Thai curry x two

Friday 31st July.
I arrived to find Stuart still on the commode chair having just finished his toilet duties, he had had a chat with Catherine the social worker about lifetime care and support and some options for filling in time before he goes to Moorong.
It was then off to physio, he started the session on the ergo. Peddling away for 25 minutes doing a total of 127metres.....97 (21.20mins) of them with Stuart doing the work and 30 metres the motor/ machine doing the work. He then transferred onto the red table to do some leg work with the slings and springs. Stuart also did some stretching, Alex showing us some that we can do to help him as well.





We went back to the ward for lunch and I went down stairs to get an afters treat. When I got back to the ward Stuart was into his second lunch. A couple of the post graduate nurses were moving to their next ward and they had brought in lunch for the staff and he had scored a serve. It was a beautiful red Thai curry and spring rolls(all home cooked). I was also lucky enough to get some too.
We then caught up with Alanna to talk about shower chairs and to see if we could start the ball rolling as far as getting fitted for one for home. Hopefully the rep will come next week, it is quite a process and apparently lots of options......shape of the whole in the seat, length ,height of the foot rests etc.
We also had a chat with Lucy who was happy with Stuart's Xray and ultrasound. The results of his urine culture have come back and he is now on a more specific antibiotic for his infection.
It was then time to go down to Gloria's for our arvo coffee, Pat a new patient from Bathurst joined us.
Stuart was getting ready to have his evening meal as I left!!!! Yes another helping of the Thai curry. Lucky boy.

Beautiful day

Thursday 39th July
After the pool on Wednesday I had a shower in the evening because of the chlorine on my skin and I've decided to do this every day from now on. It means I don't have to rush in the morning to get ready for 11am physio. It gets pretty busy with 4 people all wanting the bathroom and shower, and I think it's nicer to have a shower before heading to bed. The morning because of the lack of showering was nice and relaxed, and headed around to the gym as normal at 11 where I was let loose on the cable weights. Tristan showed up just as I was leaving the gym, we decided to get some subway for lunch and sit out in the sun, it was a bloody beautiful day to just sit and chat. I had a bladder scan that afternoon and I had to have a full bladder, which was a bit uncomfortable but all checked out ok(once again a routine examination). The technician talked me through what she was looking for while doing the scan which was really nice, helps to learn more about my body. Tris then headed home as he was not feeling well and I rolled around for a coffee and to read a magazine until Mum arrived in from Wagga. She had gone home for a few days and even managed a couple of nights back at work.

Water Baby

Wednesday 29th July
I woke up a lot better than yesterday,no spasms overnight. Well rested I was planning to have an easy morning as the pool trip was not until 1:30. This was all tossed out the window when they came in at 9 to tell me that I had an Xray of my kidneys at 10.This was just a routine one to look at my kidneys now that I am self catheterizing. I hadn't showered or done bowel care, so it was a mad rush to get all my morning prep done before they came to collect me. But the orderly didn't come for me until 11... It was a bit of a rush to get ready to go to Moorong after Xray.
It didn't really matter because there was still a group using the pool when we did arrive so we had a look around Moorong before hitting the water. There were people playing tennis on the courts next to the buildings. We then went indoors to have a look at the rooms. They were similar to the hospital, but had that a more like home feel to them. The Gym was amazing, and each patient has their own physio working with them and they do two sessions each day.




It was then back down to the pool where the last class was just finishing. To get us into the pool they had a hydraulic lift with a seat on the arm so they can lower you into the water.



The first feeling was my legs suddenly floating, it took a few seconds to get used to it but I was soon floating around the pool with some safety floaties with Alex and Victoria close by. They then did some standing exercises with me, locking my knees in and getting me to roll my hips forward locking my whole body upright, once again took a few goes to get right but it worked well after that.




I then was allowed a bit of time to float around to get used to how the body works in the water. I was able to swim breast stroke around the pool with ease, though when you get to shallow water I had to roll onto my back because my legs would hang behind me on the pool floor preventing me from lifting my head(sort of dragging me down). I then thought well if I can do all this, how about I try some freestyle swimming. It was pretty easy. The trick is to get up some speed and your legs get streamlined up behind your body and you can move along rather well, but I need to work on my technique I think.



Hosing down after the swim session


I got home from the pool and crashed, it took a lot of energy out of me, I actually fell asleep halfway through writing this blog entry. Was a good day and great that Dad was able to check out the place with me. He also did a grand job on the camera.
Stu

Grass skiing!!!

