Oct. 26 to Nov. 11, 2012
The last couple of weeks I’ve been getting over the failure to get into the Locomotor Program. I can still get into it if the legs start working a little better and I think the left leg is getting stronger. As I can now stand on my right leg and lift the left foot off the floor. Can’t stand on the left as it needs a lot more strengthening. Thinking about joining a gym but I’d need to check it out to see if I can get onto the machines. The bike trainer here is good but I need more.
Oh yes, on Saturday the 27th I had my first panic/anxiety attack since the crash. I had just got off the bike after a fairly hard work out and my nose and sinuses were plugged up and I ate some Halloween candy…and then it started…in the past I’d get up and move around. Can’t do that now. I got very agitated and had to get out of the house. Wheeled into the garage to get some fresh air and after a few minutes it subsided. I think it was brought on by my stuffy nose, because as soon as my nose cleared up in the garage the attack subsided very quickly. Haven’t had one since but I’ve been taking some decongestants to keep the nose clear.
The CPAP is on every night and instead of the full face mask that eats my nose. I use a small mask that fits up my nostrils. The mouth must be kept shut or it short circuits the air. If the mouth does open it makes a lot of noise that usually wakes me up. Once last week Darcy was up at 4 and my mouth was wide open with the pump going full tilt. She tried to shut my mouth but my jaw was locked open and she couldn’t budge it…hmmmm if I was a kid on a computer ‘budge it’ would have been ‘budget’…hee,hee,hee! I am getting used to keeping my mouth shut and once the nose adjusts to having the soft plastic nozzles shoved up it. It is the little things that matter, if I can keep my tongue on the roof of my mouth no air leaks out even if my mouth is open. At first we had trouble adjusting the mask and I had to take it off several times (note: Darcy has to put it back on), Darcy was ready to put it where my suppository.
Halloween was good we had about 20 kids, all older ones and I have been eating the left over candy ever since, which is contributing to making ‘my George’ bigger.
Messing with the computer…tried to install Windows 8 but it wanted me uninstall a bunch of apps including my WiFi…which I did and it wiped out my internet. Had no internet for a day couldn’t even read my eBook. Just thought Windows 8 would miraculously reconnect me to the internet. Called my ol’ friend Kevin who chastised me for trying to do install Windows by myself…he implied That I wasn’t smart enough to do it. Got the Intel driver back and got back online.
OT and PT
OT and PT are getting into a routine. OT works the arm and PT is trying to get me relax my upper body while working my legs. Prone lying to stretch the back out and we also do quite a bit of standing and then weigh shifting from right leg to the left leg. They are trying to get me to extend my hip and I got a bit of a compliment as one of the physios walked by and said, ‘that’s good Glen, your hip is somewhat extended!’
On Fridays after some stretching I was able to stay in the standing table for 20 minutes.
Yonna Training:
Yonna and Grandpa worked me very hard in the pool with lots of hamstring and quad stretches and lots of standing and squats to strengthen the left leg. I was standing in the pool and falling backwards a bit. Couldn’t figure out why the balance is off. Our diagnosis was that the sensors in my feet aren’t working all that well so they don’t turn on the muscles in my legs to keep be balanced…our diagnosis only. Jack, a friend can stand and walk with canes or a walker but he can’t walk without them. He has no feeling in his feet which would explain hius lack of balance. At home when standing I seem to be able to balance so here’s hoping it is just in the pool…..
Social Life:
Went to two Halloween parties, (Laura and Jeff’s Engagement Party, Sensei Mark and Kelly’s Party to honour the Karate Club team that went to the world championships), the Cycling Club’s annual banquet at the Belgium Hall in Delhi. At the cycling club they asked me to give a little talk on my journey since the crash. It is cathartic to get it out there, about the same as writing the blog with the blog it’s just press send and it’s gone.
Out for coffee with the guys several times which is always good.
Went to Karate class on Sat Nov 3rd. It was good to see the class working out. As mentioned previously, I’d like to get back to some teaching. I can’t teach new stuff as I can’t demonstrate but I think I could sharpen up some of the basics and Katas.
On the weekends, did a lot of reading and finished ‘The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest’, what a great trilogy. Started and finished James Patterson’s ‘Cross’.
On Tuesday Nov 6th went to Elmhurst again to have Seniors Brunch with Jack and his wife Beanie….yikes missed swimming for a brunch…can’t be doing that very much. Jack is having nerve pain in his legs and arms and describes it as severe burning and pain pills don’t work on it. He is getting acupuncture. They put a needle in his forehead just above his nose, one in the top of his head and one at the base of his skull. They attach wires to the one in his forehead and at the base of his skull and hook it up to a battery and pulse a current through it. Fortunately I don’t have nerve pain.
My Own Training:
Found that riding the bike hurts my knee. It is very strange as it hurts right where it did before the knee replacement, but it is all metal where it hurts…go figure. Doing some more work on the knee by putting a rope around my foot and pulling to bend the knee as far as it will go. Put a garbage bag on the bed so the heel will slide easily and the pull the foot up as far as it will go. Also doing leg lifts in bed.
Mark, a patient at Parkwood was watching me stand and asked if I needed a walker. The answer was ‘yes’. He had received it from someone and it became motivation for him to get up and use it. Perhaps it will do the same for me. I’ll pay it forward when I am finished with it just to keep it going round. I can stand and hang onto the handles but the feet are bolted to the floor.
How Am I Feeling
Hmmmmm….having another panic attack wasn’t nice…hopefully that was the first and last. I am not really feeling down, I just don’t have as much enthusiasm as I once did. I think it is just that everything is slowing down and the gains are very small now, but still happening. It is good that we are into a routine but it has become a little boring.
Guess the real reason I’m down a bit is because it’s been a year and 3 months since the crash and I was told that the muscle spasms in my stomach and back will probably stay that way. There is a slight possibility that they may taper off….grrrrrr. My back feels like a block of wood and there is a tight band around my stomach….guess it’s time to get used to it.
Thanks for listening….
No comments:
Post a Comment