June 17 to June 30, 2013

Monday June 17^th: Happy Birthday to Darcy. After therapy we went to see Dr Potter. He had given me some muscle relaxants to try to handle the muscle tone. He upped the dose and we’ll see if that helps. Finally a Dr. said that exercise causes muscle tone and he will try to find the best meds to see what will work the best. Now you won’t have to listen how tight I am ever again. Went to the gym with Grandpa at 3…yes I was tight oops…not supposed to mention that.

I am trying to lose some weight and Darcy got Skinny Cow chocolate bars that are very low in calories thinking it would satisfy my sweet tooth. As I’m eating the bar the dog comes over and I thought I’d share it with her. Note: Myah will eat anything. I gave her a small piece and she smelled it and walked away. Guess I won’t be eating Skinny Cow chocolate bars. Looked at the ingredients and there is nothing natural about them, It’s just a chemical bar. 

Tuesday June 18^th: Had therapy. After getting stretched out, we did a lap with Barry and Stephanie on each arm. They are pushing and pulling me to get me to stand up straight. We have a new brace that goes around my ankle and a strap attaches to my shoe laces and holds up my toe. That makes it a lot easier walking. The next round, Stephanie put a belt around my waist and gave me the cane. I walked half way around with the cane and Stephanie keeping a hand on the belt…just in case. On Thursday She is going to see if Darcy can walk with me and I  can start doing more walking at  home…yeehaw!

Wednesday June 19^th: Busy day. Off to the gym at 9, with Yonna and Grandpa, to the pool at 11:30 with Yonna, a massage at 2 and coffee at 3 with the guys. Tightened up after the workout. Chest very tight, tummy tight and even my nose plugs up.

Thursday June 20^th: Therapy day. Woke up….tight…go figure! Got into prone lying with my head over the end of the table. Stephanie did a good job of relaxing some of the tight muscles in my back. Then got into the standing frame for 10 minutes. Did a walk with Stephanie and Barry assisting…didn’t go all that well. Find it hard to walk with the physios pulling and pushing various parts. Walked with Darcy holding the belt and using the cane. Get practiced with Darcy then I can do some walking at home.

Got home and did ½ hour on the trainer. Tightened everything up again 

Friday June 21^st: A day off therapy so to the gym with Yonna and Grandpa at 10. From the gym back home to get the bathing suit on and a ride over to the pool for a swim with Yonna. 45 minutes in the pool with most of it in the deep end doing ’water walking.’ Feels good to float.

In the gym Yonna and Grandpa got me up for a walk when the workout was done. One of my better walks, if I do say so myself! Was able to hold my toe up and didn’t stub my toe once. After a walk of about 10 feet I start to tip to the right. I started noticing it on my own and was able to correct it. A  good thing!

Yup…trying to ignore the muscle tone and maybe it will just go away.

Saturday June 22^nd: Well ignoring it does not make muscle tone go away. Grandpa came over after coffee break to help me on and off the trike. He rode over on his bike and we did 5 laps of the crescent which is about 2 k. Since I hadn’t been riding much it took a bit of coaxing to get the knee going around. Eventually it gets going. I think about half of the force I’m using with the right leg is to bend the left knee. Had to stop as the muscle tone was getting worse…grrrrrr! 

Sunday June 23^rd: Nope…ignoring the tone definitely does not make it go away. Karate class at 10. I don’t think sitting in the chair for a couple of hours helps the tone very much either. 

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, June 24^th,25^th,26^th,27^th: Therapy on Mon, Tues and Thur. To the gym on Mon and Wed and in the pool at noon on Wed. At therapy, using the belt all the time now and doing laps with Darcy. I found the company that supplied the belts to Parkwood and ordered one of my own. We’ll get walkin’ as soon it gets here.

Wed was a busy day with weights at 10, the pool at 12 and a massage at 2. At 4 o’clock as usual the nose starts to plug and it feels like there is an elastic band tied around my chin and head. When I get into bed it usually goes away. It didn’t. At 10 when Darcy goes to bed it was still plugged so no CPAP. Darcy stayed up until midnight but still no breathing out of the nose. With a plugged nose, you breathe through your mouth and the mouth dries up and you stay awake taking small sips of water. Finally at 2 AM the nose opened up and finally got to sleep. The PSW comes at 5:50 on Thursday mornings. Not a lot of sleep.

