Nov 10 to Nov 24, 2013
The week of Nov 10 to Nov 17, going to Parkwood for the Treadmill Program. They worked me very hard both on and off the treadmill. The focus being that I walk straight up without my bum sticking out. It is difficult. The left ankle doesn’t bend and I stand on my toe that makes me lift up in the air. If I go flat footed on the left, it makes my butt stick out. Every night after Parkwood my nose plugs up tight and doesn’t clear up until after bowel care.
The ol’ bowels really control my life. Bowel problems tend to get me anxious which starts the BP going up and getting sweaty etc. Impacted bowels shouldn’t bother me now as I know that we can always work it out but not with a pencil...ha! It is a painful process but it works. The laxatives seem to be working. One reason that I get impacted is the bowel doesn’t contract properly. With the laxatives I can feel my intestines contract. Normal bowels have peristalsis which moves the material in the right direction in my neurogenic bowel it all contracts at once and it feels very strange but it works.
Monday Nov 18th: An assessment day for the locomotor program. Stood for 2 minutes, stood for 10 seconds with eyes closed and stood for 1 minute with my feet together which is the tough one to do. Then it was walk time. Walked the length of the gym which is about 50 feet then had a rest and it was up to see how far I could walk in 6 minutes. After a rest it was up and at ‘em. Got 109 feet and I was so pooped the Barry, physio assistant had to catch me. I wasn’t thinking about standing and my legs just gave out. Onto the treadmill for a short session. Was able to do one session for 7 minutes. Then off the treadmill and headed home.
My nose didn’t plug up until I got home. Now, here’s the funny thing about how the ol’ body is wired. At about 5:15 my nose was plugged shut and no air could get through it. Went to have a pee and as soon I started peeing my left nostril opened up completely and stayed open for about 5 minutes and then plugged up again. What’s that all about...eh??
After all that exercise it tightened up the entire body, there was no BM...Yup it even tightens up the bowels...and that is with all the laxatives and a suppository...aka...the Silver Bullet, I am taking.
Tuesday Nov 19th: Still hadn’t had a BM. Put on the Depends, just in case and cancelled Parkwood as I can’t predict what could happen. As per usual nothing happened all day. Just waiting for the evening’s BM. FYI... It all came out ok...lol! A relief!
OH yes, I started painting again with acrylics. Colour mixing is very hard to do...something I’ll have to learn again. My right hand is a bit shaky. I won’t be able to do any fine detailed work but I’ll just have to learn some new ways to put paint down. There is a lot of beginner videos on painting online...I’ve watched a bunch trying to find a technique to use. What got me going on painting again was a picture that Bryce took of Lake Lisgar at sunset. I saw it and said I’d like to paint that. I have some acrylic paint that Dawn gave me way back when in Toronto. Kelly had left all her paints here but some were very old in lead tubes...Yikes! Went on excursions to Curry’s Paint Store in London for some paints and brushes. I painted a glass milk pitcher and that’s when I found out the ol’ hand isn’t to steady for any detail work. I covered the pitcher with a coat of grayish paint and now I have another canvas to paint on. That’s the nice thing about acrylics...they dry fast and you can cover up mistakes. It’s going to take a big learning curve before an attempt to paint Lake Lisgar. Must remember how to mix colours...hard to get the right mix...practice...practice...practice!
Wednesday Nov 20th: No therapy today. Went in the pool with Yonna. It was a good workout. Just took it easy in the afternoon. Did some painting...going to try the pitcher again. Everything came out alright at 8 o’clock...
Thursday Nov 201st: Last day of the Treadmill program and last day of assessment. Woke up at about quarter to 3, my lower abdomen was aching, a strange feeling. I don’t know if it is a bladder or a prostate problem or because of all the tight muscles. Rather than have Dr. Steen get me all worried, I’ll go to the real doctor on Friday. In the morning!
I was all toned up and it was difficult moving around and I was leery about doing the assessment. Well, when I got to Parkwood and started doing sit to stands. I had one of my better days on the treadmill. They do what is called phasing. Have the treadmill running at .8 miles per hour and they slowly take hands off. On the treadmill, there is a physio holding my pelvis and keeping it in the right position. They stop supporting my pelvis and I walk unsupported...sounds easy but I must pay attention to every move or I’ll start swinging in the harness. Test 2 is removing hands from my legs and feet. I can get down to them holding just my toes.
