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.