Tuesday 28th July
I didn't sleep very well last night, the spasms in my legs were worse during the night. They think it could be because of a UTI(urinary tract infection) so they did some blood tests, a MSU(urine culture) and put me on some general antibiotics to see if it will settle. I feel OK so far tonight,fingers crossed.
Dad came in at around 11 and we headed to the Gym for physio. Alex wanted to try some vertical lifts from the chair to floor and back to the chair. But because of my poor nights sleep my concentration was horrible and I ended just falling out of the chair and couldn't hold myself up on the floor. We all decided that we can try the floor stuff again another day and I hopped on the leg machine for a more relaxing workout.



Dad and I went down to the Forum for lunch with the Miltons. I had a good chat to Michael about sit skiing and disabled cycling, very interesting to listen to what he had to say about his life and experiences.
After lunch Dad and I headed to the stairs that we found to try some more advanced wheelchair skills with Dave, unfortunately they were just a bit to narrow to be able to do them all by myself. Hopefully we will find some suitable stairs soon so we can have a real go at them.
On the way back up the hill Dave asked if I wanted to try going down a hill on grass and dirt. All was good on the way down, didn't really faze me at all. When I decided to come back up the grassy hill backwards was when I got into trouble. There was not enough traction on the ground with slick tyres on wet grass and thus I had my first fall out of the chair. It was not that bad as I was already leaning back in the chair due to the hill and the grass was nice and soft. Plus Dave was there to catch my legs. Dad was ready with the camera. I was laughing more than anything, it was also a chance for Dave to show me how you get someone up when they have fallen back in their chair. There was some mud on the chair and me though, will have some more washing to do.





After the grassy hill adventure Dad and I headed to the garden for a coffee where we sat and chatted for a hour or so. We then went to the roof of the carpark to check out the foundations for the extension to the Private hospital. We stayed there for ages watching the excavator make a ramp out of nothing down into the pit. I'm now trying to get a good nights sleep for tomorrow, when we will be going to the pool for a swim. I'm really looking forward to being in the water, it will be interesting to see how different the body will feel and work in the water.



Stu

Lazy Sunday and Boardshort Monday

Sunday 26th July

Got up a little later today. I try to give myself one day where its not a rush in the morning to get out of bed. Meaghan was waiting downstairs at 11 as we wanted to go the Victoria's Basement which is just down the road from the hospital. Am managing to get into Tristan's car OK and Meaghan got the wheelchair in easily. I did felt like a bull in a china shop, so I was very tentative in getting up and down the isles shop. We could have walked there, but the hill to come back up would have been hell on my arms. I rolled away with a tea cup with a strainer in it, and a coffee peculator for Dad. If I had a kitchen to go back to I would have had more in my arms. By the time we left the shop it was around lunch time, the idea came up of trying the Indian restaurant that I've been to before, but it was shut Sunday lunch. So it was back to Nando's like last Sunday. I think it might become a Sunday arvo tradition from now on, I don't think Meaghan or Tristan would mind. We then capped off an nice afternoon with a coffee/tea at the hospital. I once again really enjoyed the day out again.



Monday 27th July

Got up a little bit earlier today so I could do some washing from the weekend, It's a long way down to the bottom of a washing machine when you are in a chair, I feel it would have looked rather strange if someone walked in seeing me trying to climb into the thing just to get the clothes out.
In the gym Alex got me to do some weights using the cable machine, I suggested that they should get a mirror placed behind the machine so people can watch their form. Its a waste of time doing weights if you are not doing it properly. After the weights I did some dips on the parallel bars, then a bit of cycling and some leg muscle work. I'm really getting some strength in the left leg I'm able to get it really swinging along suspended in the air. Alex came up during the hour and asked if I wanted to do some hydrotherapy tomorrow, I was really keen to go.But would need to get some boardies. So after OT with Dave, which involved more gutter work, I'm so close to getting it right. I headed down to Chatswood again. This time I didn't get lost in the Mall and managed to push around with relative ease on the new carpet that they have layed. Found some boardies, sat down for a coffee and headed back to the hospital and was home by 5:30. When I got into the ward I was told the swimming had been moved to Wednesday, which was a bit annoying because Dad came up tonight on the evening REX flight instead of coming tomorrow. But in a good twist we now have Tuesday lunch with Michael Milton(the one legged skier). His father John is also a patient on 7D. I'm really excited because Micheal is a very inspirational person to me,just what he has achieved and to think that I will be able to go and have lunch with him tomorrow is mind boggling.
Dad arrived about 7.30, was good to see him and catch on all the news from home. And fill him in on the details of my adventures since Mum left on Friday.

