06-06-13

Thursday, June 6, 2013

If it were physically possible at all, today would go back and visit yesterday and punch it in it's ugly face. Today totally kicked it's backside! I didn't get good sleep but I wasn't expecting much sleep last night anyway because of something happening with someone near and dear to me, but she's AH-MA-ZING, so I honestly don't mind one bit. So this morning was a slow start and it didn't make it any better that at both breakfast and morning tea, they forgot my coffee. However, that would be the end of the bad news for today.

I managed to reach another personal milestone today. I don't remember if it was mentioned yesterday but I asked my doctors if I am allowed to try and get up on my shower chair to take a proper shower and obviously without assistance. To my surprise, they unanimously agreed that it would be fine and so today, I got up and had a proper hot shower! It was so good to do that properly instead of a wash in bed. Also, it makes me feel better personally to no longer have a nursing assistant have to help me with that. Seriously, I know they are all professional and just doing their job, but it doesn't make it any less disturbing, even for a guy who has had them so many times that I should be used to it. I guess you just never get used to things like that.

After that, I had to go and listen to a lecture about spinal care but the annoying thing is, I realized today that almost everyone who is a medical professional, are perfectly healthy themselves. Most of them have no idea as to what it is like to be sick, either physiologically or emotionally whatsoever. What I'm getting at here is that most of them give the classic line to say "I know how it feels and I know more about your physical issues than you because I have a medical degree." No you do not, so shut up, stop lying to me and go find a new job, you arrogant piece of work. Sorry, just had to get that out.

Lunch today was a really good "get fat diet" feed. It was what they call a mix grill, so there was a lamb chop, beef sausage, bacon rasher, hash brown and just for laughs, an orange for dessert. I guess there had to be something moderately healthy in there for good measure. I mean, this is a hospital after all.

Not long after lunch, I had to head next door to Shenton Park rehab to see Sandy, my occupational therapist. She wanted to make sure I was still physically capable of getting into and out of a car safely. Little did I know what would come next. She asked me if I had intention of obtaining my driver's license and I said yes. I moved over to get into the driver's side and then, she told me I had to put my own chair into the car all by myself. Well, I put the seat belt on so that I was stable in the seat, put my own seat back so I was almost lying down. Then I took my cushion off and put it in the back. I took the big wheels off the frame and put both of them on the front passenger floor, before attempting to lift the frame of the chair across my body and in a sitting position in the front passenger seat. It was heavy but I did manage to do it without too much of a hassle and now I must say I have the utmost respect and gratitude to anyone who has ever loaded and unloaded my chair into a car.

As if I wasn't already tired from O.T., there was still an hour before I needed to go back into bed and so I kept my word that I would attend the gym today and got straight into it. Peter, my physio, was a lot nicer than he was yesterday when he made me feel as though my effort wasn't up to scratch. He even said to me about ten minutes before I was meant to go that I should probably head off to make sure I was back on time. I told him I was not going to leave until I was finished and I didn't. For the record, I was in bed right on time anyway.

Being in bed came at a good time because I was physically spent, so wasn't happy when the one hour I was in bed seemed to fly by really fast and before I knew it, it would be time to get back up again. I went outside to feel the last bit of sun but was a bit disappointed as only a few minutes later, it was getting cold already. Dinner was a bit disappointing tonight but that's okay because I wasn't that hungry anyway and not many others liked it either tonight. One of the other patients here started talking to me after dinner and she's got a son a little older than me. I'm not quite sure how old she is, but from talking to her tonight, we have had some very similar experiences and battles in life. It was cool to share some war stories over a coffee with someone who really could relate and understand what I was talking about.

My evening has been pretty lame because as I have previously mentioned, I have had a tiring day and so haven't done much at all. I've just been lying here trying to rest a bit as I am a bit sore already and Peter, my physio, wants me again tomorrow. God, help me! Well, that's enough for me today so I'm out of here.