The walking after was also pretty good. I walked about 110 feet with little assistance. There was a physio on either side, just in case but even when I stumbled when I catch my toe, I was able to correct myself and they didn’t help me. They videoed the walk and they showed me a video of me walking in a highboy walker last January. There were 3 physios helping me and I had my arms braced on the walker. After watching both videos...I have improved, if I do say so myself...yeehaw! I need to get the confidence to walk on my own. Still have a lot to do to walk properly. Must step over my left leg...I still tend to let that left hip stick out. Since I sit so much, it is difficult to straighten out my back. I walk bent forward. It feels straight up but when I see myself in a mirror, I am definitely not walking straight up. Walking bent over causes lower back problems...grrrrr!
Found out I’ll be going back to seeing Stephanie twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:00. That works out well, I can do the gym on Mon, Wed and Fri mornings with Grandpa, in the pool at noon with Darcy or Yonna and ride the trainer in the afternoon. Should be able to build up some endurance with that program.
Friday Nov 22nd: Went to the gym for the first time since the middle of September. Darcy came along with Grandpa and I. Got into the gym and got the coat and sweater off and walked to the leg press machine. Did very light sets and only went up to 50 kg. Did 3 sets of 10 on each leg. Did 3 sets of 10 of toe presses to strengthen the calf and to try and stretch the Achilles on the left leg. If I can get some flexion in that ankle it would be so much easier to walk. Walked to the leg extension machine and did 3 sets of 10 reps at 20 kg with each leg.
Moved the chair to the pulley machine and walked to the chair and did a bunch of sets on my arms. I may be a little sore tomorrow but I did take it easy...much to Darcy’s surprise!
After the gym it was home to get into the bathing suit to go to the pool. Darcy took me and stretched out my arms and legs. Did some walking without assistance and not hanging on the wall. I am able to catch myself if I lose my balance and as a safety precaution, there is a float around my chest...just in case. Felt good getting into the deep end and getting the legs moving after doing the weights. I do some exercises at the stairs, I think one day probably when Yonna is with me I’ll walk up the stairs at the pool.
In the deep end I can work on a lot of muscle groups in my hips and upper legs. A big problem is that I have a lot of difficulty lifting my left foot off the ground. It is good exercise in the pool lifting the left leg up.
Saturday Nov 23rd: Got to Karate class. 79 year old Frank was there doing his stuff...he amazes me. Missed 3 classes, it was good to be back. Did two walks of about 50 feet in the Dojo. Out for lunch at Cultures.
Sunday Nov 24th: Coffee with the guys at McDonalds. Amazing how the clientele at McDonald’s has changed. Not too many kids anymore, the parents of Gen-X and grandparents of Generation-Y or just a bunch of old fogies drinking coffee with free refills! Did you hear some places are stopping the seniors discounts because the seniors for the most part have all the money...and so?????
How am I feeling?
Yikes my claustrophobia is back or at least on one occasion. We were going to get the car washed at Pioneer on Simcoe Street. The lane to the car wash goes behind the station and is narrow with a wall on right side. There were 3 cars in front of us and when we pulled in behind the last car and I looked behind and then it hit, an anxiety attack about being trapped. I could feel my blood pressure go up and I ‘asked’ Darcy to back up and get out. She did and once out I was alright again. Then I feel foolish as I know it is all in my head. For a while I could control them but this one got away from me. I had one last week in Ingersoll. In a line up for gas...just had to get out.
I was going to take part in a study in Toronto for a Functional MRI. They would tape sensors to my hand and then they would put me in the machine for ½ hour and have me tell them every five minutes what I was feeling. They have the sensors taped to specific nerves in the hand and map the nerves in the neck that run the hand. It would be 3 half hour sessions in the tube. For those of you who don’t know about MIR’s, they slide you in a tube with the top of the tube being about 3 cm from your nose. It is so noisy in there they put on ear protection. When I signed up I thought I’d be able to do it but the more I thought about it the more ‘frightened’ I became, and I cancelled.
It appears that it is time to call the mental health nurse and find out what’s going on. I am having an MIR on my right shoulder on Dec 7th in London. Another MIR on my neck on, get this date, Friday, Dec. 13th...damn, I’ll miss Pt. Dover. Darcy already has the Ativan for that event. I couldn’t use Ativan in Toronto as they needed me lucid to answer questions and feel the sensors.
Thanks for listening...