Movie Saturday and Backyard Blitz

Saturday 25th July
Janet's bit - I am home and hit the supermarket with Maggie. Had lunch with Ray, Wendy, Belinda and Gary before a mini backyard blitz - you can certainly see where we have been, bushes and trees trimmed up. We discovered that the circuit breakers in the fuse box work when Woppa tried trimming with the electric hedger. Then back to work for me, it will be a long night I feel.




Stuart's bit - Today was my first day that I didn't have someone coming in and having the day with me. It was good to have that bit of independence, but I still missed having someone poking their head in and saying hi. I pottered around the morning doing some washing and having a general clean up of my area in the room. In the afternoon I decided to head to Chatswood Mall to watch the new Harry Potter and just have a general look around. It all started out ok, nice little stroll down to the train station, when I got there I found that the trains had been replaced by buses because of track work on the line. So I had to ride the bus there which was ok I've been in them before. But the driver was in a bit of a rush, everytime he took off I would go flying forwards out of the chair into the person sitting in front of me, everytime he went to stop I would be falling backwards until I hit the bag rack behind me. I've just to to learn how to hold on properly, its easier when I am sitting in a normal seat actually. When I arrived to Chatswood bus stop I headed to the lift which would take me under the station, bloody thing was being worked on too, the guy watching the lift took me to a second lift along down the other end of the station so. My day was getting rather interesting. Once in the mall I was ok, found a Boarders which it was Tristan and I were looking when we headed into the city. I rolled around the shop looking for interesting books and listening to some music, came out with one and then headed to Harry Potter. I was able to transfer onto a nice comfy seat in the theatre which was nice, I don't particualy like sitting in the chair all day and if I can get out and sit somewhere else I will. Tristan sent me a message halfway through the movies asking if I wanted to go and see The Hangover that same night. As soon as Harry Potter finished I then headed to get out of the mall, which was harder than I thought it would be. I got out on the wrong lift in the fist place which just messed with my head because then I didn't know if I had to head up or down. Eventually I got out of the place and I was off to get the lift back up to the bus, when I got there the lift was still out of action so I got a guy to stand behind me and I did my first escalator ride. I was a bit scared at first but once I was on I felt fine not to sure what the OT's will think of me doing it, but now I knowcan do it if I'm stuck. I made my way now up to the cab rank because I was not to sure how long i would have to wait for a bus, found a nice bloke with a stationwagon who was willing to fit the chair in the back for me. It made my day after all the little hickup's and being refused buy the first few cabies. Tristan and Meaghan picked me up from the hospital, today was the first time I've ridden in a carseat not in the back on my chair, I felt a lot safer in the car. It was a great to get out of the hospital, made me feel really good. I'm not sick or on bed rest, just nice to be back sort of in the real world doing everyday normal things but in my chair.

Stu

Thursday and Friday

Culture Thursday

Thursday 23rd July
Usual start to day and then round to physio. Quiet in gym as Damo and Alex were away so I did some upper body stretching on the plinth. Only Alison an I so we had Victoria to ourselves. We really have to look after our shoulders as they now do double the work (arms and legs). Continued to do more wheelchair work on the steps (x2) and gutters. Steps are ticked off, Dave feels that I have mastered them. Am almost there with gutters, I can get up a couple of times and then muck up the next attempt. Guess at the moment I will have to find another way around or get help up the gutter when I am out and about.



After OT we had another appointment with Nick (dentist). He is happy with his work so far on the root canal and nerve, have a more permanent temporary crown in place and he will start measuring for the real crown in a couple of weeks. Woo Hoo. I left him my thumb drive with loads of music to download if he wants, we have similar tastes Before catching the cab back to RNS we had a flick around a photography exhibition (of the Sydney fish markets) in the Mosman Art gallery.


40 cm and climbing

Friday 24th July
Getting into a morning routine: now all washed, dressed and managing self catheterization no worries before 11 am physio. Had a good session today with Alex pushing me to do vertical lifts from one plinth to another. 40 cm was my highest lift and it felt good - only 7 more cm and I will be able to lift myself from the ground into my chair. Getting more and more upper body strength each day.