Got back in the standing frame at therapy. That’s the table where they tie a belt around your butt and lift you into standing position and hold it standing up tall. I started doing this for 10 minutes before and after walking sessions.  Standing helps open up my hips which I need a lot of. I walk better after being in the standing table.

I’ve been noticing a couple of things happening over the past couple of weeks Yes it’s about peeing. I was peeing consistently about 350 to 400 ml then I have noticed over the past few weeks that it has increased up to 500 to 600 ml. That is too high and I will be stretching my bladder, which is not a good idea. 

I’ve also noticed that my right arm isn’t working like it did and that’s the good one. I can’t curl 1.22 kg. Can’t lift my arm straight up or do a chicken wing…you know like you do in the chicken dance. The arm is getting weaker and in the morning I have trouble shaving cause, can’t lift the razor to my face very well and even eating, the head has to bend down toward the spoon. I know can’t is a 4 letter word, ok the right arm is weak and doesn’t move as well as it once did. The arm was very strong when I left Parkwood and I thought I didn’t need to do much work on it so I let it slide.

On Thursday I mentioned to Stephanie that my arm is getting weaker even when doing a weight program. She checked the range in my arm.  It moves through the complete range, I just don’t have the strength to move it through the range. When I try to move my arm to do any movement my brain immediately hikes up my right shoulder. I have traps of steel. Even when I can’t lift my leg or lift my foot, my brain hikes up my shoulder. Believe it or not but my brain now thinks my right shoulder can help move any part in my body. That’s how bad the wiring is screwed up. My brain is recruiting the wrong muscles to do the task.     Stephanie said I must cease and desist all arm workouts until I see her next Tuesday….grrrrrr!  Goes to show you that you can build new neurological pathways even though they may be the wrong ones.

Friday June 28^th: During the night, Dr. Steen started analyzing the data. I started taking extra muscle relaxants about 6 weeks ago to help with muscle tone in my trunk. It seems to me that my arm started getting weak about that time and Dr. upped the dose a couple of weeks ago. If a relaxant works on tight muscles it works on none tight muscles making them go flaccid and weaker. That’s my theory and I’m sticking to it. On Wednesday the 26^th, I wasn’t lifting as much weight as I normally do, both on arms and legs, Yonna chalked it up to being, ‘one of those days!’ Now I am convinced that it is the relaxant. The Dr. said I could up it to 3 mg a day and I’ve been there for a few days now. I will slowly get off it, .5 mg at a time. We shall see what happens!! Perhaps no bad pathways were created, the muscle in the arm is just too weak to do the job so the big trap tries to help.

Saturday June 29^th: Saturday morning class….Sensei John and Sensei Linda were away tending to their new Grand Daughter. Congrats Sensei Sara… another job well done! 

Frank the 79 year old never ceases to amaze me…doing all the drills! Pushups and leg raises.

Since I have the new transfer belt I can now walk at home with Darcy. At first I was a little leery about walking with Darcy. She was quite confident that she can keep me upright. Walked from my bed to the chair a distance of about 10 feet, opps 3 meters. Did that 4 times. Before we got going Darcy put on my Merle walking shoes. They are the new type of running shoe that is very thin so I can feel my feet.

Walking at home is going to help a lot. I will lengthen my walk when I become a little more confident. Darcy is ready to do it now….ha…I’m usually the gung-ho one but this time it is Darcy that wants me to push me to do more. I will get there and soon will be walking around the kitchen. I have this fear of falling…Darcy is quite confident that she can keep me up.

Sunday June 30^th: The last Sunday morning Karate Class, their grading is next week.

Did ½ hour on the trainer. 

How am I Feeling?

From the tone…ha…of the last couple of blogs, it probably sounds like I am getting a little down. I don’t think I am. Writing about the muscle tone and those issues helps me rationalize putting up with it. Very pleased with the way the walking is coming along. Stephanie is going to take some time each session to work on my arm to see if we can get the right muscles firing again. A little concerned about the right arm, it does everything for me. I need it to eat, hold the cane and just getting around in general.

Thanks for listening….