
ThursOct11th:
In the pool with Yonna and Grandpa. Darcy needed the car so she dropped Yonna
and I off at the pool at 11:15, the swim starts at 11:30. Grandpa must have
just missed us as he pulled up at about 11:20 and waited. At 12:35 he decided
that something must be wrong and drove over to the house to find out…saw the
car was gone and came back to the pool and decided to check inside and found
us. We must admit, we thought he had forgotten.
It was a good
workout, ½ hour on left hand which I call Lefty, not allowed to call it the bad
arm. Did some stretches and squats and
some standing. Stood for several minutes unassisted. The left knee does not
straighten out enough, really going to have to work on it.
All in all a tiring day. Before the swim went for PSA blood
test at the hospital, a test I would recommend to all men over 50. The results
to be sent to my urologist who I’ll see at the end of the month. Back in the
car and out again to wait for Yonna to take me to the pool, into and out of the
car again, then into and out of the car at home. At 4 there is a chiropractor
appointment in Simcoe. Into the car and out in Simcoe, then in the car in
Simcoe and out again at home. Got home at 5:30 and had supper as the plan was
to go to a Karate Black Belt meeting at 9. All the ins and outs of the car
takes its toll on both Darcy and I. We decided not to go to the Meeting as that
would mean 2 more ins and outs of the car.
FriOct12th:
To PT in London with Yonna. Laura was there to get me in the standing table and
do some stretching of my arms and legs. Again she was trying to get me to move
my arm independently of my left leg. May be simple for you. Same drill as
before, push with my left leg to tighten up my quads and gluts then has me straighten
and bend the left arm at the same time. I must concentrate very hard on keeping
the left leg tight and moving the left arm. While moving the left arm I must
consciously check to make sure the leg is still tight. Gives the ol’ brain a
workout.
SatOct13th:
Pretty much a rest day. Read most of the day. Went to the Forest City Velodrome
in London to see the last day of the 6 day races. The riders raced last Thus,
Fri and Sat and finished off this weekend. A team from Delhi finished 3rd
out 6 teams. There was a pro there who raced in Europe last year. The guys are
reaching speeds of up to 60kph on a banked oval track of 140 m. There were
races for 11 and 12 year olds that was neat. We went especially to see Logan
McIntyre race who is a 14 year old Silver Spokes SC member. He was riding with
the adults and did very well. I heard he can do a lap in 8.5 seconds at 60 kph
which is flying. He will be a real contender in a couple of years. A late night
out, we cancelled the PSW and Grandpa drove us up. Getting into the velodrome
was interesting…up a flight of 8 steep stairs but with two guys on the handle
bars and a couple on each side it was a quick trip up. The track was built in
the old London Ice House so there is no heat in the place. We had the best
seats in the house right at track side. They did provide me with a heater so I
was nice and toasty. I was a little leery about going down the steps frontwards,
it was even more funas I took the seat belt off the chair a month or so ago…but
we made it. Got home at 11 and Darcy and
I did the bowel Care stuff and got to sleep a little after midnight.
Nice to know that we can stay out late. There are several
parties and events to go to in the next month or so.
Sun Oct 14th: Coffee with the guys. If there is a chance
of rain we go to the mall. I can get in and out of the car in the mall parking
lot. We are becoming ‘mallies’. Spent the afternoon reading.
Did sit to stand before bed, 3 sets of 10.
:
PT at 11. Did the normal stretching and trying to separate the left arm from
left leg. Then got into standing and had to move to my right and it was the
first time I was able to stand on the right and move the left foot. Still I
turn on everything when I stand up…back, neck and arms are rock hard.
TuesOct16th:
Missed the pool and went out to the Seniors Brunch at Elmhurst with Jack and
his wife Beanie. Jack is a friend I met at Parkwood. A very good time…highly
recommended to all the old farts out there.
WedOct17th: PT at
Parkwood. Did the normal stretchy stuff and in prone position. It would be nice
if I could get into prone easier at home. It really does stretch out the back
and legs. Got on the treadmill for a few minutes. That was the video that
Dorathea put on Facebook. Must think every step and contract the quads and
stand tall on each leg on every step. Hard to get the ol’ brain working that
fast. Going to be interesting when I get on it for an hour. I was pooped after
only 6 minutes.
ThursOct 18: In the pool with Yonna and the Sarge. Did the
usual stretching and standing with lots of single leg squats. Did some standing
with no support for about 5 minutes. When I started to lose my balance I was
able to correct and maintain a straight up posture. Came home and tried to read
and kept falling asleep.
