Sept 2 to Sept 16, 2013
Labour Day…I did no labour and in fact I did nothing
all day. Asked Darcy to take me to the gym and she ignored me. Did a few sit to
stands before bed and that was it…a true rest. Watched Milos Ronach, a Canadian
lose the 5th set in the US Open. He’s only 22 so he has many more
years to kick butt.
Tuesday went to therapy. Different format today. I
usually try to walk an entire lap and then rest. Usually my posture falls apart
after about half to ¾ of a lap. By falling apart, I mean my bum sticks out and
I lean to the right to take the left step. Today, I was able to walk about 20
meters and the bum didn’t stick out and I could actually take steps with both
feet. We’d stop and I’d sit in the chair and go back to the start and do it all
over again. Did that 3 times and was able to take ‘real’ steps. When I keep my
butt in it is easier to take the step…I’d say ‘a step in the right direction.’
The goal is to be able to keep the butt in when I get on the treadmill. Wonder
what the tone will do it may not be a problem as I’m tied in the jolly jumper
and that may support me enough.
Sept 4th Grandpa Bob is away and I am
missing the gym. He gets back on the weekend. Did the pool with Darcy and
finally on the trike for a spin. An aside…dropped a piece of Dentyne gum on the
floor, sugar free stuff and the dog wouldn’t touch it and she’ll eat anything…that
should tell me something. Did 15 k outside and perhaps overdid it a bit. Did 6
laps of the subdivision. Got ½ way around on the 6th lap and knew
I’d done too much. The legs just quit. Very tight after the ride. Now, I know I
overdid it. My back is rock hard and my nose is really plugged and the legs are
burning. All the nerves were jangled
after riding for 1.5 hours. All night the body was tight and didn’t want to
move much. My legs felt like rubber and transferring from bed to chair and
chair to car was interesting. Got to therapy on Thursday and tried to stand up
to transfer to the mat…both Stephanie and Barry had to hold me up. Got into the
standing table for 15 minutes then stretching and some sit to stands. Stephanie
introduced some new exercises. Stand up and then put the right foot on a 3” high
box and then a 6” box. The left leg has to take all the weight…really good exercise
to strengthen the left leg and getting my left hip pushed forward. A call to my
bother-in-law is in order to make me some boxes. Got the word from Stephanie
that I had to take the rest of the day off, no riding and tomorrow only a 30
minute easy spin. The bad part is that Darcy was there and she heard it
too…guess that’s the way it will be.
Went back to the 4th floor to see my
friend Neil who is waiting for a nursing home bed. When I got to the nursing
station there were some of the my nurses…and one of them, Cindy had been
talking to a patient about my blog and she took me in and introduced me to
him. I know what he is going through a
month post event, he fell about 25 feet and damaged his spinal cord at c5-c6 and
is now in Parkwood for rehab.
Boy do the muscles in my legs act differently after
that long bike ride. My legs are still jangle from it and this is Friday.
Didn’t do any cycling, just went into the pool with Darcy. The deep end of the
pool is the one of the best therapies. It lets my legs move in all directions.
Not too long ago it felt like there was a block of wood between my legs. I
think it was my hip flexors that lacked sensation. The left flexor is very tight and pinches
when I bend the leg at the hip. I think it just needs to be stretched. The deep
end is really the only place where the hip flexors get stretched.
Geez, it’s a bummer when a workout recovery takes 5
days. It’s Monday Sept 9 and I still feeling last Wednesday’s bike ride. Only did 38 k last
week on the bike and on Sunday I did nothing other than go out for 2 coffee
breaks...sounds like I'm back at work!
This week I’m getting more dysreflexia events (AD).
At least, I know what they are and I can handle them better now. They are like
anxiety attacks, I just have move around. I was out on the driveway at midnight
doing laps in the wheelchair. Went to the gym with Grandpa on Monday, Sept 9,
the first time in a couple of weeks. I was going to take it easy and I thought
that I did. Everything was going ok until I got on the crunch machine and I
over did it…that extra set was just a bit too much. Muscles used to get sore
after a hard workout but now it is completely different. My entire body
tightens up and all toned up for several hours and I can’t move and lasts sometimes
for days. Since I am going back on the
treadmill, there will be no weight lifting for the 5 weeks.. We’ll see how the
tone goes after an hour in the jolly jumper.
