On Tuesday, I happened to be in the wheelchair when Victoria arrived for physical therapy. Therefore, she took me down to one of the physio rooms to measure me for proper wheelchair. She also gave me some weights and a wrist exerciser. One of the other physio patients was a man of sixty or more wearing an AC/DC T-shirt!
There wasn’t an ideal wheelchair, but Victoria and another woman contrived something that should have been suitable. They attempted to get me to sit in it and in the process stand for a bit by bringing a walker up to my chair and helping me lift myself into a standing position with the bulk of my weight on my right leg. Unfortunately, my left leg wasn’t ready for it and the slight weight I put on it sent shooting pain up my leg and I had to sit down immediately.
On Wednesday, Victoria tried having me stand with a walker from the edge of my bed with her assistance and that of another orderly. She put a book under my left foot to reduce the weight put on it. The first attempt ended in pain and fright. It was decided that we needed the services of Alberto who is over six feet tall and that I needed a painkiller. This took about an hour or so as Alberto was on lunch. Third time lucky, and I stood for a period that was long enough for Alberto to make comments about whether he was taller than me. My guess is fifteen seconds.
Today, I took the painkiller before the physio session and with the assistance of Victoria and a sturdy orderly, I stood, mostly from my own strength for about thirty seconds as timed by Michael. I was offered the opportunity to try again, but I was quite exhausted
Later in the afternoon, my turn with the hairdresser came up. I was put in the chair and taken down the basement for a haircut and beard trim by a very nice and sympathetic lady.
3 comments:
Very sheveled!
Great to hear Daniel!
Hi Daniel. You may remember me, Charlie Blackburn, from long ago, since we have not met in many years (we Blackburns go back to your Dad's graduate student university days in London, Ontario). Your Mom, Susan, gave me your blog address following my hearing, only very recently, upon a random phone call of mine to Hugh, about your very nasty accident.
I have just finished reading all your blog entries since the day of the incident, and a few from the days before it, when you were still enjoying your New Brunswick adventure. How things can change in an instant!
I was glad to read in one of your postings that your orthopedic practitioner had said your progonosis is good, and that you would certainly be able to ride a bicycle again, but not to make vacation plans for at least a year!!! Keep your spirits up, and do all the right things that your profesional helpers tell you! There will continue to be down times, but there is hope on the horizon!
Best wishes for a speedy recovery!
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