Feb 11 to Feb 24,
2013
Mon Feb 11th:
First day back to OT and PT after missing 3 days. OT stretched me out quite
well and then it was PT after lunch. Back on the treadmill, again thinking
about standing on my legs with each step is hard to do. I must think each step
or I lose it. Janelle stopped it when I could no longer stand on my legs and
would sink in the harness.
Skipping forward to bedtime, a good thing happened while
doing my 10 sit to stands. I tried taking some very small steps between the bed
and the back of the commode that I use for balance. I took some small steps very
slowly, shifting my weight left stepping with the right, then shifting weight
on the right and stepping left. Not the best steps...but steps…soon it will be
the walker!
Another night with no BM, which means sleeping with Depends
on…just in case. Nothing happened all night.
Tues Feb 12th:
No problem all night as mentioned but at 6 am it was get Darcy up, get me on
the commode and off to the john or there was going to be a problem. Diarrhea is a big problem, I tell you this as
it affects the whole day. I put Depends on to go to Parkwood for a Dr. appointment
at 10:30. I’m very uncomfortable as I don’t know if I have gas or the other. As
it eventually turned out it was gas, much to my relief.
The appointment was for Botox and Dr. Potter put it in the
forearm, bicep and in the left pectoral muscle and my left calf. When it kicks
in in about a week, I should be able to have better extension of my fingers, more
movement of my arm as the peck will be weaker and it tends to come on all the
time and prevents arm movement. As mentioned previously my toes on the left
foot drop and I stand on my toes. By having Botox in the calf it may make it
easier to lift my toes up and get them high enough so I will plant my foot heel
first.
Dr. Potter also
answered the tone question. If I do have a prostate infection, it will increase
the tone for sure. Two more weeks of anti-b and hopefully it will be gone. He
said that my bowels may have slowed down as well due to the anti-b and perhaps
a shot of milk of magnesia will help that. It will be trial and error to see
what works. I’ll try anything to get it working right again, but since I’m on
the anti-b, I can the milk of magnesia 6 hours before or after the ant-b due to
the calcium and magnesium content. That pretty much makes lunch the time for
it. Any calcium of magnesium will bind with anti-b and make it ineffective.
Now the treadmill. They changed the sling to the ‘blue one’
which has straps that are higher on my chest. It did feel different but seemed
to work OK. Just that ‘My George’ really hangs out. Last week, I was standing
on my legs and consciously pulling them through when I was stepping. Today that
got changed. To stand on my legs, I need a strong trunk and was told to keep my
stomach muscles on and my back extensors on and this will keep my torso strong
to make me stand on my legs and stop me from sinking in the harness. It is hard
work keeping those muscles turned on all the time which I must concentrate on.
I could tell if my tummy muscles were on, as ‘George’ was sucked in. Oh yes,
there is a full length mirror in front of me so I can watch my posture .
Then off to the mat for some standing. Barry had Janelle
hold my hands behind my back so I couldn’t pull with them. I have this bad
habit of pulling myself up with my right arm and that is a huge no-no! Janelle
pointed to my right shoulder and said it was my biggest hindrance. I use it for
everything, when I stand I hike it up and any movements I tighten my neck and
lift shoulders. It is strange as last year we spent months in OT lifting
weights to strengthen it…guess it worked.
I did manage to stand quite easily with my hands behind my
back. The secret is to put my nose way over my toes and use the legs to stand
instead of using the arm to pull me up. It is a little scary to do that on my
own, as Barry is in front of me just in case. We will try.
Wed Feb 13th:
Rest day, 15 minutes on bike
Thurs Feb 14th:
Treadmill again and it went quite smoothly. Got on the plinth and they put me
on my tummy again and much to my chagrin my claustrophobia is back, at least
for putting my face in the face plate. Just don’t understand it. No
claustrophobic about anything else just being confined in that face plate
brought it back….grrrrrr!
`
Fri Feb 15th:
What a day! Started being very tight and Jody and Erin worked on my ribs and
back and arms in OT. I was looser at the end of the session. Had lunch and got
ready for the treadmill. Got into the blue sling and started the 1st
five minute session. 2 minutes in, my left arm was going numb due to the strap
holding me up. The treadmill stopped and they fixed my arm. I was using the new
strategy of keeping my gluts, back and core tight. It seemed to be working. Did
more slow treadmill at 0.8 miles per hour, ops that’s 1.3 kph. It is called step adapt
and it teaches my brain how to make those neurological connections to my legs.