FriOct19th:
Had PT today with Emily the PTA. Instead of the normal standing table for 20
minutes, they decided to do some stretches first and then the standing table to
see if the stretching would loosen up my back. I have in the past been able to
stand for 30 minutes but today I could only manage 10 minutes….grrrr. Don’t
know what was wrong other than I felt very ‘heavy’ and I had a lot of spasms.
Strange feeling…feels like I can’t move my arms and legs but I can when I try.
Darcy has had a cold and some of the PT’s as well so maybe I am fighting
something.
Got a new mask for the CPAP that is a different design and
we’ll see if it eats my nose. Tried it last night but only kept it on until
midnight. Woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep as the noise of the air
rushing thru the mask was too loud and kept me awake. Woke up tired with lots
of spasms. More proof I need the CPAP.
SatOct20th:
Felt crappy,tight all over spent the whole day reading, The Girl Who Played
with Fire.
SunOct21st:
Still very tight, went out to Dan and Meghan’s for a BBQ with the cycling club.
It was after the Fall Finale which I organized in the past. It was always at
least 160 k+. Seems they shortened it this year to about 70k. It was great
seeing all the guys and gals and theBBQ was good. Got to take home some cheese
cake which I like a lot…it’ll just make ‘My George’ bigger. S0hould have been
writing the blog but I was reading again, finished the Girl with the Dragon
Tattoo and started the Girl who Played with Fire…finished the 2nd
book and started on the 3rd.
Oct 22nd:
PT and did the same drills and then got on the treadmill. When I am ‘walking’
on the treadmill I need to stand on my leg as it is taking a step. My hip
flexors are very tight so they got me in a standing position and put my right
leg back and got me to push my heel into the ground. Note: this is with about
30% of my body weight on my feet. Given the stiffness in my left leg I can’t
get my heel near the ground. At the end of the session I was told I wouldn’t be
going into the Locomotor Training as I can’t stand on my legs and take a
step….grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! More about that later.
Tues Oct 23rd:
No swimming pool today as had an appointment with the Urologist in Hamilton at
11:00. Had another episode of diarrhea
after the shower. Didn’t want to go to the urologist with any chance of another
episode…we cancelled. Put on ‘Depends’ and waited to see if anything else would
happen for the rest of the day. Nothing did and had a normal BM at night. Can’t
figure out what’s happening.
WedOct 24: Woke
up at 5:30 and I was very tight and it’s funny the more I tried to loosen up
the tighter I got. After the shower there was another episode of diarrhea. Put
‘Depends’ on again, just in case. Was supposed to leave at 9:45 for Parkwood.
Garry and the Rocket were coming from Port Dover to take me to London. I didn’t
feel comfortable going to Parkwood knowing I could possibly have another
episode…cancelled OT and PT for the first time… a big grrrrrr. Didn’t cancel Garry
and the Rocket and they arrived right on time. Instead of going to Parkwood we
had a good long visit.
No more episodes so I missed some therapy for nothing…..
Thur Oct 25th: Missed swimming again for an appointment to
see the orthopaedic surgeon. I’ve been having a problem straightening out my
knee when I stand. To get it straight I let gravity do it when I lay in bed. I
can only tolerate it for about 45 minutes. I don’t get it; it hurts where the
old cartilage used to be and is now metal parts….things that make you go
hmmmmmm. The Doc said I have to keep trying to get it straight. It wasn’t
straight for about 15 years before surgery but now is the chance to get it
there. He said I have fairly good strength in the leg when he pushed and pulled
on my shin…a good thing.
Fri Oct 26th:
PT with Emily. Did stretching first and then on the standing table. My feet
were on an incline board which stretched the calves. My knees were bent and I
couldn’t stand up straight, kept tipping to the left. Stayed up for 15 minutes,
a little longer than last week.
How am I Feeling?
I think the
intestinal difficulties have been causing my body to tighten up. It hasn’t been
this tight for a long time and that is starting to get me down a bit. Then on
Tuesday when I was told that I am not a good candidate for the Locomotor
Training that got me down even more. I guess it is the competitor in me; it was
like losing a rugby game, losing a sparring match or losing a bicycle sprint.
After a few days of feeling sorry for myself I realized that it wasn’t a loss
but I could improve my leg strength and my coordination and get into the
program in the future. Being down was probably a combination of the intestinal
disorder and losing the locomotor training program…and that is the diagnosis of
Dr. Steen.
When I was feeling down I didn’t feel like writing the blog,
so I read instead. It was the fastest I read a book in a long time. I think I
am over it now, just got to work a little harder to get the legs stronger
Thanks for listening….
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