Thursday, Sept 12 was the first day of the treadmill
program. Didn’t think it was going to be
a good day as there was some AD on the way to London. It was the first
session and was 1.5 hours of assessment. There were lots of tests, doing a sit
up, rolling over, sitting straight, checking strength in arms and legs, doing
sit to stands, standing for 2 minutes, standing with eyes closed for 10
seconds, turn in a circle, walking for minutes. I was able to stand for 2
minutes and for 10 seconds with eyes shut. Made ¾ of a turn, walked for 6
minutes and did 88 feet. Should clarify on the 6 minute walk there were 2
sit-down rests and 3 catches by Barry (PTA). A couple of the catches were
interesting as I started to fall backwards and Barry allowed me to move my feet
backwards to try and catch myself…which I wasn’t quite able to do. The feet
moved, just not quick enough. These are things I can practice at home. Although
I wouldn’t want Darcy to let me go as far as Barry let me fall. Darcy would
correct my balance before I would fall.
My last 6 minute test in April, I only lasted 3 minutes and I was using
a walker and assisted by 2 physios, so there is some improvement there…yeehaw!
Another interesting thing they had me doing was to pick a ball up off the floor
from a standing position. The ball is about 9 cm in diameter. To my surprise, I
was able to get down and almost touch the ball, and I didn’t fall over.
Shannon is the physio that will be looking after me
on the treadmill program. She wants me to do more standing and walking at home.
She suggested that I stand to brush my teeth and stand whenever I can. I need
to stand at every opportunity to get out of the chair. Seems I am spending too
much time sitting on my butt in the chair and it has become my comfy place. My
short term goal for walking is to be able to walk from the bed to the washroom and
eliminate any assistance from the PSW’s for toilet activities. That’s for
starters and long term goal is to walk the dog around the crescent…about 500
meters.
Friday the 13th will be the first day on
the treadmill…good thing I am not superstitious. It’s 6 o’clock on Friday 13th
and I finished my first session on the treadmill at 4 PM. The legs are all
tingly and the nose is a bit stuffy but not completely blocked. Back and
stomach are tight but not unbearably tight. Did some more testing. They want me
to stand with my feet together for 10 seconds with my eyes shut. I lasted 6
seconds. Then surprise, they took me to the stairs. There are 4 steps with a
railing on either side. Put my right foot on the first step and then bring the
left up then step up with the right again. I can step with the right quite
easily but I have difficulty bending the left knee and getting it on the step. Got
to the top and then another surprise, they wanted me to turn around and go down
frontwards. It is a good thing I need a suppository to poop or I would have
pooped my pants from looking way down from the top step. It was easier than I
thought. Left foot down and the very hard part is standing on my left leg
keeping my bum tucked in while the right foot comes down. Shannon won’t let me
move if my bum goes out.
I did 3x5
minute sessions on the treadmill. I was going faster than I did on the last
go-round. I was able to go 2 miles an
hour opps that’s 3.2 kph. Last session the best speed for me was 1.6 mph. The
differences on the treadmill, that I noticed were: I am able to stand on my
left leg a lot better and my strides are longer and I can go faster. I still
can’t walk on the treadmill without someone holding my butt steady. We tried it
at very low speed but just can’t keep from wobbling big time.
After the treadmill, I stood while they got me out
of the harness then I turned around and walked off the treadmill and got to sit
in the chair for a rest. It was time to walk back to the mat only with one
difference. Remember, Shannon said I can’t move unless by bum is tucked under
on the left. Seems that my body has
adapted the pattern of walking where my left side collapse and my left butt
goes out. I need to stand on the leg and walk with my bum tucked in. She showed
Darcy how I should be walking. I take smaller steps but they are willing to put
up with it, as long as I keep my bum in and stand on the left leg. She said it
will be hard work to retrain and it will be. Need to walk shorter distances but
do it right. Practice makes perfect so be careful what you practice.
Went out to a friends for lobster dinner... Yummy!
However, when I got there they were sitting on the deck and there are 6 steps
up to the deck with a railing. Instead of having them carry me up I said I’d
walk up and sit in a ‘normal’ chair. Not only was the lobster good but so was
the blueberry pie and the apple pie…diet starts tomorrow…again!
Confirmation on the weight loss. In April when they
weighed me on the treadmill, I was 106 kg and now I am 95!!
How
am I Feeling?
This tone and AD are becoming a bother. The goal of
riding the 24 Hour Challenge next year looks like it may need to be altered a
bit. Just don’t know what to do about it. The more I do the more tone there is. Any pain
that I get causes AD…going to be interesting trying to manage that. I am
finding that even the pain from the massage starts AD.
Shannon made a very good point. Right now I am
focusing on therapy and everything I do is to succeed at Parkwood. What I need
to do is focus on life skills and get out of my chair as much as I can. I never
thought about getting into a normal chair as I can’t slide the chair in once I
am in it. Need to get something to put under the chair legs to slide the chair easily.
It was suggested that we get tennis balls and cut an x in them and put them on
the chair legs and it will slide in easier. They know that I am comfortable in
the chair…they want that to stop. Where I can walk or stand or get out of the
chair, that’s what I am supposed to do. For example, standing to brush my
teeth. Yikes… that is going to be a lot
of work.
Thanks for listening….
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