30 cm vertical lift



40cm lift

Tris Mum and I had lunch in the cafeteria then sat outside in the sun waiting for Sue, Luke and Matt to collect Mum for the trip back to Wagga. Tris and I then caught the train into the city where we had plans to find a book shop to get a book for Tristan and a DVD for me. We set our for Borders which we knew was on Pitt St, we found it after a while, but it was closed for renovations, so we just wondered further down the street, had a coffee in the Queen Victoria Building, I thinks that's what it's called. The trip was also a test of my wheelchair skills out in the real world. The only real help that I needed from Tristan was for large gutters and a steps. I also managed self catheterization in a public toilet which is another great step towards independence.

Dining with the pigeons

Stuart got the staff to give him some analgesia overnight(at 0400hrs), so this morning he woke up free of pain and not stiff. It was off to physio as usual. Started with some cycling, followed by hopping onto the table for some leg work in the sling. He was able to point his left foot from the ankle and also pull his knee towards his body by using his quads. The right leg alas is still on holiday. Alex was really impressed in how its going, just got to get the other one to start moving. Though it does have more feeling than the left. Alex then pulled out a text book showing the spinal cord in detail, we were asking why some people get different types of return. It was good to see some pictures and words on it all, no one has really sat us down like this before. I think it was also a refresher for Alex.




We then headed down to the Forum to meet Jess, who had flown in from Wagga for the night before heading back to Uni in Newcastle. Sue, Luke and Matt Garlan also caught up with us for some lunch. We had a good time, but did not enjoy the local wildlife - many McDonald's fed pigeons. Had to duck a few times as they flew in looking for scraps.



No OT this afternoon so Stuart went back to the afternoon physio session to do some stretching on the plinth. It was then to Gloria's for our regular coffee, bit windy to head outside today. We then tried to work out a way to get into Tristan's Honda CRV. After a few um's and ar's we had a few idea's but we will leave it until we try it with Dave.
Combined words by Stuart and I today.

Sky gazing.....REX spotting

Tuesday 21st July
I didn't have a good first few hours today after waking, the pain team are trying to ween me off my oxycontin (12 hour pain relief). We decided to try having it in the morning and not taking it Monday night. Which didn't work, I woke up with horrible back pain where the surgery was carried out. I tried to get it put back up to twice a day, but somewhere the message got lost and no one changed my charts and the night doctor would not let me go back up....... not happy, I'm looking forward to another morning of agony.

I headed around to gym once my pain killers kicked in, where I hopped on the tilt table again. Today I tried to use it as a slide board using what return I have in my leg to slide my body up and down from the floor plates. There was not much up and down movement but the physios are always working to make it stronger. I've been having problems with pain in my right kidney area, I thought it could be the cushion I'm sitting on putting pressure on the family jewels. But after a few trials on different cushions we soon found that it was my stomach muscles and hip flexors tightening from being in the chair all day. Damien showed me some stretches to help with the pain I was feeling. They were a bit painful but worth it, I'm leaning how important flexibility is even when you cant move your legs.



Mum, Tristan and I then headed to the garden for lunch again, It was one of those really good winters day where you can walk around in a T-shirt and shorts. David took me for OT today, he seemed a bit excited when he told me that we were going to tackle stairs/steps. He showed me first how to do it, rolling slowly up to the edge and then as you roll over slowing the wheels and leaning back past the balance point almost wedging the back wheels on the lower step and the vertical face of the step you just rolled down. With David and Tristan as spotters it took me a few goes but I managed to get it down pat after a while. Bit scary for the onlookers.





There were 3 women catching the sun a bit further down and they gave me a high five every time I rolled passed to have another go at the steps. Continued with my up gutter training as well, still need some fine tuning.





I'm not not on fluid restrictions anymore so the three of us headed in to get a coffee, and found a spot outside again to sit. Where we sat there was a ledge just the right height for me to transfer onto and behind the ledge was a strip of nice green grass. I've been wanting to lay on the grass since Mum and I found the secret garden and today my wish came true. It was so nice, but I did have to keep rolling so I didn't create any pressure areas but it was worth it. Tris and I watched the planes flying over to and from Mascot.

Tall man.

Today was busy, managed to showered, dressed and get ready for the gym all by my self this morning which is quite a work out. I then headed around to the gym for my physio session where Alex decided to put me up on the tilt tray. You are strapped onto the bed with your feet on plates on the end. You then tilt up as if you are standing upright, this is the first time I've been upright since the accident. I didn't last long until I started feeling faint(head spin) and had to lower myself back down but after a little rest I went back up and Alex gave me a weight to lift above my head to keep the blood flowing up the top of my body, it worked really well actually.