After the treadmill it was onto the mat for some big
stretches. Some side lying with a roll under my ribs then the roll under my
back which opens my hips up the same as prone lying…told you the physios are
creative. Well it was actually Barry the assistant who suggested it. Then Barry
got me into standing in one motion from lying on my back to sitting right up
into standing. Barry got on my left side with my arm around his waist, his
other arm was around me hanging on my right cheek...ops... glut...Janelle was
on the right with my right arm around her waist and her left hand on my left
glut. Then Lynnsie, the physio I had as an inpatient sat in front of me on a
rolling stool helping my left leg take a step. Then they told me to walk and I
walked for about 50 feet with no walker. Mind you the physios did a lot of
work. Again the big problem was bringing my hip through rather than sticking my
bum out. They would not let me take a step unless I brought my hip through and
had my weight on my leg before I brought the other leg through. They said they
wouldn’t guarantee that I’d be walking…but after 12 sessions I’m ‘walking’
overland with a lot of help. The big problem I have is going too fast…if I
would only slow down I could do it a lot better. The goal, in visualizing
walking is to stand on the left leg while the right is taking a step and
standing on the right while the left is taking the step. All the time keeping
my back tight, my core turned on and my gluts on with my but tucked under. You
guys do all that without thinking. Gotta get those neurological pathways built!
Sat Feb 16th:
Did a Karate class at 9:30 and ½ hour on the bike at tension 3 to 5 tension
for 15 minutes and 15 minutes at tension 3. The bike ride tightened me up a
lot. Didn’t relax until the morning.
Sun Feb 17th:
Karate class with the Brown belts. Coffee after class and another one in
the afternoon with the Sarge and Grandpa. Hey you’d almost think I was working
as a cop.
½ hour on the bike at tension 3. Did 2x15 minutes easy
spinning. Finding that if I bend my knee more during pedaling my tone is
increased in my trunk. Seems any pain increases the tone and pedaling does
cause some pain in my knee. Can’t figure why the treadmill doesn’t tighten me
up as much as the bike. Perhaps it is the sustained ‘pain’ while riding. Haven’t done it yet but
perhaps some pain meds before the bike would help.
Mon Feb 18th:
No therapy today….grrrr. Off for
coffee with the guys. Some routines in bed, oopps that’s exercise routines in
bed and sit to stand exercises. No bike today. Need to be as loose as possible
for the treadmill tomorrow. Must rethink the biking, perhaps cut it down to 15
minutes of easy spinning and see what that does.
Tues Feb 19th:
Back to PT and the treadmill. Took a bit of time to get going again. We did
some step adapt at about 1.3 kph vs top speed 3.2 kph. As mentioned many times
my arms and neck tighten up when I use my legs, on the bike and on the
treadmill. Today they remedied that by putting my hands behind my back. It
settles my shoulders and neck right down. They say it is much easier to move my
legs and hold my hips steady. This takes
my biggest hindrance, my arms and shoulders out of the equation. Perhaps next
time on the bike, I’ll put my hands behind my back and see what happens. The
other thing that happens when I work out is my nose plugs up and I breathe thru
my mouth for 3 or 4 hours after the workout. The only good thing about that is
my mouth dries out and I drink more.
Wed Feb 20th:
Back in the pool with Yonna. My girlfriend Rosa was there and 3 other
ladies doing laps with flippers and floats. It amazes me that more women
workout than men. Yonna stretched me out. My hip adductors and abductors are
very tight and Yonna had trouble spreading my legs apart. I did get up and did
some walking. Did 4 laps…to about halfway and back. I tried to slow down and
stand on each leg and keep my butt in and tuck my tail under. I think I can
visualize walking a little better now.
Thurs Feb 21st:
Wow what a day in PT. Again on the treadmill with my hands behind my back.