I then said to Alex that I would like to try getting from my chair down onto the floor. My knee got in the way during this which was really painful again but I did get down onto the floor, even it it did look like I just lunched myself to the floor. Getting back up we strapped my knees together so they would do what I wanted, and we used a box as step and did two vertical transfers to get back onto my chair. With practice and strength I will be able to go straight from floor to chair and back again.

From chair to the floor




From the floor to the box(half way)



From the box to the chair.




We then went down to have lunch with Frances and Garry who came up for the day to say hello. But had to send them on a little walk through the cemetery whilst Mum and I went to OT to discuss house plans with Alanna. The girls had taken some photos of the kitchen and bathroom, plus Jess had drawn a floor plan of the kitchen at Kauri Pl. All helps with working out what modifications have to be made at home. Will have a visit from an OT who specializes in spinal injuries and rehab in the near future. The 4 of us then headed to the garden again for the afternoon before it got too cold and we had to come back into the hospital.



Tomorrow morning I'm going to try having my shower before breakfast so I can rest a little between breakfast to Physio, and it will be more of a realistic time I would have to wake up when I would be at home hopefully It will all work well.
Stu

It was exciting to see Stuart upright when I arrived this morning, first time he had been taller than me for 6 weeks. He was pretty pleased with himself and loved the feeling. He can also point his toes a little on his left foot.
When we rolled back to the ward from physio Stuart's gear had been moved to his new room. He has 3 new room mates, all males this time. Two of whom he knows quite well from physio and they have a similar level of spinal injury to him. He well miss Graham and all the cheek that he gives. So all and all another big day in Stuart's road to recovery.

Sunny Sunday

Today I was up and in the shower quickly because Grahams daughters were going to make us some scrambled eggs for breakfast. Alex was up from Wagga Wagga for the day to visit and after breakfast we made our way outside to the secret garden. It was a beautiful sunny winters morning.


Mosman Bay


City from Cremorne Point

We then met Mum, Tristan and Meaghan, who had been walking some of the paths around Mosman and Cremorne Point. We headed to the Forum thinking that all the food shops would be open, but only just a few were. We picked Nandoes, Mum suggested the Banquet. Which was really quite a feast between the 5 of us and we managed to eat the lot. Mum's they always seem to pick the right things. Tristan had to leave for work at around 2 and I had to return to the ward to attend my IMC. Mum and Meaghan went to Warringah Mall to do some shopping. Which gave Alex and I a chance to sit in the garden and chat for the afternoon. It was really nice to be outside and off the ward for most of the weekend. Especially when the weather was just so perfect.
I might have a room change on Monday which will be a change for me, new room mates and maybe a view of the city who knows. I'm looking forward to venturing further into the city as my rehab moves along and I get my full wheelchair licence.

Secret Garden

My day started early with a ride down to Bradley's Head, past the zoo. It was fun and good to turn the legs, although one can't go far here before you find a serious hill.
Stuart's day started early as well with a full bladder feeling at 5.30-6 o'clock, which he emptied. And then I rang him at 9 to say that Ray and Woppa(Wendy) would be calling in at 10.30 if that was OK.It was a quick turn around for him with bowel care, shower and the 10am self cath. He was up and rolling by the time we arrived. They had to be at Oran Park for Woppa to have a Supercar experience at 1.15, not an experience I would look forward to but something our Stuart would love. They picked me up from Mosman, we had a great time catching up and spent some time in a rather nice garden near the carpark.



Stuart and I then headed down to Gore Hill oval to watch Ben's football(Aussie Rules), it was a beautiful winters afternoon. Another of Stuart's workmates, Nathan and Emily caught up with us at the footy and we then wandered up to 7D for Stuart to attend to his 2pm self catheterization, the staff call it IMC. Stuart enjoyed catching up with Nathan who has recently returned from Finland where he was competing in the world gliding championships.



We then headed back to our secret garden and spent some time in the sun. Stuart wanted to roll over onto the grass and get out of his chair and lay down, slight problem of getting back into the chair, that will come in time. The vertical lifts that he does in physio well allow him to get down onto the GRASS in the future.
Stuart was in bed by 4.30, ready to do some stretches and watch the rugby/cricket/cycling....a big night of sport.