Seems that will be the way it will happen for awhile. I am now keeping my gluts
tight, my back tight and my tummy tight. Remember I have to consciously tell
those muscles to tighten. Previously I was picking up my legs to get them
through to take the next step. Now they want me to push off with my toes on the
back foot, all the while keeping all that other stuff tight. A lot for the ol’
brain to do. I think I got a couple of
steps in by pushing off my back foot. Did
a total of 26 minutes of walking on the treadmill.
Off to the mat only this time it was lying over a peanut
shaped ball. Barry stood me up and then it was bending forward over the ball.
It was a little scary as it felt like I was going to keep going to roll over
the ball and land on my head. Janelle stayed in front and kept the ball from
rolling away while Barry stretched my legs out the back and I did the Superman
poses. Darcy took a picture and mentioned that she cut off Janelle’s and
Barry’s head. They said that was ok because they didn’t want to be shown
smiling while torturing me. Note their name for the rack is ‘facilitated limb
stretcher.’
Fri Feb 22nd:
Another great day in PT. They get me strapped into the sling and usually I get
in my chair and they roll me to the treadmill. Today they got me up and I
walked to the treadmill with Barry on one side and Janelle on the other. I have
been doing 5 minutes sessions at 3.2 kph. Today we started at 1.6 and went up
by 0.3 kph until we reached 3.2. They say I’m better figuring out how to walk
if the speed is increased slowly. We did a 10 minute session, a record to date.
I seem to be getting the hang of it by keeping my gluts turned on and my back
muscles and trunk muscles. As you know on the treadmill, they move my legs but
today for a couple of minutes I was able to move my right leg on my own.
Janelle said I’m starting to get the hang of walking again and I am further
ahead than she thought I would be at this point in time. I am 16 sessions into
the 44 session program.
Oh yes, before I went walking they had me over the peanut
ball again. That really does give me a good stretch. I got up into standing and
with Barry and Janelle assisting I walked around the gym…145 feet, another
record. When I remember to move my hip through everything is easy, if I don’t
move my hip through everything becomes hard and I try to lift my legs with my
shoulders.
In OT they were trying out this mechanical arm. My hand was
strapped to a joy stick and there were several programs that the machine moved
my arm through. It felt very good to have my arm move through all the programs .The
tone in my arm really showed up as in some cases I had to initiate the movement
and couldn’t move against the tone. It’s as if someone holding their arm at 90
degrees and you try to straighten it. In my case I am fighting against my own
muscles. It is funny, if I can’t initiate the movement I try to use my right
shoulder and turn on lots of other muscles in my neck and back.
All in all a pretty good day. Hmmmm….Darcy now calls my sling, my jolly
jumper…remember those?
Sleeping was a little difficult as I had my gluts turned on
a lot during the day and the left glut in particular was a bit sore and kept me
awake for a while.
Sat Feb 23rd:
The butt was still sore when I woke up at 5 AM. Got moving a bit and it went
away. The worker came early and I was
able to get to Karate Class on time. Worked with Frank, the 79 year old Green
belt. He does struggle a bit with his kata. We took our time and he was able to
work them. He sure is an inspiration.
Tried a ½ hour on the bike at low cadence. Couldn’t get my
arms behind my back but kept them down and to the side and back as far as they
would go. Didn’t work…trunk tightened up and it lasted all night….grrrr. I
really think there is something going on with the prostate. The tone seems to
be getting worse.
Sun Feb 24th:
Off to Karate class to make them sweat. Pretty much a rest day. I was a
little sore and tight. Could have been two things, first the hangover from the
bike workout or second, that I missed my Saturday night meds which were sitting
on the bed table but we missed them.
How am I feeling?
Just don’t know about this prostate thing that is going on,
got some low abdominal pain happening. Just about done the anti-b but I don’t
know if it has improved the prostate much. Get a PSA done in 3 weeks and back
to the urologist in 3 weeks after that. If the PSA is down, then all is good,
if not then for the prostate biopsy…yikes. Hmmm…something to worry about but you know
what they say about worrying: ‘Worrying is like rocking in a rocking chair,
it’s something to do but doesn’t get you anywhere!’
I am very pleased with the way the Locomotor Program is
going. To hear Janelle say that I am ahead of where I should be, does my ol’
heart some good. The program seems to be working, building those pathways from
my brain to my legs.
Thanks for listening….
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